《The Cannon Fodder and Villain’s Happy Ending》
Chapter 1: CFV Ch.1 The ‘Cannon Fodder’ Qin Gui (1)
p!
The little girl received a heavy p to the face and fell limp on the ground. Her face was in pain and she tasted the metallic blood in her mouth.
A fierce woman pointed at her with one hand while cing the other on her waist. She looked down upon the little girl and scolded, ¡°Let this mother tell you something. No matter whether you¡¯re willing or not, you must marry him!¡±
The little girl was in her early teens. Her skinny and unhealthy yellow-colored face was painted in panic and unease. She murmured, ¡°¡Mother, I will work harder. Don¡¯t let me marry that person¡¡±
The woman spat at her and scolded at the top of her lungs, ¡°He¡¯s our county magistrate¡¯s little uncle. You should be secretlyughing at how lucky you are to marry someone like him. Instead, you¡¯re not interested in this and that person¡ Do you really think you¡¯re a young miss of a wealthy family? You think you deserve anyone good with that moral integrity of yours?¡±
¡
The woman wore clean gray clothes with a sparkling silver hairpin inserted in her hair. She appeared to be kind and friendly, but her curses made her features look sinister and distorted.
With that attitude of hers, she kicked the little girl¡¯s waist a few times.
She had a sturdy body and she was powerful. The little girl shrunk back at the pain, receiving the merciless kicks.
¡°Speak! Are you going to marry him or not?!¡±
The little girl shook her head and persisted, ¡°I refuse¡¡±
She had seen young master Xu. He was very fat and nasal mucus always apanied him. He would always drool and smile foolishly at her, calling her little wife.
She was afraid and ran right away back then.
She didn¡¯t want to marry a fool!
¡°Mother, please. No¡¡±
The moment she just started talking, a broom whacked her on the head. She lost consciousness and fell limp on the ground.
¡°Stupid girl, you dare to pretend to be dead!¡±
The woman¡¯s expression was a bit distorted and didn¡¯t n on stopping her abuse any time soon, whacking the little girl with the broom time after time.
¡°This woman will beat you to death!¡±
Whack after whack.
Qin Gui had woken up due to this pain.
It hurts!
Her head was buzzing and she felt pain everywhere on her body. Yet, in the next moment, countless memories flooded her mind crazily.
She transmigrated!
Not only did she transmigrate, she also transmigrated into this long historical female-lead oriented novel [Golden Age of the Pampered Phoenix].
The heroine¡¯s name in this novel was Qin Xin, the eldest daughter of the legal wife in Zhongyi Residence. She had grown up under exquisite care within the residence up until she was eight. The old marquis found out that she wasn¡¯t a member of the Qin Family!
As it turned out, eight years ago, Qin Family was implicated in a conspiracy case. At that time, the legal wife had just given birth to a daughter. In order to save Qin Family¡¯s blood, the old marquis made up his mind right away and dered to the public that the baby was a stillborn. Then, he secretly handed the girl to a wet nurse, and gave her a substantial amount of money as well.
After that, Qin Family was sentenced to exile.
Up until the crown prince ascended the throne three yearster did Qin Family get to return safely.
Therefore, Qin Family went to pick up the child. But who knew that the wet nurse, Zhao Aman, secretly handed Qin Family her own daughter in recement of the eldest daughter of Qin Family.
The truth was exposed, and Zhao Aman¡¯s family was sentenced to exile. Qin Xin went from ¡®daughter of a marquis family¡¯ to a cheap daughter of a criminal, and was exiled to south China at the same time.
Qin Xin lived a normal life in south China and finally died due to depression and a strong feeling of unresignment.
Then, she was reborn.
After rebirth, Qin Xin obviously wouldn¡¯t allow herself to go through the same thing as she did in her past life.
She was sessful in every endeavor and even the young and handsome Second Prince fell in love with her.
After she married the Second Prince, she schemed and plotted for his career, and helped him stand out in front of the princes. He obtained the status as crown prince and ascended the throne.
In the end, she was conferred the title as empress, and lived an unprecedented life.
The plot was quick, and the omnipotent heroine was extremely satisfied with the scenes about those jealous, unresigned, ugly, and sinister female support characters. One of the more important scenes was when the wet nurse exchanged the real young miss of a wealthy family for her own ordinary daughter.
Her name was also Qin Gui.
The original body returned to the marquis¡¯ residence again when she was sixteen. She was crude and simple, coupled with a strong sense of jealousy. Seeing that the entire residence pampered Qin Xin, and how she couldn¡¯tpare to her in any aspects, she made things difficult for Qin Xin and even schemed her countless times. She had sinister methods, but was pped in the face in the end. Her ugly self was exposed, and her family gradually stopped feeling guilty for their actions. Lastly, she was kicked out of the marquis¡¯ residence and her name was taken off the registry book for climbing onto the Second Prince¡¯s bed. She died a pitiful death..
After figuring out the entire situation, Qin Gui wasn¡¯t looking so well.
Chapter 2 CVF Ch.2 The ‘Cannon Fodder Qin Gui (2)
Before she snapped out of her trance, she saw a broom swinging her way. She subconsciously grabbed the broom and then pulled it back firmly.
The woman stumbled and moved back a few steps, then fell on the ground while groaning in pain.
The woman didn¡¯t expect her to dare to retaliate at all. She widened her eyes and eximed, ¡°You wretched girl. You dare to retaliate!¡±
So what if she did? Qin Gui leaped up from the ground and grabbed the broom in her hand, then whacked it at the woman.
It was a painful blow!
The woman let out an ear-piercing shriek, ¡°Ah! Wretched girl, do you want to die?!¡±
Not wanting to stay any longer, Qin Gui ran out of the woodshed decisively. Then, she closed the door and used the broom to stop the woman from twisting the knob.
Qin Gui rubbed her swollen forehead. The moment she moved her arms, she felt an intense pain spreading throughout her body.
Hiss¡ª
She sucked in a cold breath. Then, she was stunned after she pulled up her sleeves.
This body¡¯s arms were skinny and full of new and old scars as well as bruises. No wonder it hurt everywhere. Scars probably covered her body as well.
The original body was probably beaten every day.
Just how much enmity and hatred must that woman harbor for her to beat her that hard?!
The novel didn¡¯t mention much about the original body¡¯s past. It wasn¡¯t untilter in the story that an admirer of the heroine exposed the fact that Qin Gui had married a fool in the past and that she didn¡¯t behave as a proper woman should. There were other rumors such as her having affection for her husband¡¯s father. Later on, Qin Gui had tossed aside her fool of a husband in order to pursue the marquis residence¡¯s riches and honors. She even undid her hairstyle as a married woman and returned to the capital as a young unmarried woman.
The present Qin Gui vaguely recalled how the woman she recently met had wanted her to marry a fool. It appears that they¡¯ll being here tomorrow to receive her?!
Qin Gui shivered.
ording to the novel, she most likely had to stay married the fool up until she was brought back into her family. Then, she died with an arrow to her heart after she assisted the heroine¡¯s gentle and generous image.
m, m, m.
At this time, the woman mmed against the woodshed¡¯s door rapidly and firmly, coupled with her sharp voice, ¡°Wretched girl, let me out!¡±
¡°When I get out, I¡¯ll beat you to death for sure!¡±
The woman¡¯s voice was raised higher and higher.
Qin Gui narrowed her eyes and shouted, ¡°Zhao Aman, I know everything! You betrayed your master, and exchanged the children! I¡¯m going to report you to the government office!¡± Then, Qin Gui ran away without hesitation.
Zhao Aman in the woodshed was bbergasted, an idea floating in her mind.
There¡¯s no way this wretched girl knew everything, right?
At this moment, besides anger, she was more scared.
Zhao Aman was anxious and started pping the door even harder. ¡°Girl! Come back!¡±
¡°Girl! Girl¡¡±
Zhao Aman called time after time, but only silence answered her. About half a teacup¡¯s worth of time, her man, Li Jinzhu, returned.
Lin Jinzhu took out the broom over the handle of the doors and opened the woodshed. ¡°What happened?¡±
Zhao Aman¡¯s face paled, and she grabbed onto Li Jinzhu¡¯s sleeves. ¡°Bao, Bao¡¯er¡¯s father, that girl said that she knows everything and she is going to the government office to report us.¡±
¡°Could she have found out about her identity?¡±
Zhao Aman¡¯s voice trembled and she shook uncontrobly.
Li Jinzhu was also frightened badly.
Don¡¯t mention amon person opposing an official, but this was the grand Qin Family they¡¯re talking about!
If Qin Family found out that they had been raising their daughter for all these years, they¡¯d definitely send them to jail. Their family would be doomed by then!
Lin Jinzhu was annoyed and nervous. He impatiently shifted the me and roared, ¡°You have the face to talk?!¡±
¡°If you were much nicer to the girl, she wouldn¡¯t doubt her identity. If it weren¡¯t for you forcing her to marry that fool, she wouldn¡¯t have gone to report to the government office.¡±
¡°Who here doesn¡¯t know that Fool Xu is almost twenty, but still doesn¡¯t know how to use the bathroom? He even needs people to feed him. The Little girl is only fourteen¡¡±
¡°You¡¯re ming me? Fool Xu¡ what¡¯s wrong with young master Xu? He¡¯s the nephew of the county magistrate! I got her such a good husband. People aren¡¯t even this lucky!¡± Zhao Aman was furious and raised her voice, ¡°She¡¯s just a wretched and ungrateful girl! If it weren¡¯t for me, she would¡¯ve been exiled with Qin Family, and probably died by now. I saved her!¡±
¡°So what if Qin Family had given us two thousand silver taels? We had raised her for all these years. Are we going to have to raise her to old age? Instead of marrying her off?¡±
¡°Plus, who am I doing this for? I¡¯m doing this for the family. Don¡¯t forget how our Bao¡¯er entered the county to learn! And our eldest child said¡¡±
Zhao Aman couldn¡¯t stop talking, and Li Jinzhu¡¯s head hurt from her chattering. He interrupted her and said, ¡°Keep on talking, keep on talking as the girl is about to go to the government office already!¡±
¡°Right! We have to stop her.¡± Zhao Aman answered nervously and dashed out the door.
Li Jinzhu hurried along too.
Qin Gui came out of the woodshed after hearing no noises, ncing in the direction the couple left at.
Under the ray of sunshine, her pair of almond eyes on her small face was shockingly bright.
Chapter 3 CFV Ch.3 Running Away (1)
Right.
Qin Gui hadn¡¯t left.
The novel talked about how Qin Family had given the couple a substantial amount of money. She purposely said that she was going to report them to the government office as a diversion.
Qin Gui dashed through the courtyard and went straight for the couple¡¯s room.
The family had been living here for as long as the original body could remember.
The couple used Qin Family¡¯s silver taels to establish a restaurant in the city. The business was okay. Compared to the others, this family had lived prettyfortably off.
However, the original body was pitiful in the family. Not only did she have to wash clothes and cook but she also had to do chores and everything required of her. When Zhao Aman was unhappy, she¡¯d just beat the little girl up and curse her out. This time, because she refused to marry a fool no matter what, she was beaten up miserably.
Zhao Aman said that the original body was an ungrateful wretched girl, but she was one herself!
Qin Gui clearly heard that Qin Family had given the family two thousand silver taels, enough for the family to live peaceful and steady lives. But the couple still wasn¡¯t satisfied, exchanging their daughter with the original body.
Qin Gui didn¡¯t care at all, rummaging through the drawers and going through the rooms. In the end, she smashed the lock on the dram box with an ax, finding eight hundred in banknotes and some broken pieces of silver taels.
She was just returning these items to the ¡®rightful owner.¡¯
Qin Gui carefully ced the banknotes in her arms and smiled happily.
She felt much safer with these silver taels by her side.
Qin Gui didn¡¯t stay any longer. Since the couple wasn¡¯t back yet, she hurried out of the door.
She did threaten the couple that she¡¯d go report to the government office, but she didn¡¯t really n to.
The heroine, Qin Xin, had a smooth life in the original novel. Even more, she had admirers that protected and cleared the path for her. Those that opposed her didn¡¯t have any good endings.
She was already unlucky, having transmigrated into this novel. Qin Gui didn¡¯t want to die with an arrow to her heart like the original body. That¡¯d be too tragic.
Therefore, she nned to stay away from the heroine. She wanted to open a door and live a steady life.
Qin Gui pondered. If the couple didn¡¯t see her at the government office, they¡¯d being back soon at most. She needed to hurry and leave the ce.
The government office was to the west of the county. Therefore, Qin Gui went towards the east of the county relying on her memory.
She nned to go for Yaoqing County which was ten kilometers from here. In her memory, the original body frequently went to buy wine and other items for the couple for their restaurant. She had to walk twenty kilometers back and forth all by herself as she dragged a handcart. If she walked back even slightly slowly, she¡¯d get a beating.
Qin Gui slowly walked towards the county and arrived there before dusk.
On the way there, Qin Gui didn¡¯t stop thinking either, quickly recalling the scenes in the novel.
To speak the truth, although she just finished reading the novel, sometimes the scenes in the novel didn¡¯t go through her mind. She had forgotten about half of the plot by the time she finished reading.
She only remembered that Da Qi had internal and external troubles. There was a lot of chaos by the border, and the country faced multiple natural disasters. There were countless refugee rebellions.
In the novel, these chaos were so that the heroine could disy her abilities. But to Qin Gui, she was a little girl and she shouldn¡¯t really walk around in this chaotic world.
Both the heroine and male lead were in the capital. Most of the plot revolved around the capital, so she definitely can¡¯t go to the capital
Qin Gui thought about it before deciding to go to Long Province.
In the original plot, Long Province was the best province of the ones that Da Qi managed. Later on, it was because of heroine¡¯s intelligence and charm that led Long Province to be on the Second Prince¡¯s side.
After she made up her mind, Qin Gui quickly found out the location to hire escorts.
This ce was registered by the government. The head of the establishment said that there were countless bandits in the area to Long Province. If she wanted to hire bodyguards, she¡¯d need to pay extra.
In the end, Qin Gui spent one hundred silver taels.
After she paid the deposit, Qin Gui asked for a guide.
Da Qi was really strict with the management of household registers. If people were fifty kilometers away from their home, they would need a document.
Qin Gui had ¡®escaped¡¯ from home. She won¡¯t be able to make it into Long Province without the document.
The head of the escorts had a beard and he was now caressing it, wearing a subtle expression. The establishment had its own methods, having been involved in all sorts of situations.
He didn¡¯t ask much, just gesturing at her.
She delivered another banknote, and made ns toe back tomorrow to get her document. She¡¯d set off on her journey three dayster. Then, Qin Gui took her leave.
She didn¡¯t n on passing her three days idly. She first went to a ready-made clothes store to buy two convenient and casual outfits. After she ate to her heart¡¯s content, Qin Gui looked for a tavern and moved in, specially asking for a top-notch room.
Chapter 4 CFV Ch.4 Running Away (2)
A lot of things happened today. She only got to settle down now. She was so tired that she didn¡¯t even want to move anymore.
When she went to wash up, she looked carefully at her skinny figure. Each inch of her skin contained injuries, old and new. It seemed like her injuries never got to heal as new ones added to the collection. She was extremely skinny. She should be fourteen, but she was so skinny that she only seemed to be twelve or thirteen.
In her memory, her original body was almost beaten every day. She did all the chores at home but she only got a bowl of porridge and half a steamed bun.
She had received her fair share of abuse as a child!
Qin Gui sighed. In the original novel, it talked a lot about the heroine¡¯s grievances and innocence. As for the original body, however, she was the legitimate young miss of a wealthy family but was exiled. Even more, she grew up under an abusive environment. What did she do wrong?
She changed into a clean set of clothes, and then she stood in front of the bronze mirror.
Through the reflection of the bronze mirror, she saw a youngdy with pitch-ck hair scattered over her shoulders, and a small face. After she washed the dirt off her face, it revealed her perfect features. She had long brows with bright almond eyes. She slightly jutted her full and cherry lips up, revealing two light dimples on her cheeks.
What a pity that due to malnutrition, her skin was rough and her skin was an unhealthy color, making her look less appealing.
She really needed to treat herself well!
Qin Guizily yawned. Before her hair was dried, she just plopped herself on bed.
It got darker outside, and the room was silent with asional rustling of the branches as the wind blew on it¡
Rustle¡
Through the fluttering snowkes and the snow, the sound of wind, breathing and footsteps were allbined.
She tried her hardest to run but she didn¡¯t know where to run. However, she was really scared and didn¡¯t dare to stop.
Whoosh¡ª
A long arrow broke through the wind and its sharp arrow pierced through her chest.
She clutched her heart with her hands as fresh blood slipped through her fingers, it was dazzling and eye-catching.
She knew that she was going to die.
She gradually fell down. The fresh blood dyed the snow red like blooming plum flowers.
¡°Ah!¡±
Qin Gui was startled awake. She breathed heavily and quickly, her chest heaving up and down.
Her forehead was drenched in cold sweat, and her clothes were stuck to her back like it was just fished out of the water.
She could feel slight pain in her chest as if it wasn¡¯t a dream that an arrow pierced through her chest and that it did happen.
This was the first time she ever had such a realistic dream.
A sharp arrow piercing her heart¡
That¡¯s right!
In the novel, the original body died due to an arrow through her heart!
Qin Gui revealed a cold aura, and there seemed to be a faint metallic scent of blood in the air.
¡°It must be that I was thinking too much about this that I started dreaming!¡±
¡°It must be!¡±
Qin Gui continued to murmur to herself nonstop. She hugged her head with her hands and ruffled her hair in agitation.
She sat there nkly for a while before climbing out of bed. She lit a candle and poured herself a cup of cold water, drinking it in one gulp. Only then did her mind feel awake.
She was about to go back and sleep when she suddenly sniffed something in the air.
Strange!
Why did she smell blood?
Qin Gui ced her teacup down. Borrowing the light of the candle, her gaze quickly swept through the room. Her gazended on the drawer by the corner of the wall.
This drawer was the height of a person. She didn¡¯t have any luggage, so she didn¡¯t bother to use it either. Therefore, it was just left alone.
Qin Gui¡¯s gaze froze before she said to herself, ¡°I¡¯m so hungry. I wonder if there is any food.¡±
She draped her jacket over her and was about to walk out of her room nonchntly when an icy sneer rang in the quiet room.
Without looking back, she ran towards the door. Before she could, a hand quickly reached over from behind her back, blocking her off.
Rumble!
Lightning suddenly shed outside the window, lighting up the room as well as the right hand pressed against the door.
That was a man¡¯s hand. His fingers were slender and long, his knuckles distinct.
Qin Gui sniffed the air, an intense scent of metallic blooding from behind her.
The hair on her back stood up and she slowly turned around.
Outside the window, lightning and thunder started sessively. Then, it started to pour.
Behind her was a young man with a tall figure and handsome appearance. His pitch-ck hair was pulled behind his head into a tall bun. He had smooth skin and his features were even more exquisite and wless, especially his pair of narrow bright and deep red phoenix eyes. He had thick eyebrows. His eyes were beautiful but sharp and mixed with a tint of severeness.
He was d in ck. But even these ordinary clothes had a difficulty concealing his noble aura.
This young man was definitely not simple.
Chapter 5 CFV Ch.5 Xiao Ze (1)
¡°You¡¡± Qin Gui shrunk back and revealed just the right amount of shock and fear. ¡°Who are you? Why are you in my room? Don¡¯te over¡ If you move any closer, I¡¯m going to yell!¡±
The young man¡¯s pitch-ck like ink eyes seemed to be able to see through everything. He curled his lips up and smiled, saying, ¡°Little girl, it¡¯s not interesting if you¡¯re just going to pretend.¡±
His voice was gentle like water, but she felt her scalp going numb hearing his words. ¡°This bloody scent¡ heh, I was too off guard.¡±
Qin Gui wanted to cry but there were no tears.
She did smell just a bit of blood.
In the beginning, she thought this was her imagination from her nightmare, but then the scent of blood hadn¡¯t disappeared after a while, she realized that something was off.
The only ce that could hide someone here was the drawer by the corner of the wall and under the bed. Borrowing the candlelight, Qin Gui unluckily found a drop of fresh blood on the drawer knobs.
At that moment, Qin Gui made a secret decision and ran off without hesitating.
But she was still a bit too slow.
She, she really was unlucky!
Qin Gui was a bit annoyed with this. She helplessly touched her forehead and asked, ¡°What do you want to do?¡±
She didn¡¯t think that the other party was interested in her skinny figure, wanting to rob money or have fun with her. Most likely, someone was after him and he coincidentally hid into this room. He might be some runaway!
She already felt helpless transmigrating into a sinister female supporting character. If she died earlier than the original body, then that¡¯d be so tragic.
The young man retorted, ¡°You¡¯re going to Long Province right?¡±
Qin Gui blinked her eyes. How did he know that she was headed to Long Province?
Unless¡
¡°You were at the escort ce today too?¡± Although it was a question, Qin Gui was mostly sure of the answer.
The young man lifted his brows and retorted, ¡°Little girl, can you take me along while you¡¯re at it?¡±
Qin Gui pursed her lips and remained silent.
This person was mysterious and also injured. He was most likely chased after. She¡¯d be finding trouble for herself if she brought him along!
Her silence was the best answer.
The young man wasn¡¯t annoyed to see that the little girl was unwilling. Instead, he smiled. His beautiful face was a bit more charming under the dim yellow candlelight.
Qin Gui knew that something was off.
As expected, in the next second, there was a dirt-yellow color dagger in the man¡¯s left hand. He was flexibly spinning the dagger around his fingers as if it was a part of his body, doing so leisurely.
The man was ying with the dagger while repeating casually, ¡°Little girl, can you take me along while you¡¯re at it?¡±
Qin Gui¡¯s heart felt as if it was drenched in cold water. It became colder.
She basically had to make a choice between ¡°dying right now,¡± and ¡°dyingter on.¡±
Obviously, she wanted to survive.
Qin Gui admitted defeat right away. ¡°Okay.¡±
The young man smiled as he withdrew his right hand on the door, not seemingly afraid that Qin Gui would take this chance to escape. Instead, he sat in front of an old-fashioned square table and pointed at the seat by her other side. Acting as the host, he said, ¡°Sit.¡±
Qin Gui walked over numbly and pulled the chair over, sitting down. Then, she poured herself a ss of water to calm down.
¡°Talk about your n.¡± Qin Gui finished drinking water and seemingly acted like she admitted defeat. She thought in her heart however: if it¡¯s really too dangerous, I need to find a way to run away.
The young man also poured himself a ss of water. Smiling, he said, ¡°I¡¯m Xiao Ze.¡±
Chapter 6 CFV Ch.6 Xiao Ze (2)
¡°I have been chased by a few enemies from the north to here. They were unable to kill me but I was unable to get them off my back either.¡±
¡°The journey here, I have been traveling alone. As for the other party¡ they had concerns, and didn¡¯t dare to search openly. Why don¡¯t we act like siblings? As long as we¡¯re lucky, we can get them off our backs.¡±
The young man exined his situation simply.
Qin Gui got the crucial point however. She asked expressionlessly, ¡°What if we¡¯re unlucky?¡±
Xiao Ze curled his lips up and said half-heartedly, ¡°Aren¡¯t you quite smart?¡±
¡°¡¡± Qin Gui slightly widened her eyes.
Fine, she knew now. It¡¯s because she was too smart that he ended uptching onto her.
By the time she finished drinking this ss of water, she had gotten some understanding of Xiao Ze. Of course, just some superficial information. There was only a tint of genuinity in his words. She was unable to distinguish whether his words were truthful or not.
Simply put, she probably couldn¡¯t get rid of Xiao Ze anytime soon.
Just thinking about this made Qin Gui feel like there was nothing to live for.
She regretted this. Why didn¡¯t she just act like she didn¡¯t notice anything before? Maybe he would¡¯ve left by the time she woke up.
The more Qin Gui thought about this, the more her head hurt. She acted like she got nothing to lose and said, ¡°You¡¯re sleeping on the ground!¡±
Xiao Ze smiled. He thought that she was thinking about how to get rid of him after seeing how worried and lost in trance she was.
Qin Gui ignored him and climbed back in bed, pulling the curtains over.
Tonight, Qin Gui was partially in a dream state. She didn¡¯t get a steady sleep.
By the time she woke up from the nightmare where her heart was pierced by an arrow again, it was already morning.
Her head was buzzing and she felt incredibly tired as if she was really chased by people the entire night.
¡°You¡¯re awake? If you are, thene and eat breakfast.¡± The young man¡¯s gentle and kind voice rang by her ears.
Qin Gui¡¯s head hurt even more.
in rice congee and a few types of pastries were ced on the old-fashioned square table. Xiao Ze sat in front of the table, the corner of his lips lifted. He was outstandingly handsome, elegant and noble like a noble young master raised within a strict and noble family. He eluded a noble aura, but he was also distant.
He clearly treated his injuries already. The scent of blood wasn¡¯t that heavy on him anymore.
Qin Gui didn¡¯t bother to be polite either. When she finished rinsing, she started wolfing down food.
She ate two red-bean pastries in one gulp. Without lifting her head, Qin Gui asked, ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me yet. How did you know I¡¯m going to Long Province?¡±
Xiao Ze pushed a basket of steamed dumplings towards her, and said considerately, ¡°Be careful, it¡¯s hot.¡±
He said gently, ¡°It¡¯s a long story. I was hiding under an escort carriage of the Longwei Escort that was entering the city. When I prepared to leave the escort ce, I coincidentally saw youing to hire bodyguards, so I listened on to the conversation a bit.¡±
This was short. How was this a long story?! Qin Gui silently thought to herself, taking a harsh bite of the steam dumpling. She knitted her brows from being burnt. She vaguely pressed, ¡°Then what?!¡±
Xiao Ze answered, ¡°After I left the escort ce, they almost got me again. Then, I came here.¡±
It was as though he said nothing! Qin Gui slowly ate the steamed dumpling she grabbed with her chopsticks, toozy to continue to ask.
¡°Eat slowly.¡± Xiao Ze consideratelydled a bowl of rice congee for her too. He was inexplicably elegant as if he had calcted each move.
Chapter 7 CFV Ch.7 Xiao Ze (3)
He just coincidentally hid in this tavern, but who knew that he would meet this little girl again. Even more, she noticed him. Therefore, an idea popped up. He decided to fool his enemies with this girl.
Qin Gui would never let herself suffer. She started ravaging the food, and almost all the pastries on the table had gone in her stomach.
Xiao Ze tried out each pastry. If it weren¡¯t that he had tried it and confirmed that these were just ordinary good, he would¡¯ve almost thought that she was eating some sort of delicious food.
This girl looked quite skinny, but she has quite the good appetite.
Plus, she has a straightforward personality. She¡¯d eat and sleep to her content¡He originally thought that she wouldn¡¯t be able to sleepst night, but who knew that she ended up sleeping better than he did. Even more, she ended up waking upte in the morning!
Qin Gui left the room when it was time to meet up with Longwei Escort¡¯s people. Xiao Ze tagged along as her elder brother.
Xiao Ze wore a conical bamboo hat and walked alongside Qin Gui. The sun was quite ring at this season. There were many people wearing conical bamboo hats too, so he didn¡¯t seem out of ce.
After the head of Longwei Escort found out that another person wasing along, he didn¡¯t ask but required another hundred silver taels. Therefore, Qin Gui lost another banknote.
After she left the escort ce, Qin Gui suddenlyughed and said to Xiao Ze, ¡°Elder brother, I want to buy some blush.¡±
She smiled cutely, revealing a pair of faint dimples, innocent and cute.
¡°Sister, you want me to choose some blush for you, hm?¡± Xiao Ze acted like a gentleman. ¡°Girls should dress themselves up.¡±
Qin Gui stared at him before smiling and waving her index finger. ¡°No, no. The blush is for elder brother.¡±
Xiao Ze froze before smiling, lightly scolding, ¡°Nonsense.¡±
A smile floated on the young man¡¯s lips. He had a noble temperament like an elder brother patiently ncing at his troublesome sister.
Qin Gui knew that this person wasn¡¯t as innocent as he portrayed himself to be. Acting rmed, she immediately, ¡°I just wanted to buy some blush to deepen my elder brother¡¯s skin tone. That way, you can disguise yourself.¡±
Not for Xiao Ze, but for her life, she must help him no matter what.
Xiao Ze lifted his brows, his expression containing some unknown feeling. He reached over and pulled his conical bamboo hat down a bit.
Since it was for Xiao Ze to use, Qin Gui had him pay for himself. Then, she brought a bunch of bottles and items back to the tavern.
Qin Gui was skilled. Within a small cup¡¯s worth of time, she helped transform Xiao Ze¡¯s skin tone to a tan color.
Qin Gui carefully observed Xiao Ze¡¯s face.
He had to admit that Xiao Ze was much more beautiful than the majority of the women.
He had thick brows and icy eyes, lips dyed in red. Heaven must¡¯ve doted upon him. There was not a single w to nitpick, and he was so handsome that one couldn¡¯t shift their gaze from him.
Xiao Ze originally had smooth and fair skin, making him seem noble yet cold.
Now, his skin color was much darker than before. However, this didn¡¯t make him lose his charm. Instead, it made him look more gentle and amiable.
He seemed like¡
A goddess that suddenly descended heaven!
Qin Gui suggested, up to mischief, ¡°Elder brother is already so beautiful. You must look good wearing women¡¯s clothes. Do you want to try?¡±
Qin Gui¡¯s eyes sparkled and brightened, already ustomed to calling him ¡°elder brother.¡±
After a pause, she added, ¡°You can avoid being found like this too.¡±
Xiao Ze looked quietly at Qin Gui, curling his red lips up, his attention on her.
Qin Gui suddenly felt a sense of iciness surging within her heart as if she was stalked by a fierce beast.
Qin Gui immediately admitted defeat. ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡±
Chapter 8 CFV Ch.8 Heroine (1)
By the time they headed out, Xiao Ze was apletely different person. He transformed from a noble young master living the lifestyle of a prince to an ordinary young man with dark skin.
The conical bamboo hat concealed half his face and he wore coarse clothes. Xiao Ze even specially changed up his walking pace. Unless it was someone extremely familiar with him, they probably wouldn¡¯t be able to recognize him at first gaze.
After they met up with the group, they headed out.
The bodyguards from the escort ce rode their respective horses but arranged a horse carriage for the two. They even specially arranged another carriage as the ¡°item¡± they had to protect. The group left Yaoqing County in low-profile, but when they left the city, they were subject to inspection. The officials were lifting up portraits of a couple in their thirties. Apparently, they killed someone in the neighboring Jiangyu County, and then escaped. Seeing that Qin Gui and Xiao Ze¡¯s ages didn¡¯t match, the officials immediately let them go.
Qin Gui was still very nervous after leaving the county, scared that Xiao Ze¡¯s enemies might find them. But they seemed to be quite lucky, and the journey was pretty peaceful.
However, it was also a bit uneasy on the way.
ording to the novel, because of the emperor¡¯s muddle-headedness in hister years, Da Qi ended up going downfall.
Because of the past emperor¡¯s suspicions of him, he was put on house arrest for countless years. As a result, he was quite dispirited and unhealthy. Although he had ambitions, he couldn¡¯t change the face that Da Qi was slowly meeting its end. Especially how there were all sorts of corrupt officials and bandits.
On their way, they met refugees escaping from Huaibei to down south. They encountered two groups. Thankfully, they had bodyguards so they avoided a lot of trouble.
To Qin Gui however, her biggest issue was her haunting nightmare.
She had the same dream every night. She was running her best in the snow up until she died with an arrow pierced through her heart.
After she was startled awake by her nightmare again, Qi Gui leaned against her bed nkly.
Cold sweat had drenched her clothes, and it was sticking to her.
It was clear what happened within her dream. She could even tell when she was about to die. But no matter how she tried to escape, she was unable to escape that ending.
She couldn¡¯t tell herself that it was because she had been thinking too much in the day.
¡°Why?¡±
Qin Gui murmured to herself.
Could it be that the original body was unresigned to this ending, so she wanted her to change the tables around?
Thump!
Qin Gui¡¯s heart raced suddenly as if someone was responding to her.
¡°It can¡¯t be!¡±
Qin Gui wanted to cry but there were no tears. Was she that unlucky and had to go to the marquis residence to battle the heroine?
Qin Gui threw herself back in bed, disappointed. She couldn¡¯t fall back asleep again.
Therefore, the next morning, Xiao Ze saw the girl walking out of the room with her head down and she got into the horse carriage numbly.
She didn¡¯t say anything either, just sitting there alone nkly.
She knitted her brows for a while and then clenched her fists. Then, she bit her lips, wanting to cry. It was fascinating watching her expressions change.
Xiao Ze found this interesting.
He was idle and bored, so he casually picked up a persimmon from the fruit tray and shoved it in her mouth.
Qin Gui subconsciously bit it and then cupped the persimmon with her hands, eating it nkly.
After she finished the persimmon, Xiao Ze shoved another pastry in her hand. Qin Gui seemed to be in a partial dream state, so she continued to eat with a nk expression.
Xiao Ze thought that even if he shoved pepper in her hands, she¡¯d still eat it.
Xiao Ze lifted his brows and asked, prompted by a sudden impulsive, ¡°Girl, what are you thinking about?¡±
¡°Whether to recognize my family or not.¡±
Qin Gui responded while she was at it. After she finished, she just realized that she stated her thoughts out loud.
Her words were like water poured out. Since she already said this, she couldn¡¯t take her words back. Qin Gui could only act like an ostrich. Having nothing to lose, she told herself that they were going to part ways soon, so there was nothing to worry about.
That¡¯s right!
Chapter 9 CFV Ch.9 Heroine (2)
While thinking this, Qin Gui took a harsh bite of her fried rice cracker. It released a crisp crunch when she bit the crispy fried rice cracker.
Eh? Qin Gui was a bit confused. She looked down at the fried rice cracker in her hands. Strange, why was she holding this?
Xiao Ze chuckled at Qin Gui¡¯s foolish expression. His smile was gentle like the spring wind.
Qin Gui looked at him quietly and finished the fried rice cracker in a few bites. Then, she reached over and picked up a second one.
She decided that she¡¯d return to the marquis¡¯ residence!
Instead of being tortured by this nightmare day and night, she¡¯d return to the plot. When she finished the plot, she could peacefully open up a store.
While eating the fried rice cracker, Qin Gui quickly thought about it in her mind.
In the plot, during this time, Qin Xin was probably engaged to the Second Prince.
The old marquis did the second year after Qin Xin was brought back to the marquis¡¯ residence. The original body¡¯s real parents died in their ce of exile.
Three years after morning, by the time the Qin Family returned to court, they had lost most of their power.
In the capital containing countless influential and powerful figures, Qin Zhun, this new marquis, received a so-so job. He didn¡¯t get to do what he wanted.
Up until the Second Prince proposed to marry Qin Xin.
There were seven princes. The eldest prince was the empress¡¯ son, and he had died early on. Of the rest of the princes, only the Sixth Prince was the son of the empress, but he was still young. The second son was the son of the imperial consort. Mothers depended on their sons¡¯ statuses. Besides the Sixth Prince, the Second Prince was the most noble one.
Lately, the emperor¡¯s body has been getting worse and worse. The court had been arguing heavily over whether conferring the title of a crown prince or an emperor.
Because Qin Zhun was engaged to the Second Prince, they were on the same boat.
What would happen if she popped out and told the Qin Family that Qin Xin was just a wet nurse¡¯s daughter?
Obviously, Qin Xin wouldn¡¯t be able to stay engaged to the Second Prince anymore because of her status. The moment Qin Xin was out of the picture, Qin Family and the Second Prince¡¯s rtionship wouldn¡¯t be steady anymore.
In front of profit, even if Qin Xin was Qin Family¡¯s blood, it didn¡¯t mean anything.
At this time, Qin Family would be at a disadvantage.
Even if she wanted to return being an insignificant character, she needed to at least take advantage of the situation first. She didn¡¯t want to be a cannon fodder under such a strong heroine halo.
Therefore, she needed an opportunity.
The group arrived in Qinyun County while Qin Gui had been racking her head for the past few days.
The line into the city was very long, so the head of the bodyguards had someone go make inquiries.
They ended up in line while waiting for information.
¡°This small county town is really troublesome!¡±
A delicate female voice rang not far from behind.
¡°Sister Qin Xin, I don¡¯t want to wait in line with these dirty cheap peasants. You must have a way, right?¡±
¡°Before leaving, I saw cousin giving you a token.¡±
Hearing ¡°Qin Xin,¡± Qin Gui paused and subconsciously looked towards the sound of the voice.
About five or six people away, there were a few young masters anddies riding the tall horses wearing morous clothes. They seemed to be in their teens, each one eluding a noble aura, a stark contrast to themon people.
Qin Gui had only read the novel, so she didn¡¯t know what Qin Xin looked like. Clearly, Qin Xin who had possession of her past life¡¯s memory knew what the original body looked like.
Qin Gui quickly shrunk back and hid inside the horse carriage, a thought gnawing at her mind.
Why was Qin Xin here?!
Xiao Ze lifted his brows and also looked towards him, an interesting glint in his eyes.
Interesting!
Who was this girl hiding from?
Up until they entered the city did Qin Gui sigh. This wasn¡¯t the best time for the heroine to find her!
¡°Leader.¡±
At this time, the bodyguard that went to inquire also came back. He said, ¡°The emperor arrived at Jianglin Pce three days ago. There are rumors that he is going to mingle with themon people incognito mode. These days, the guards have been strictly monitoring the people entering and leaving the city¡¡±
Chapter 10 CFV Ch.10 Heroine (3)
Qin Gui was sitting inside the horse carriage but she didn¡¯t pay attention to what the bodyguard had said. Instead, her attention was on ¡°Jianglin Pce.¡±
For the past two days, she had been trying her best to recall the plot of the novel. Although she only remembered bits and pieces, she remembered that Jiangli Pce was an important ce to the plot.
No wonder Qin Xin would be here!
¡°Elder brother.¡± Qin Gui¡¯s eyes brightened as she smiled at Xiao Ze sitting across from her. ¡°Let¡¯s stay for a few extra days. Maybe we can see the emperor mingling withmon people. That¡¯s how the novels usually describe it.¡±
Her almond eyes smiled, and her skinny and dry face seemed to be a bit spirited.
Xiao Ze touched his chin and said gently, ¡°Since sister likes to watch shows, it¡¯s fine if we stay a few more days.¡± As he said this, Xiao Ze peeked out of the carriage window and said to Bodyguard Xu, ¡°Bodyguard Xu, we¡¯re going to be staying for a few more days.¡±
Regarding a small request like this, Bodyguard Xu agreed quickly.
About two hourster was it finally their turn. The guards verified the document and asked about their statuses before letting them in.
Qin Gui was originally worried that they might find something off with the document, but she could finally rest assured now. She thought: this hundred silver taels is really worth it.
After they entered the city, they looked for a tavern and stayed the night there. The next morning, Qin Gui left by herself.
She was going to Qinyun County¡¯s Tranquil Temple in the suburbs.
Tranquil Temple was on top of the Tranquil Mountain, and it had a lot of followers.
It was September and autumn. The breeze was cool, and the maple forest was a popr sight at the Tranquil Temple. The ground was full of red leaves, incredibly beautiful. There were many worshippers every daying to the temple to pray and admire the scene.
Qin Gui went to Tranquil Temple for the next three days, Every day, she stayed until the sun set before leaving. Up until the third day did she feel that security in the temple had tightened.
Not only were there more monks inside the temple but also a lot more sturdy and strong ¡°worshippers¡± acting nimbly. Even the Hall of Great Strength where worshippers were allowed toe in and out as they wanted freely was closed. The monk exined and said that it was because the hall required refurbishment. It¡¯d be open to the public in the afternoon.
Qin Gui was delighted. The time she was waiting for was finally here!
She didn¡¯t remember if the original novel mentioned a specific date. Even if it did, she couldn¡¯t remember it. That was why she had toe here and wait every day.
Finally, her efforts hadn¡¯t gone to waste.
For the past few days, she had searched through the entire Tranquil Temple, so she knew the structure by heart. She headed straight for the ce¡ª Mirror Lake.
Mirror Lake was at the back of the temple, near the maple forest. Many worshippers hade here to admire the scene too.
Qin Gui waited patiently like an ordinary tourist. She admired the scene and watched theke, slowly walking along the path.
¡°I am d that I came today.¡±
¡°This maple scene by the Tranquil Temple really tops off.¡±
Two worshippers smiled as they walked past Qin Gui¡¯s side.
Qin Gui froze before suddenly realizing something.
Qin Gui hurriedly stopped a passing by Buddhist monk. She smiled and asked, ¡°Master, I heard that the viewing of the maple forest from the Mirror Lake is very beautiful, but there are lots of people here. Are there any other ces to admire the maple forest?¡±
The little monk seemed to be only five or six years old. He greeted her and eximed childishly, ¡°You can cross through the maple forest and you¡¯ll see ake there. People don¡¯t often go there. If you want to admire the scenery, you can go there.¡±
Qin Gui¡¯s eyes brightened and revealed a delighted expression. She asked, ¡°Can you bring me over?¡±
The little monk immediately agreed and said, ¡°This way please.¡±
It wasn¡¯t far from here to theke, but there were a lot of corners through the forest. With the monk leading the way, Qin Gui didn¡¯t take any wrong paths.
¡°Theke is ahead¡¡±
¡°Ah¡ª¡±
The monk¡¯s voice just dropped when there was a shrieking from theke. One could hear that it was a child¡¯s voice.
Qin Gui¡¯s heart thumped. It couldn¡¯t be that she camete, right?
Qin Gui quickened her pace and rushed out of the maple forest.
Chapter 11 CFV Ch.11 Saved (1)
It was bright and sunny outside today. Like its name, the surface of theke was clear and translucent like a mirror under the sunlight.
There was a boy in theke trying his best to stay above the water, sshing the water at every go. His body sunk and then floated on theke rhythmically.
By theke, there was a middle-aged woman wearing the attire of an mama. She seemed to want to jump into theke but didn¡¯t dare, so she paced around helplessly.
¡°Little master.¡± Qin Gui quickly said to the monk behind him, ¡°Someone fell into the water. Troubling little master to find someone to rescue him.¡±
Little monk was frightened by this scene. He agreed shly, turning around and running off.
¡°Save¡ cough cough.¡±
The boy choked on water, and he stopped sshing the water as much. Even more, he was gradually sinking.
Seeing this, Qin Gui didn¡¯t hesitate anymore. She walked over inrge strides, leaping into the water.
Qin Gui didn¡¯t know if the original body knew how to swim or not, but she did!
Qin Gui swam to the boy¡¯s side in a few moves. Right now, the boy was in a daze and muddle-headed. He let his limbs down helplessly, not struggling anymore.
Qin Gui didn¡¯t have time to think, carrying the boy from behind and then swam towards the shore as best as she could.
Qin Gui was a pretty good swimmer, but it was considerably tiring to have to carry an unconscious boy in the water. Afterwards, she started losing energy too.
At this time, the mama by the shore delivered a long tree branch. Qin Gui thought that she was going to pull her up so she hurriedly said, ¡°Get the kid first¡¡±
As Qin Gui was saying this, she suddenly sharply noticed a severe glint flickering by the mama¡¯s eyes.
Silently, Qin Gui pulled the boy in her arms and reached over to grab the tree branch.
As expected¡ª
In the next second, there was a pull from the other side of the branch but Qin Gui immediately tugged on it.
That mama was almost dragged into theke. She hurriedly threw the tree branch in fear and stumbled a few steps back, trying to bnce her body.
Taking this chance, Qin Gui pushed the boy on shore before she hurriedly climbed up too.
It was September and early autumn. Theke was chilly. Her clothes were soaked and hugging her body. It was cold and heavy.
After the autumn wind blew on her, Qin Gui suddenly shivered. Thne, she nced at the boy by the shore only to see his eyes closed and his face pale. He was exhaling more than inhaling.
Qin Gui couldn¡¯t think any longer, hurriedly pulling the boy¡¯s cor to the side. Then, half kneeling on the ground, she ced his head on her legs. She patted his back firmly with her right hand.
That mama stared fixated at Qin Gui, her expression gloomy. Suddenly, she picked up a stone on the ground and aimed it for Qin Gui¡¯s head.
Qin Gui was already on guard, and ducked to the side while carrying the boy. At this time, the little monk¡¯s childish voice rang from the maple forest, ¡°¡They¡¯re just ahead¡¡±
Next, there was a burst of disarrayed footsteps approaching closer and closer.
The mama looked worried and immediately threw the rock from her hands and pounced over to grip Qin Gui¡¯s hands. She hollered, ¡°Someone, quickly!¡ ce the little young master down!¡±
Qin Gui was speechless.
She wanted to say: heh.
Quickly, a beautiful woman wearing traditional clothes hurried over under everyone¡¯s escort.
The beautiful woman was tall and had long brows, her lips red fiery like fire. Her pair of almond eyes were sparkling and lively.
The moment she stepped out of the maple forest, she was shocked with the scene ahead of her.
¡°Zhen¡¯er!¡±
The beautiful woman cried out in shock and staggered over.
Chapter 12 CFV Ch.12 Saved (2)
¡°Cough!¡±
The unconscious boy finally let out his first cough as Qin Gui continued to pat his back.
¡°Cough cough!¡±
Then, he coughed some more, each time louder than the previous. More mouthfuls of water were coughed out.
The beautiful woman rushed to the boy. She wanted to snatch the boy from Qin Gui¡¯s knee but she didn¡¯t dare to move around.
Even if she didn¡¯t know what happened, she could tell that this unfamiliar woman was saving her son.
¡°Mama Ding, stop.¡±
The beautiful woman scolded. The mama froze before loosening her grip on Qin Gui¡¯s hands.
Mama Ding looked over, ncing at the beautiful woman and then at Qin Gui. Her expression was a bit stiff.
The boy coughed out some more water before Qin Gui rolled him over.
The boy opened his eyes with difficulty. After a moment of confusion, he turned around to look at the beautiful woman, shooting her an innocent smile. Then he hoarsely called out, ¡°Mother¡¡±
¡°Zhen¡¯er! Zhen¡¯er!¡±
Without a care for the others, the beautiful woman tightly hugged him and cried out loud.
¡°Young master!¡± Mama Ding got on her knees and kowtowed firmly at the beautiful woman. She said sorrowfully, ¡°This maid hasn¡¯t taken good care of the little young master¡It¡¯s her! She was the one that pushed the little young master into the water!¡±
As she said this, Mama Ding pointed at Qin Gui in grief and indignation.
The beautiful woman carrying the boy looked at Qin Gui, half believing this. In the next second, it was as though she had seen something incredulous. She was stunned.
Her beautiful eyes were widened, and her breathing became heavy, her chest heaving up and down.
Qin Gui was calm facing Mama Ding¡¯s usation. She looked at Mama Ding and said, ¡°Heaven is watching you. Look at where we are. Do you dare to say this again? Who pushed the child into the water?¡±
Mama Ding¡¯s face paled and she trembled, feeling as if there was a pair of eyes watching over her that she couldn¡¯t see.
She subconsciously avoided Qin Gui¡¯s gaze, and acted tough, ¡°You, you did!¡±
¡°Benefactor, please be careful with your words.¡± The young monk that brought the group over greeted her and said seriously, ¡°By the time this benefactor arrived at theke, the little benefactor had already fallen into the water. This monk had seen it in front of his eyes.¡±
Qin Gui shot him a grateful smile.
¡°Master.¡± Mama Ding kept up with the act and kowtowed firmly again. ¡°This maid is loyal to you. Master, please investigate this thoroughly¡¡±
¡°Mother¡¡± the boy¡¯s voice was weak, but he said clearly, ¡°Sister didn¡¯t push me¡ Sister saved me.¡±
The beautiful woman¡¯s gaze was almost glued to Qin Gui¡¯s face. Hearing this, she then snapped out of her gaze and stared at Mama Ding kneeling on the ground.
Zhen¡¯er had a congenital deficiency when he was born. The imperial physician offered no other solution than to just rest. She heard that Tranquil Temple¡¯s amulet was extremely effective, so she brought Zhen¡¯er over, wanting to beg for one.
She had a weak body and got tired easily. After she prayed and begged for an amulet, she went to rest in her private room.
Zhen¡¯er was young and loved to y around. Mama Ding convinced her a bit before she relented, ordering her to bring a few people to serve upon him. Then, she ordered them to keep him away from theke.
Mama Ding had served her for eight years, so she trusted her. Therefore, she had her look after Zhen¡¯er.
It was unclear but she started feeling restless sitting in the private room just before. She wanted toe out to take a look when coincidentally, she saw the little monk hurriedly looking for people, saying that a child fell into theke. At that moment, her heart was in a lot of pain as if she was stabbed. Without thinking, she rushed over.
She knew that it was Zhen¡¯er!
Chapter 13 CFV Ch.13 Saved (3)
Her son had fallen into theke, but Mama Li was standing by the side safe and sound.
Besides Mama Ding, the rest of the servants weren¡¯t there. Meanwhile, thedy that Mama Ding used was soaked.
She wasn¡¯t stupid. She knew who was lying.
¡°Seize Mama Ding!¡±
The beautiful woman ordered furiously.
The two mamas behind her immediately walked over and suppressed Mama Ding within a few moves.
Mama Ding¡¯s face paled even more and she frighteningly eximed, ¡°Master, you have to believe this mama. This mama has served you for so many years¡ Omph.¡±
A handkerchief was shoved into Mama Ding¡¯s mouth crudely. The two mamas dragged her to the side. This was a time to practice religion. They¡¯d deal with this maid after they were back.
¡°Youngdy.¡± The beautiful woman¡¯s voice trembled, but it was a bit undetectable. ¡°Many thanks for today. Follow me to get your clothes changed now.¡±
¡°My husband¡¯s surname is Gu, so you can just call me Madam Gu.¡±
¡°You¡¯re soaked and it¡¯s too cold here. Don¡¯t stand here. Let¡¯s talk after we¡¯re back in the private room.¡±
¡°Many thanks Madam Gu.¡± Qin Gui didn¡¯t reject her offer, curtsying and thanking her.
She came to Tranquil Temple for this ¡°Madam Gu.¡±
¡°Gu¡± was a national surname.
This ¡°Madam Gu¡± was the empress.
The original body¡¯s birth mother¡¯s surname was Wei, and she was the eldest daughter from the second household of Imperial Duke Zheng¡¯s residence. Now, she was siblings with the empress. The two sisters were only two years apart and they have had a great rtionship since they were children.
The former emperor granted marriage for the eldest daughter of Imperial Duke Zheng¡¯s residence and the crown prince. She became the crown princess. After the crown prince ascended the throne, the crown princess was naturally conferred the title as the empress.
Empress Wei had two sons. The elder son had died early on.
Up until five years ago did Empress Wei give birth to her younger son, the Sixth Prince. Back then, she almost died due to birthplications. She fortunately survived, but her body had been worn down as a result. These years, her body had been getting weaker and weaker.
In the novel, the Sixth Prince drowned and died early on. Later on, Empress Wei also died soon after due to self-loath and sorrow.
However, this was only briefly mentioned in the novel. The heroine, Qin Xin, also sobbed over the Sixth Prince¡¯s death. Then, she even stayed with Empress Wei for a few days in order tofort her. After that, the emperor also returned to the capital in advance.
For the past few days, Qin Gui had been staying in Tranquil Temple, wanting to change Empress Wei and the Sixth Prince¡¯s fates. Even more, she could then logically appear in front of her.
But, the novel mentioned that the Sixth Prince had drowned within Tranquil Temple¡¯s mirrorke, but it didn¡¯t say that there were two.
Qin Gui originally thought that the Sixth Prince had drowned in the big mirrorke up until she realized that there were a lot of worshippers there. Even if someone identally fell into the water, they should be saved in time. Therefore, she probed the little monk¡
Thankfully, it wasn¡¯t toote yet!
Qin Gui secretly sighed inside.
Empress Wei took off her cloak and ordered her personal maid, ¡°Youbai, help thisdy wear the cloak.¡±
Youbai shockingly widened her eyes and hesitated. Then, she responded, ¡°Yes, master.¡±
¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Qin Gui shook her head. ¡°Give it to the little young master. He¡¯s young and just fell into the water. He¡¯d probably get a cold from the wind.¡±
The Sixth Prince just got saved, so Qin Gui didn¡¯t want anything to happen to him.
Empress Wei¡¯s eldest son had died due to amon cold. Hearing this, her hands on the cloak tightened.
She wrapped the cloak around her son and tightly hugged him.
Chapter 14 CFV Ch. 14 Birthmark (1)
The group traveled through the maple forest quickly.
By the time they approached the big mirrorke, someone rushed over with a hand warmer and clock.
This time, Qin Gui epted it gracefully. She draped the cloak around her and cupped the hand warmer, her icy body finally feeling a bit of warmth.
¡°Master, this maid has already sent¡ someone to call a physician over.¡± An elderly mama respectfully reported, ¡°Great Master also understands some medical skills, so this maid also invited him over to take a look at the little young master first.¡±
Empress Wei nodded and quickly walked ahead.
Warm water was already prepared in the private room. Empress Wei had Qin Gui hurry and go take a shower and also ordered Youbai to serve upon her.
Youbai helped Qin Gui remove her clothes, and then her outer garments. What she saw was Qin Gui¡¯s skinny back, all skin and bones.
Seeing this, Youbai sucked in a cold breath.
Not only was this little youngdy skinny, but her back was full of purplish bruises and some faint bumpy scars criss crossing over. There were new and old scars, and it was quite shocking to the eye when one nced at her fair smooth skin.
Clearly, this was the result of years and years of abuse!
Youbai¡¯s sudden silence suddenly made Qin Gui freeze. Then, she let out a low gasp and frantically tugged the clothes sitting on the screen down, covering herself. ¡°Lady Youbai, I am fine on my own. You can leave first.¡±
Youbai looked at Qin Gui, wanting to say something but then stopped. Seeing her uneasy expression, she nodded, afraid that she might make her even more ufortable.
After Youbai left, she hurried over to the private room on the right.
In the private room, Empress Wei was feeding the Sixth Prince ginger soup. The head monk of Tranquil Temple had just taken a look at Sixth Prince, and he said that he was saved just in time. The child was okay,forting Empress Wei by a great amount.
Seeing that Youbai came in, Empress Wei delivered the ginger soup to the mama by her side. Then, she gave a look for Youbai to leave the room with her. She then eagerly asked, ¡°How is it?¡± Her expression was painted in anxiety.
Empress Wei had Youbai serve Qin Gui to shower because she wanted to know if she had a birthmark on her.
From the first time she saw Qin Gui, Empress Wei thought she was really familiar. Her eyebrows were extremely simr to that of her sister.
The Wei Family¡¯s generations¡¯dies looked mostly like their grandmother. They had a pair of almond eyes. Her sister¡¯s almond eyes were bright and clear, extremely beautiful. Thatdy¡¯s eyes looked the same as her sister¡¯s!
Not only did thatdy¡¯s facial features look like her sister¡¯s, but also her grandmother¡¯s. Even more, she looked a bit simr to herself too.
An incredulous thought bloomed in Empress Wei¡¯s heart.
¡°Master,¡± Youbai hurriedly answered, ¡°The girl doesn¡¯t have a birthmark behind her back¡¡±
¡°No?!¡± Empress Wei blurted incredulously, ¡°The birthmark should be behind her lower back¡¡±
¡°Master, there is only a scar.¡± Youbai described the scar behind Qin Gui¡¯s lower back in detail. ¡°It¡¯s the size of a copper coin and it should be a burn mark. It seemed quite old.¡±
¡°Scar¡¡±
Empress Wei carefully chewed on the words, her gaze flickering a bit.
A scar the size of a copper coin would be enough to cover the birthmark.
She recalled that Qin Xin had a scar about the same size behind her lower back, where the birthmark should be.
When she saw it, her heart just ached for her. But now, she seemed to be able to link the two matters together.
Empress Wei remembered that after her sister chose a wet nurse back then, she had once talked to her leisurely about how the wet nurse had a daughter that was only two months old. Her sister also said that she¡¯d allow the wet nurse to bring her child into the residence, so she could also take care of it. She didn¡¯t want mother and daughter to part.
Could it be¡
Empress Wei widened her beautiful eyes.
¡°Master, the girl¡¯s body was covered in injuries.¡± Youbai considered her words and said, ¡°This maid guesses that she might¡¯ve been abused long-term.¡±
¡°What?!¡±
Empress Wei pped the table and stood up.
Youbai was Empress Wei¡¯s most trustworthy pce maid, and she understood her master¡¯s heart most. She knew why her master wanted her to look at the girl¡¯s birthmark. Therefore, she described all of Qin Gui¡¯s injuries in detail, murmuring, ¡°¡Besides the scar on the back, the girl has injuries on her arms and legs too. The new injuries were probably from a week ago, but the old injuries were at least for a few years already. There were some from beatings, some from being burnt, and others from being cut.¡±
Chapter 15 CFV Ch. 15 Birthmark (2)
Empress Wei felt bad inside, and she clenched her right first subconsciously.
From Youbai¡¯s simple description, Empress Wei could almost imagine how bitter the girl¡¯s life must¡¯ve been these past years. But when her Zhen¡¯er was in danger, she jumped into theke to save him without hesitation.
She must be a good kid with a personality like hers.
¡°Youbai.¡± Empress Wei took in a few deep breaths to recover her mood, ordering, ¡°Go over there first.¡±
¡°Master, the girl probably doesn¡¯t want anyone to see her injuries, so she didn¡¯t want this maid to serve her.¡± Youbai eximed.
¡°Right.¡± Empress Wei hurriedly said, ¡°She¡¯s still young. A youngdy like her must be sensitive. Just wait outside. Once she finishes showering, have here over then.¡±
Youbai answered and retreated.
After an incense¡¯s worth of time, Youbai brought Qin Gui over. At this time, the Sixth Prince, Gu Zhen, had already finished drinking ginger soup and he was in a deep sleep.
Qin Gui changed into a dry cyan-colored dress. It was slightly big on her, making her appear even more tiny.
Empress Wei waved and had Qin Gui sit beside her, observing her carefully.
Her gaze was fiery as she outlined the girl¡¯s features. The more she looked at her, the more she felt like the girl was very simr to her sister. Not only in terms of feature, but also their temperament and spirit.
As for Qin Xin, her niece, she wasn¡¯t like her sister or her brother-inw.
In the past, Empress Wei didn¡¯t think much about it. It wasn¡¯t something rare that the children didn¡¯t look like their parents. Butparing Qin Xin to Qin Gui right now, Empress Wei was unable to suppress the strangeness inside her heart.
Empress Wei asked gently, ¡°I don¡¯t know your name yet.¡±
¡°My surname is Qin.¡± Qin Gui answered well-behaved. ¡°I¡¯m Qin Gui.¡±
Her surname was Qin?! Empress Wei¡¯s heart skipped a beat.
This girl¡¯s surname was also ¡°Qin¡±¡
But if it really was what she think, this girl¡¯s surname shouldn¡¯t be ¡°Qin¡± right now.
Empress Wei sucked in a deep breath and calmed down before asking, ¡°Lady Qin, where are you from?¡±
¡°I¡¯m from Yu Province, Jiangyu County.¡±
Qin Gui responded to her questions, widening her almond eyes. Her eyes were clear like water.
Just ncing at Empress Wei¡¯s attitude, Qin Gui knew that she must¡¯ve realized something, at least suspicious if anything!
Empress Wei and the original body¡¯s birth mother were real sisters, and they had a great rtionship. Even more, the original body looked extremely simr to her mother. Empress Wei should be able to recognize her.
As long as Empress Wei found out about it, it wasn¡¯t a matter that the Qin Family could cover up even if they wanted to.
Qin Gui sat there well-behaved. She answered whatever Empress Wei asked. She didn¡¯t hide anything either, up until Empress Wei suddenly shifted the topic and asked, ¡°Why did youe to Long Province then?¡±
Qin Gui revealed a look of panic, and tried to go over the topic by asking, ¡°Madam Gu, is the little young master still okay?¡±
Empress Wei looked deeply at Qin Gui. She was just testing the water back then, but look at the girl¡¯s guilty expression. She was probably forced to leave home toe to Long Province because of some unspeakable reason.
Empress Wei didn¡¯t press anymore. Following her words, she smiled and said, ¡°Zhen¡¯er fell asleep. Many thanks to you today.¡±
Qin Gui pursed her lips and smiled, embarrassed. Then, she said, ¡°Madam Gu, it¡¯s best if you look into little master¡¯s drowning. Back then, Mama Ding not only didn¡¯t save him, she also wanted to prevent me from saving him.¡±
Empress Wei naturally wouldn¡¯t show mercy to Mama Ding. They weren¡¯t allowed to use violence in the temple, so she nned on interrogating her after they returned.
Empress Wei took down Qin Gui¡¯s words before starting to chat with her leisurely as if nothing happened.
A pce maid brought over mint pastries specially produced by the Tranquil Temple. Empress Wei picked one up with a handkerchief and gave it to Qin Gui. ¡°Here, try this pastry.¡±
Qin Gui smiled and grabbed it, her wide sleeves sliding down while she reached over. It revealed some bruises and scars on her elbows as if they were slit by a sharp knife.
¡°Your hand¡¡± Empress Wei¡¯s voice was a bit bitter.
Qin Gui hurriedly withdrew her hand andughed awkwardly.
Empress Wei wanted to grab Qin Gui¡¯s wrist and take a close look, but she was afraid of frightening her, so she didn¡¯t know what to do for a moment.
Chapter 16 CFV Ch.16 Empress (1)
At this time, someone knocked on the door and reported outside, ¡°Master, the Lord is here.¡±
When Empress Wei heard this, the corner of her lips tilted up, not bothering to hide her happiness.
She immediately stood up and personally opened the door, weing him.
A man in his thirties wearingke-blue brocade robe quickly walked in. His figure was tall and extraordinary, the golden sunlight sprinkled on him and made him appear a bit more gentle.
Qin Gui also looked over, thinking that he must be the emperor.
He was indeed the emperor.
When Empress Wei had someone to go to the imperial pce to summon an imperial physician, she also had someone report the situation to the emperor. When the emperor heard this, he hurried over.
¡°Rongrong, how¡¯s Zhen¡¯er?¡±
¡°He drank ginger soup and he¡¯s sleeping now.¡±
The couple talked to each other as they made their way in. The two¡¯s expressions look natural and intimate, like an ordinary couple.
The imperial physicians and a few guards stood outside the door, waiting for the emperor¡¯s summon.
The emperor froze when he saw Qin Gui into the room. At first nce, he thought that the girl looked a bit familiar to the empress.
He questioned Empress Wei with a look while thetter smiled gracefully, indicating that she¡¯d exinter.
Qin Gui saw the two¡¯s subtle interaction. She could tell that the two had a pretty good rtionship.
Qin Gui eximed, ¡°Lord Gu and Madam Gu, if there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll be heading back now.¡±
Empress Wei smiled and nodded, ordering for an mama to personally see her back.
After Qin Gui left, Empress Wei hurriedly said to the emperor, ¡°Your Majesty, this empress thinks that there was a mixup between the two kids within the marquis¡¯ residence. Please have someone investigate this.¡±
¡°The children were mixed up?¡± The emperor knitted his brows and understood Empress Wei immediately. ¡°You¡¯re saying that Qin Xin¡¡±
He had just granted marriage to the Second Prince and Qin Xin. If the children were truly mixed up¡
Empress Wei pretended that she hadn¡¯t seen the emperor¡¯s hesitation. She sighed and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you think that girl looks very simr to this empress?¡± She pursed her lips, wearing a look of reminisce. ¡°People often say that although this empress and sister weren¡¯t born from the same parents, we both look extremely simr to my grandmother.¡±
The emperor¡¯s gentle looknded on the empress¡¯ face.
Indeed, the girl looked extremely like the empress¡¯ young self.
The emperor knew how good of a rtionship Empress Wei had with her sister. Since she was suspicious, it was better to investigate this.
The emperor said, ¡°Then let Zening investigate this.¡±
As they said this, the two walked into the inner room. Gu Zhen was still in deep sleep, his face a bit pale. He might¡¯ve been startled, so he didn¡¯t sleep steadily.
The emperor had someone summon the imperial physician in to take Gu Zhen¡¯s pulse.
The emperor looked at his son¡¯s peaceful expression, still having lingering fear. Heaven knew how his heart almost jumped out of his chest when he heard that Zhen¡¯er had drowned.
Empress Wei stood by the side, gently recounting what happened with uracy.
The emperor had grown up to the violence and scheming of the harem. Even more, he had gone through lots of twists and turns before ascending the throne. What happened today was clearly a conspiracy!
His face became extremely unwell when he thought of the Sixth Prince drowning within this icy coldke for some unknown reason. ¡°Rongrong, go investigate this. No matter who it is, I won¡¯t let them go!¡±
The imperial physician kept to himself and pretended like he hadn¡¯t heard the two¡¯s conversation. He took Gu Zhen¡¯s pulse seriously.
Chapter 17 CFV Ch.17 Empress (2)
After confirming, the imperial physician reported to the couple, ¡°The Sixth Prince is okay. This official will prescribe some medicinal soup to soothe his mind. When His Highness wakes up, he can just take it.¡±
The couple was nowforted. The emperor waved his hands for the imperial physician to leave and prescribe the prescription.
By the time Gu Zhen woke up and took the medicinal soup, it was already early afternoon. The couple returned back to their temporary imperial residence.
At this time, Qin Gui was almost back at her tavern.
Today, besides an ident that urred while trying to find the mirrorke and not being able to get to the Sixth Prince before he fell into the water, everything was still in his n.
Next, Empress Wei must be going to investigate this. She just needed to wait patiently.
Qin Gui walked into the tavern in a good mood. She thought that she needed to reward herself, maybe treat herself to a good mealter.
¡°Sister is back.¡±
A gentle voice interrupted her good mood.
It was Xiao Ze as expected!
Xiao Ze just came back too. From afar, he saw the girl foolishlyughing.
Oh, the girl even changed her clothes today?
¡°Elder brother.¡± Qin Gui revealed a lovable smile.
Following his gaze, she looked at her clothes. Qin Gui originally wanted to find an excuse to shift this topic over, but then thought that there wasn¡¯t really to exin. After all, they weren¡¯t familiar with each other! He had been elusive for the past few days, so he must be up to no good too. It wasn¡¯t like he told her where he had been either!
Therefore, Qin Gui didn¡¯t put much thought to this matter.
Xiao Ze looked interestingly at the girl¡¯s changing expression. He ced his right first into his mouth in an effort to cover hisugh. Then he said nonchntly, ¡°Has sister eaten? Let¡¯s go eat.¡±
Since someone was treating her out, it¡¯d be a waste if she didn¡¯t go! Qin Gui nodded happily. ¡°Okay!¡±
The two left the tavern again and Xiao Ze brought them to a neighboring restaurant.
The waiter led them up to the second floor and they sat by a table against the window.
The moment they sat down, Qin Gui eagerly asked, ¡°Waiter, what delicious food do you have here?¡±
Qin Gui was also hungry. Lately, she has been traveling long and difficultly. Although she didn¡¯t starve, she relied mainly on rations. She rarely had time to sit down and eat. No wonder she hadn¡¯t gained any weight.
¡°This must bedy¡¯s first time at Qinyun County. Our Zuifeng Restaurant¡¯s drunken fish is really the best! Everyone within the Qinyun County knows! Our drunken fish utilizes a decade old brewed wine, and then it was coupled with our custom-made sauce. The meat is extremely delicate and soft. I guarantee that thedy will want to eat the entire thing¡¡±
Qin Gui was already hungry hearing the description. Before he could finish introducing, she eximed firmly, ¡°I want this! You can choose the rest. I just want three fishes and a soup.¡± Then she looked at Xiao Ze and asked well-behaved, ¡°Elder brother, what about you?¡±
Xiao Ze wasn¡¯t picky either. With a smile, ¡°You can decide.¡±
Right after, he shifted the topic and suddenly asked, ¡°Did you enjoy Tranquil Temple?¡±
Qin Gui blurted out before she could process, ¡°I didn¡¯t enjoy it¡¡±
Wait no! How did he know she went to Tranquil Temple?
Qin Gui widened her beautiful pair of almond eyes, staring fixated at him, again and again.
¡°Xin¡¯er, I¡¯ll go to Jinyu Treasures with youter on. You probably won¡¯t be able to find anything good in a small ce like this too.¡±
Chapter 18 CFV Ch.18 Empress (3)
A clear male voice rang. A talented man and beautiful woman walked up the stairs to the second floor of the restaurant. Both were wearing morous clothes coupled with extraordinary temperament.
The girl d in purple had an oval-like face with clear eyes and white teeth. Her fair and smooth skin could bepared to the pureness of snow. She was beautiful and touching. The man behind him was incredibly handsome, revealing an outstanding and noble temperament.
For a moment, the two¡¯s presence attracted a lot of customers¡¯ attention.
It was rare to see such extraordinary people in Qinyun County!
¡°Customers, this way please¡¡± The waiter hurried over to greet them.
The girl d in purple curled her lips up, smiling cutely. ¡°Second Master¡ Let¡¯s choose something for do¡ great madam. She¡¯d definitely like it¡¡±
Xin¡¯er? Second Master?!
Qin Gui lifted her brows and felt a bad omen.
She couldn¡¯t help but look at the two quickly. That¡¯s right. She just saw the young girl two days ago by the city doors!
So they were the male and female leads?!
This¡this was too unfortunate!
Qin Gui quietly swapped her seats and moved her back against them.
She was originally sitting across from Xiao Ze. Now that she changed her seat, she was sitting on the left side of Xiao Ze.
Xiao Ze looked interestingly at the two. He naturally remembered what happened a few days ago by the city doors, curling his lips up.
Qin Gui ignored him.
She knew that Xiao Ze had lots of unfounded doubts, so he must¡¯ve guessed something! Since he didn¡¯t ask her, she wouldn¡¯t actively tell him either. After all, they¡¯d part ways in a few more days.
The pair was indeed Qin Xin and the Second Prince, Gu Jing. The waiter led them to the neighboring table by Qin Gui.
Qin Gui minded her own business, drinking tea and eating peanuts. She thought that no matter what, Qin Xin wouldn¡¯t be able to recognize her through her rear view.
Therefore, Qin Gui wasn¡¯t worried in the least bit.
¡°¡Mother brought sixth brother to Tranquil Temple today¡¡±
Qin Gui lifted her brows when she heard Gu Jing mention ¡°Tranquil Temple.¡± She subconsciously listened in on their conversation.
If it weren¡¯t that she was also at Tranquil Temple today, she would¡¯ve never thought that the Sixth Prince drowned because of a conspiracy.
¡°Tranquil Temple has nice sceneries, especially the maple forest by the mirrorke¡¡±
¡°Mother wants to pray for an amulet for sixth brother, but how could one¡¯s life be determined by that?¡± Gu Jing said faintly.
What did he mena?
Qin Gui paid close attention to this, not noticing that the waiter had brought the drunken fish over.
It was unclear how but the waiter slipped while he was serving the dish, bumping into the table. The dish in his hand also flew in the air¡
Xiao Ze quickly clutched Qin Gui¡¯s wrist and pulled her over.
That dish fell on the ground, nearly missing her shoulders.
Crash.
The dish crashed and cracked into many shards, the warm soup sshing everywhere. A few dropsnded on Qin Gui¡¯s shoulder, and she knitted her brows by its hotness.
¡°Sorry, customer!¡± The waiter panicked and helplessly apologized. ¡°Customer, are you okay?¡±
¡°I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m fine.¡± Qin Gui waved her hands calmly. Only a few drops had sshed on her. Although it was a bit hot, it wasn¡¯t that serious. ¡°Just bring me another dish.¡±
The waiter didn¡¯t expect for her to be that kind. He felt really fortunate. While repeatedly apologizing, he bent down to clean up the mess.
It was a bit loud and attracted the other table¡¯s attention.
Qin Xin originally just took a casual look at the waiter when her gaze suddenlynded on Qin Gui¡¯s face. She was shocked.
Those eyebrows¡
How could it be ¡°her?!¡±
Chapter 19 CFV Ch.19 Qin Xin (1)
Qin Xin couldn¡¯t forget the humiliation she had suffered in herst life.
That day kept shing before her eyes since her rebirth; the day Qin Gui was brought before her.
Since then, she had ceased to be the daughter of nobility.She had be the daughter of sinners. It was Qin Gui, who had ruined her life!
During the first few years after her rebirth, Qin Xin would still have nightmares about it. She was afraid that that day woulde true.
She had always remembered Qin Gui¡¯s face.That face was etched deep into her mind.
The waiter cleaned up the mess on the ground quickly. Qin Xin kept looking at that girl across the table in a daze as she sat back down. But her back was faced against Qin Xin all the while. She then used a handkerchief to wipe the soup on her shoulder. Her movements were very concise; she never turned her face again.
¡°Xin¡¯er! What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Second Young Master, Gu Jing could not help but ask when he found her expression a little strange.
Qin Xin forced a smile and replied, ¡°I was just shocked. Fortunately, that girl is still fine. I can¡¯t help but think how much it would have hurt if this soup fell on her.¡±
¡°Xin¡¯er, you are really¡¡± The corner of Gu Jing¡¯s lips twitched a bit. He could not help but chuckle and shook his head with a helpless yet doting look.My Xin¡¯er is so gentle and kind.
¡°You are always so considerate of others. When will you be so considerate to your fiance as well.¡± Gu Jing stared at Qin Xin passionately as if his long and affectionate eyes could see her and her only.
A faint blush appeared on Qin Xin¡¯s cheek; her heart was racing a little.
It wasn¡¯t easy for her to get to her current position. She didn¡¯t want it to be ruined by anyone!
In myst life, Qin Gui took everything I had. Is Qin Gui still going to trouble me in this life as well?
Qin Xin¡¯s long and slender eyshes drooped down as her eyes shone, sometimes obviously and sometimes secretly.
The waiter started serving dishes, one after another. The food at Wine and Dine Hotel tasted pretty good but Qin Xin ate this meal in an absent-minded manner.
Qin Xin couldn¡¯t help but look at that table but she could never catch sight of the girl¡¯s face. All she could do was judge by her back. That girl appeared to be thirteen or fourteen years old.
Is it really her?
Qin Xin became a little anxious wa dotching the two people at the next table downstairs after having their meals. She wanted to suggest to Gu Jing that they should leave as well but she felt it might sound too obvious, abrupt, and deliberate.
Qin Xin was hit with an idea in desperation. She pointed at Qin Gui¡¯s table and said, ¡°Second Young Master, don¡¯t you find that guy somewhat familiar?¡±
¡°Familiar?¡± Gu Jing wasn¡¯t even paying attention.
¡°He looks like the third young master of Duan Royal House.¡± When she spoke of this, Qin Xin¡¯s hesitant look was just perfect.
Gu Jing hadn¡¯t been paying attention to Xiao Ze but now that he gave it a second thought, he could not help but fell deep into his thoughts. That young man in green really seems a bit like the third son of King Duan.
King Duan, Gu Xiao was the feudal king of the northern states. He was also the uncle of the current emperor and had massive troops under him.
Feudal kings weren¡¯t allowed to enter the capital without edicts but Gu Jing had several times.
Nine years ago, King Duan had brought his heir and two sons to the capital on the emperor¡¯s thirtieth birthday.
At that time, the emperor had asked his brother, King Xiao to entertain King Duan¡¯s heir and his sons. Gu Jing had only seen King Duan¡¯s third son, Gu Zezhi at royal study and pce banquet and that too from neither that close nor from too far.
Chapter 20 CFV Ch.20 Qin Xin (2)
Gu Zezhi was only ten years old back then. He should be neen by now and his appearance might be somewhat different from when his younger self.
Gu Jing¡¯s eyes lit up at once. He quickly got up and ran to the window to look down but the two of them were too far away. He could only see their distant backs.
¡°Xin¡¯er, did you see it clearly?¡± Gu Jing turned to Qin Xin and asked.
Qin Xin shook her head. ¡°I just caught a glimpse when they came down the stairs. Maybe I was wrong.¡±
Gu Jing¡¯s right hand grabbed the window sill. His eyes darkened as his thoughts wandered.
Duan Royal House had been in turmoil all these years which stemmed from the dispute between legal wife and concubines.
The imperial concubine of Duan could not give birth to an heir even after having been married to King Duan for twenty years. At the age of thirty-five, King Duan was forced to make the eldest son of his concubines his heir. But who would have thought that Princess Duan would be pregnant the following year? And the old woman would actually give birth to a son to King Duan, Gu Zezhi.
So, the situation at Duan Royal House was a bit awkward.
Prince Duan wasn¡¯t at fault. Even King Duan couldn¡¯t talk about dethroning his heir, let alone the young Gu Zezhi, who might not even live and grow up.
At the beginning of this year, Gu Jing identally heard the emperor talk to the imperial eunuch that he wanted to call Gu Zezhi to study in the capital. Gu Jing also heard that he wanted to test Gu Zezhi; and if Gu Zhezhi was useful, he stated that it would be right and proper for the son of legal wife to inherit the title.
Right then, Gu Jing secretly went and revealed this news to Prince Duan to be friends with him.
Gu Jin furrowed his brow slightly as he nibbled his lip.
Qin Xin, looking at Gu Jing¡¯s expression, came up with an idea. ¡°Should I send someone to take a look?¡±
Gu Jing promptly refused without even giving it a thought, ¡°It¡¯s not proper.¡±
If that guy was really Gu Zezhi, that would mean that Prince Duan hadn¡¯t killed him! Prince Duan is too softhearted to be a great man¡
Gu Jing had to think hard about who was the most suitable partner for cooperation.
Gu Jing¡¯s answer was well within Qin Xin¡¯s expectation so she quickly changed her words, ¡°Second Young Master, my jade pendant is missing. My grandma especially went to Huangjue Temple to get it for me before I left for the capital.¡±
Gu Jing looked at her and raised his eyebrows.
Qin Xin winked at him and continued, ¡°My jade pendant was just here but it has gone missing when someone bumped into me from behind. Maybe someone stole it.¡±
Qin Xin might not have said it clearly but Gu Jing understood it all at once.If he wants to know if the man just now was Gu Zezhi or not, it wasn¡¯t really that difficult. One just needed a legitimate reason to check, that¡¯s all.
They exchanged a tacit look.
Gu Jing groaned and said, ¡°The security of Qingyun County is really bad. Dong Shun, take my token and go to the county office.¡±
Dong Shun was Gu Jing¡¯s personal servant, who knew his master¡¯s mind best. He hurriedly ran to the county office with Gu Jing¡¯s token.
So, the magistrate of Qingyun County came to know that the Second Prince¡¯s fiancee had lost her jade pendant in the county.The magistrate started panicking immediately.
As the magistrate, he had been trembling every day since the royal carriage came to the Jianglin Pce. He was afraid of something going wrong, and he could not protect his ck hat. But he had never imagined that something would really go wrong!
[TLN: The officials in ancient China wore ck hats.]
To make up for this mistake, the magistrate immediately started sending out officials to search for the culprit.
¡°Lord Zhang.¡± Dong Shun shouted at the top of his voice. ¡°His Royal Highness doesn¡¯t want to disturb the people for a jade pendant.¡±
Chapter 21 CFV Ch.21 Qin Xin (3)
Magistrate Zhang understood and hurriedly said, ¡°Then I will ask the officials to investigate in secret.¡±
Dong Shun left immediately after finishing his errands. The county magistrate hurriedly summoned the team leader to give one or two instructions before ordering the officials to go and investigate.
The clues given by Dong Shun were very limited. Except for the fact that the thief who stole the jade pendant wasn¡¯t local and was very young, the public security officers had no other clues, not even a portrait.
This gave the security officers a headache. In the end, they decided to focus on the inns and check all the residents, one by one.
Not long after, many rampant government officials appeared on the streets and alleys of Qingyun County.
In the Fragrant Tea House facing the street, Qin Gui¡¯s expression turned ugly watching the officials running to and fro on the street.
She called the passing tea boy and asked with a smile, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why is it so noisy out there?¡±
¡°The public security officials are investigating foreigners.¡± Judging by how smooth the tea boy answered, it was quite apparent that the tea boy had been asked this very same question by several guests already. ¡°The royal carriage is at the Jianglin Pce at this moment, they can¡¯t make any mistakes.¡±
In the tea boy¡¯s opinion, the government officials were just trying to deal with the thieves and gangsters to ensure public order, which was of course a good thing.
Qin Gui curiously asked, ¡°Did they check like this a few days ago too?¡±
¡°They investigated before the arrival of the royal carriage,¡± the tea boy answered all the questions. ¡°Miss, do you need anything else?¡±
Qin Gui ordered another te of fried melon seeds and gave the tea boy two copper coins before sending him away.
She got one important piece of news from the tea boy, that an investigation like this was not part of the normal routine. They generally checked once before the arrival of the royal carriage.
Therefore, today¡¯s interrogation was different. But it was so coincidental that it happened just after she met Qin Xin by chance today.
This is mostly for me, I guess!
When Qin Gui was in Wine and Dine Restaurant, she noticed that Qin Xin was looking over her from time to time. As such, she never went back to the inn after leaving the restaurant. Rather she took Xiao Ze to this teahouse and sat down to see what happens next.
Why does all the bad premonitione true but not the good stuff!
I had only shown my face to Empress Wei. It¡¯s not the right time to let the mistress discover me.
What if I keep running for the whole night? Well, first I have to think of how to leave Qingyun County first.
She thought about it for a while but gave up this notion.
Obviously, Qin Xin still hasn¡¯t determined my identity. Otherwise, just officials won¡¯t be investigating. If I run away, I will have to be passivepletely.
Qin Gui, resting her cheek on her left hand, fumbled through the seeds with her right. The more she thought about it, the more worried she grew. Before she knew it, she had eaten the entire te of seeds.
She raised her hand to order the tea boy for another te. At this time, Xiao Ze, who was enjoying his tea, said warmly, ¡°Would you like me to help you?¡±
His calm and rxed look gave the impression that he knew clearly that Qin Gui was in trouble.
Qin Guizily nced at him. ¡°Will you be so kind?¡±
Xiao Ze gave a smile and said, his smile gave the impression as if a gentle spring breeze was blowing across the Earth, ¡°Mutual benefits.¡±
He changed the seats and sat next to Qin Gui before signaling her toe closer. His ck jade-like eyes were exceptionally clear and bright.Qin Gui immediately leaned closer.
Very soon, Qin Gui¡¯s eyes lit up.
Chapter 22 CFV Ch.22 Resolved (1)
In the secluded tea house, Qin Gui picked up the cup and drank the teafortably.
She gazed through the half-opened window at Xiao Ze as he walked out of the Fragrant Tea House and to the streets below.
Xiao Ze calmly walked to the two public security officials, who were patrolling the streets, stopped them and talked with them.
He had an air of nobility around him and a warm and amiable look on his face. His every expression and gesture was elegant and impable.
He talked a bit with the officials with a smile. Then he took out a piece of silver from his sleeve and stuffed it furtively into the other party¡¯s hands before returning to the tea house.Qin Gui also withdrew her gaze.
In addition to her, there were two other people who were watching Xiao Ze.
They were two young men, one in grey and one in blue. They were hiding in the corner of an alley, staring at Xiao Ze¡¯s figure with a dismal look.
¡°Little Six, Third Master hasn¡¯t noticed us, has he?¡± The man in gray muttered.
¡°If he has discovered us then we can only take care of him early on!¡± The man in blue, Little Six drew his thumb across his neck, gesturing to slit the throat.
¡°No.¡± The man in gray hurried stopped him. ¡°The royal carriage is at the Jiangling Pce. If the Third Master had an ident here, the royal carriage might be rmed. By then, everyone will be on guard here even more so. And in case we are found out, then even His Royal Highness might be implicated, then it will really be bad.¡±
Well, what could they do? They had lost people in Yaoqing County. They had no choice but to separate and act separately. Otherwise, there would not have been just two of them here and then they would have too many things to worry about.
¡°We can¡¯t wait any longer!¡± Little Six said impatiently. ¡°If we let the Third Master meet His Highness, His Highness will then dismiss His Royal Highness from the heir position¡ then it will really be toote. Let¡¯s not wait for others and act first. We can also take this credit.¡±
The man in gray furrowed his brow as he sunk into his thoughts.
He might not approve of such rash action but he found Third Master¡¯s expression very familiar when he was talking with the public security officials. Has the Third Master really noticed us!?
Is that why these officials were searching for their whereabouts under the order of the Third Master?
At this time, they must take every step carefully.
¡°Little Six, return to the inn, I will watch over him first,¡± the man in gray said.
Little Six wanted to say something but he was stopped by the man in gray with his eyes. He could only sullenly agree, ¡°Yes.¡±
Little Six went back to the inn alone. He was still not convinced. He felt that hispanion was too worried.
So what if there are only two of us, we can still clean up Third Master quietly. If Third Master wants toin, he canin in hell.
Little Six entered the inn in anger. It just so happens that the two public security officers entered the inn for questioning. When the manager saw him return, he hurriedly said, ¡°Sir, this guest is also not from here. He only moved in a few days ago.¡±
The two officials immediately focused their gazes at Little Six alertly. One of them immediately asked, ¡°Hey, where did youe from, can you show me your pass?¡±
[TLN: During Ming Dynasty, everyone from hundred miles away from their residence must have a pass issued by the local government, otherwise they will be punished.]
This was a very ordinary question but it sounded a bit tricky to Little Six.
Particrly when he and hispanion just saw Third Master talk intimately with the official outside the tea house.
Chapter 23 CFV Ch.23 Resolved (2)
Seeing Little Six still not responding, he raised his voice and repeated, ¡°Where is your pass?¡±
¡°Sir, here is my pass.¡± Little Six regained his wits as he took out the pass and handed it over causally.
After the officer took the pass, he inquired again, ¡°When did you arrive in Qingyun County?¡±
¡°Five days ago?¡±
¡°Why are you here?¡±
¡°Passing by.¡±
¡°Passing by!?¡± The officer took a good look at Little Six before asking, ¡°Where are you going? I heard the manager say that there were two of you, where is the other guy?¡±
Little Six couldn¡¯t stop smiling as he thought, Why are these people being so wordy!? Generally, apart from checking passes outside the city, they won¡¯t check inside the city. So, these officials must be investigating us, right!? Third Master must be trying to eliminate us through Qingyun County officials.
Keep dreaming! Little Six secretly gritted his teeth.
The security officer grew a little impatient after seeing Little Six not answering for a long time. He asked in a loud voice, ¡°I¡¯m asking you, tell me!¡±
Little Six held his anger and said, ¡°Going to the capital to visit friends.¡±
¡°Then when are you nning to leave Qingyun County?¡± the officer asked again.
¡°After a few days,¡± Little Six answered in a casual manner.
The officer stared suspiciously at Little Six and asked again, ¡°How many days exactly?¡±
¡°Three days.¡±
¡°Why are you staying in Qingyun County for three days?¡±
¡°Visiting friends!¡±
The officer immediately retorted with a cold look on his face, ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say that you are visiting friends in the capital?¡±
¡°I¡¡± Little Six, who had been questioned again and again, had grown tired of this. ¡°You are really annoying me. I have the pass, what are you asking so many questions?¡±
Little Six had determined that these officers were up to no good. Whereas the two officers grew increasingly suspicious of Little Six the more they looked at him. His inconsistent answers and arrogant attitude didn¡¯t put him in a good light!
If they are visiting friends in the capital, why are they not in a hurry? Why are they staying in Qingyun County for a few days? Do you think of us as fools?
This person is absolutely suspicious. He and his aplice must have stolen the jade pendant of Second Prince¡¯s fiancee!
I would rather catch innocents than let the culprit go!
As this thought crossed their minds, the two officers exchanged nces as the officer with the curly beard said with a straight face, ¡°You have toe with us.¡±
The two officers came forward to arrest Little Six without saying anything else.
Little Six had already grown impatient. When he saw them stepping forward, heshed out in anger and disdain, ¡°You think you two are enough to catch me!?¡±
He grabbed the right arm of the bearded officer, pulled him up over him and threw him on the ground. Even the tables and chairs around him were smashed away.
The manager and the waiter of the inn were shocked. They immediately hid behind the counter.
The situation took a turn for the worse all of a sudden.
Originally, the officers were only a little bit suspicious of Little Six but now they werepletely suspicious of him. The other triangle-eyed officer pulled out his saber and attacked Little Six while cursing him.
Little Six¡¯s skills were much better than the two officers. He seized the officer¡¯s saber in a jiffy. A vicious look shed past his eyes as he raised the saber and cut the triangle-eyed officer¡¯s leg. Then, he dropped the saber and casually made his way out of the inn. He also knew that he was in trouble. But so what?
Since the Third Master has already bribed the office of Qingyun County and asked the government officials to search for us, we can¡¯t stay here for long.
¡°Catch him quickly!¡±
At this time, the two officers hurriedly shouted at the team of public security officers who were patrolling the streets here.
Chapter 24 CFV Ch.24 Resolved (3)
Having noticed the mess at the inn, the team immediately closed in on Little Six aggressively.
At this point, it didn¡¯t matter whether Little Six was the thief or not. The royal carriage was at Jianglin Pce. Since Little Six dared to cause any trouble in Qingyun County, he absolutely could not be tolerated.
The team leader immediately ordered the officers to take Little Six down. ¡°Arrest this suspicious thief down immediately!¡±
A dozen or so officers immediately responded as they swarmed at Little Six. They pulled out their respective sabers and aimed their des at Little Six.
It¡¯s extremely difficult to beat four hands with two fists. As such, Little Six was soon subdued by these officers. Two long gleaming des were ced on his neck.
¡°Search him!¡±
An officer immediately started searching Little Six at the order of the team leader. Little Six¡¯s face immediately grew dark. He struggled hard and shouted, ¡°Let me go!¡±
BAM!
Suddenly, a copper token fell down from his clothes.
As another officer picked it up to check it, that officer¡¯s expression turned grim in a sh.
This is clearly Prince Duan¡¯s token!
Every officer¡¯s expression changed while looking at Little Six.
The air on the streets seemed to have frozen.
Since Little Six wasn¡¯t an ordinary thief, the team leader did not dare to deal with him at his will. He hurriedly yelled at the officers, ¡°Take him to the county office!¡±
This hot potato must be handed to the Magistrate as soon as possible.
The team of officials immediately escorted Little Six on the road. When they walked past the Fragrant Tea House, Qin Gui on the second floor also saw this. She peeked a nce at Xiao Ze with a gentle smile. She felt that this guy was sinister from head to toe.
¡°Is this the guy who has been following you?¡± Qin Gui asked affirmatively.
Xiao Ze nodded with a smile. He did not exin that this person was just one of them.
After he had started traveling with Qin Gui, he had indeed thrown these people off his tracks. Butter, when they entered Qingyun County, he found himself being followed by two people again. It was just they didn¡¯t make a move due tock of manpower.
If so, it was his turn to make a move.
The fact that the royal carriage was here was a good opportunity for him. From the very start, he had nned to pull out these nails before the royal carriage.
This would kill two birds with one stone.
Xiao Ze picked up the white porcin tea cup and took a sip. The amber tea clearly reflected his shining eyes.
¡°Happy cooperation.¡± His voice was gentle, graceful, and calm like a nobleman¡¯s son. His every movement was beautiful.
Qin Gui didn¡¯t dare to take the credit. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything.¡±
¡°Those government officials are here for you.¡± Xiao Ze said with a smile.
¡°I guess that¡¯s true.¡± Qin Gui nodded her agreement as the corner of her brows rose with a smile.
Xiao Ze lowered his head and smiled. His smile was obscured but his eyes were quite radiant.
Qin Gui was in a very good mood. She turned her head, pointed her slender finger at Little Six, who was restrained by the officers on the street and asked, ¡°What will happen next?¡±
Xiao Ze smiled but didn¡¯t speak, rather he took another sip.
Qin Gui stared at him curiously.
Xiao Ze took several more sips slowly. Just when Qin Gui thought that he would not answer, Xiao Ze started speaking all of a sudden, ¡°Next, you won¡¯t be in any more trouble.¡±
Xiao Ze¡¯s expression gave her a profound feeling.
Qin Gui was confused upon hearing this while her bright apricot eyes glittered.
She had no idea how much Xiao Ze knew but she didn¡¯t bother to ask. Even if she asked, he might not answer.
So be it!
Chapter 25 CFV Ch.25 Aunt (1)
In the exquisite water pavilion of Jianglin Pce, the emperor gazed down at the second prince, Gu Jing kneeling on the ground with a cold and serious expression.
¡°Father.¡± Gu Jing with hispletely straight back justified himself, ¡°Your Son is innocent!¡±
Gu Jing was summoned by the emperor some fifteen minutes ago. As soon as he entered the hall, the emperor threw a token in front of him which was Prince Duan¡¯s token. At that time, themander of the secret police was reporting the results of the interrogation. The criminal had already confessed that he hade to assassinate Gu Zezhi on the behest of Prince Duan.
[TLN: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embroidered_Uniform_Guard]
Themander of the secret police was sent off by the emperor after he had finished his task. After that, Gu Jing had knelt down right then and there and had been kneeling till now.
Gu Jing knew that he was in trouble.
After all, Prince Duan had finally made a move on Gu Zezhi but he had inadvertently given himself away to the emperor.
Now it¡¯s no longer a question of whether Prince Duan would seed or not but what would father think of it?
Would father think that I was intervening in the dispute of Duan Royal House¡¯s legal wife and concubines!?
¡°Father, I only apanied Lady Qin to Qingyun County. Lady Qin¡¯s jade pendant was stolen by a thief. So, I asked the local county office to find it,¡± Gu Jing answered with an earnest look. ¡°I really didn¡¯t know that Duan Royal House¡¯s third uncle was in the county. I¡¡±
Whatever may be the case, Gu Jing had to deny everything.
He was secretly d that Qin Xin had found a reasonable excuse at that time.
¡°Gu Jing, how dare you to lie to me!¡± The emperor stared straight at Gu Jing. When he was enraged, his imperial aura made people afraid to look directly at him. ¡°What are you ying at?¡±
¡°Father.¡± Gu Jing walked a few steps on his knees and kowtowed hard to the emperor as he spoke, ¡°You have misunderstood me, I don¡¯t dare not lie to you!¡±
The emperor narrowed his eyes slightly and remained silent.
Silence began to spread through the hall. Gu Jing became even more unsettled.
¡°Father¡¡±
Finally, Gu Jing couldn¡¯t suppress the uneasiness in his heart. He wanted to justify himself but the emperor didn¡¯t want to listen anymore. He waved his hand and said, gesturing to him to leave, ¡°From today, you can¡¯t leave the pce.
Gu Jing¡¯s scalp tingled a little as replied in a depressed voice, ¡°Yes, father.¡±
Gu Jing bowed to the emperor before he retreated his way out.
Imperial eunuch, Zhou Xin, who had been serving tea to the emperor in the Exquisite Water Pavilion said, trying to console the emperor, ¡°Your Highness, please calm down first.¡±
The emperor kept looking at the slightly swaying curtain in front of him. A mocking sneer appeared on his lips as he asked, ¡°Zhou Xin, do you believe what he said?¡±
¡°¡¡± How could Zhou Xin dared to answer this.
And the emperor really didn¡¯t want any answers from Zhou Xin. The emperor punched his right fist on the desk twice.
He had just dered that Gu Zezhi should enter the capital to study martial arts. He had never mentioned his intention in his decree. He had not even disclosed even a word to Uncle Duan. No one in his court was even aware of his idea.
So, why has Prince Duan grown so impatient that he has sent people to chase Gu Zezhi?
Unless Prince Duan knew that he would lose his status if Gu Zezhi was allowed to enter the capital.
The emperor still remembered that he had casually mentioned that the status of legal wife and the concubines of the Duan Royal House can¡¯t be mixed up. The eldest son of King Duan¡¯s wife must be the heir. At that time, the only person who had heard him except for Zhou Xin was Gu Jing who just so happened toe over to please him!
In all likelihood, Gu Jing must have gone to Prince Duan with this news in a show of good faith.
¡°Cough Cough Cough¡¡±
Chapter 26 CFV Ch.26 Aunt (2)
The emperor suddenly had a fit of cough. He coughed again and again to the point that he was almost short of breath.
The imperial eunuch Zhou Xin immediately rushed over to regte the emperor¡¯s qi. Just as he was about to call someone to bring the doctor, the emperor raised his hand with difficulty and stopped him.
¡°Cough Cough Cough!¡± The emperor was still coughing non-stop.
Zhou Xin was helpless. He hurriedly took out the pills made by the imperial physician and gave it to the emperor.
After some difficulty, the emperor finally stopped coughing. His face was pale and he looked extremely exhausted and weak.
¡°Don¡¯t tell the queen, she might worry,¡± the emperor ordered in a calm and indifferent manner.
Zhou Xin wanted to say something but stopped. He served the emperor closely. He was one of the few people who knew the condition of the emperor¡¯s dragon body.
The emperor¡¯s dragon body had been deteriorating over time, but it had been a secret.
Zhou Xin knew that this was for the sixth prince.
If the courtiers knew that the emperor¡¯s dragon body had deteriorated to this extent, everyone in the court would force the emperor to announce the crown prince.
RUMBLE!
Outside the window, ps of thunder reverberated throughout the sky. The dark clouds in the sky were the clear signs of an impending storm.
The rain came pouring down the next moment.
In an inn of Qingyun County, Qin Gui asked Xiao Ze casually, gazing at the sudden rainstorm, ¡°Are you leaving?¡±
Xiao Ze nodded his agreement and let out a mhmm.
Qin Gui felt relieved but there was a look of parting on her face as she gave her blessings, ¡°I wish you a happy journey, don¡¯t get killed!¡±
She muttered to herself secretly, ¡®Even if you are hunted down, don¡¯te to me!¡¯
Her thoughts were clearly written on her face. Xiao Ze could read it at a nce. His sharp as sword eyebrows immediately rose.
¡°So you cared so much about me.¡± Xiao Ze smiled, his smile was particrly gentle and kind, ¡°Before I meet you again, I will take good care of myself.¡±
If someone as handsome as Xiao Ze stared deeply at someone, the opposite party would really have her heart skip a beat or two.
Qin Gui¡¯s smile turned stiff. She always felt that he was cursing her somehow.
Xiao Ze left that day.
Those government officials also never came to investigate again. Qin Gui was toozy to care about the reason behind this. In short, she had survived this disaster without any risk!
On the same day, Qin Gui proposed to Xu Biaotou to leave Qingyun County the very next day.
In regards to Xiao Ze¡¯s whereabouts, Qin Gui reported in a perfunctory manner, ¡°He had some business to attend to.¡± Xu Biaotou didn¡¯t ask much. They packed their bags and set off the next morning.
Their convoy left the county without any more trouble and drove for another two days. When the arrived at Fenggu County in Long Province, the escort team was done with their errand.
Fenggu County was just half a day away from the capital. This was also the ce chosen by Qin Gui after repeatedly recalling the plot of the novel.
Originally, she had nned to open a small shop here. After that she would set up a matriarchal n and happily avoid the fate of being a cannon fodder. But who would have thought¡
Sigh!
Qin Gui sighed. After two days of rest, she found a middleman and started searching for the shop just as she had nned.
After going around for a few days, Qin Gui finally rented a small shop on the main street.
This shop was divided into two parts, front and the back. The shop was in the front while people could live in the back. There was also a small yard where one could grow flowers and vegetables. Its rent for a year was only thirty taels of silver. It was simply perfect for Qin Jiu.
In fact, she always knew that she was only here for a short time but she always acted her part in full.
As expected¡
Chapter 27 CFV Ch.27 Aunt (3)
A few days after she rented the shop, a luxurious carriage with ck t-top stopped in front of her shop.
At that time, Qin Gui hade back after picking up some ingredients. Just before she entered the door, she saw an old woman get down from the carriage with the help of a young maid.
Qin Jiao recognized this old woman. She was Granny Xu who had sent her back to the inn in Qingyun County that day. She wore a navy blue hanfu.
[TLN: Hanfu = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanfu]
Just as she stood still, she noticed the nearby Qin Gui. She smiled and went up to greet her, ¡°Miss Qin, I haven¡¯t seen you for a long time.¡±
¡°Mother Xu, why are you here?¡± Qin Gui showed just the right amount of surprise. Then, a smile bloomed on her face, ¡°Is the Young Master feeling better now?¡±
Mother Xu immediately replied, ¡°Young Lord is doing fine. I often heard him say that he wants to see the miss again to thank the miss in person. Our lord also wants to see the miss.¡±
¡°Mrs. Gu is also in Fenggu County?¡± Qin Gui asked.
The next moment, a white hand parted the curtain of the carriage, revealing a beautiful and graceful face that was looking at Qin Gui with a smile.
Qin Gui¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. She hadn¡¯t expected the empress toe in person.
¡°Mrs. Gu,¡± Qin Gui said happily. ¡°Why are you here? Come in, have a seat.¡±
Empress Wei looked at Qin Gui intently as if she was trying to imprint her face in her mind before smiling. Mother Xu¡¯s subordinates then helped her get out of the carriage.
Qin Gui hurriedly led the two into the shop.
Qin Gui had already decorated the shop here and there. She asked the carpenter to build a cab for desserts in the front. There was a faint woody fragrance in the shop.
¡°Mrs. Gu.¡± Qin Gui wrinkled her nose in embarrassment. ¡°It¡¯s a mess here. I didn¡¯t have the time to clean up.¡±
While speaking, she led them to the back.
There was a small courtyard behind the shop with a row of wing-rooms. This was where Qin Gui lived.
The previous tenant had also left some unwanted furniture. Qin Gui had run an estimation of the remaining silver in her hand before cleaning it without recing it. She also bought a few pots of flowers and nts, which made the backyard look vibrant and refreshing.
¡°You are doing a good job here.¡± Empress Wei praised with a smile.
¡°You tter me.¡± Qin Gui asked her to take a seat. ¡°I¡¯ll make you a cup of tea¡¡±
Before Qin Gui could finish speaking, Empress Wei suddenly grabbed her right wrist and pulled her in her embrace tightly.
¡°Good girl, you, you have suffered¡¡±
Empress Wei¡¯s voice choked. She could clearly feel that the petite and skinny body in her arms was a little stiff. She had no choice but to let her go; she was afraid that she might have terrified this kid.
Sure enough, as soon as she let Qin Gui go, she saw Qin Gui staring at her nkly. She quickly withdrew her emotions and said, ¡°Little Gui, don¡¯t be afraid, I¡¯m your aunt.¡±
¡°What!?¡±
Qin Gui looked at Empress Wei in shock. Only after a good long while did she blinked.
Empress Wei¡¯s nose was a little sore. She said in her heart, ¡®This child has really suffered a lot these years.¡¯
Recalling the injuries Qin Gui had suffered as described by You Baist time as well as Ze Ning¡¯s inquiries from Jiangyu County, Empress Wei had decided to cut Zhao Aman and his wife into thousand pieces.
¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, with your aunt here, no one will dare to bully you anymore.¡± Empress Wei said in a kind and gentle manner. Her eyes were slightly moist.
¡°Are you my aunt?¡± Qin Gui asked with a dazed expression on her face.
¡°Mhmm.¡±
Empress Wei nodded hard as she thought, ¡®This kid look quite calm except when she heard that I am her aunt. She is extremely shocked. Obviously, she must have known that she wasn¡¯t Zhao Aman¡¯s child.¡¯
Chapter 28 CFV Ch.28 Accepting as Relatives (1)
¡°Little Gui, did you already know this?¡±
Qin Gui nodded to Empress Wei¡¯s question.
She dropped her eyes half and muttered, ¡°Since childhood, they beat and scolded me as they wished. I did all the work but they never looked happy.¡±
¡°They even sold me to a fool of the Xu family in order to provide Li Jiabao a seat at the county school. When I said I didn¡¯t want to, they beat me and said that I deserved to die. Then, they wrapped me in a thin sheet and threw me away.¡±
¡°That day, after Zhao Aman beat me up and went out, I overheard Li Jinzhu say that I was still Miss Qin. If I really died and in case someone in the Qin family came for me in the future, they couldn¡¯t afford it.¡±
¡°I just know that I am not their child, my surname is Qin.¡±
¡°Qin Gui is the name I gave to myself.¡±
Qin Gui said part truth and part lies. At that time, she didn¡¯t want to go back to Marquis¡¯s house when she ran away. She simply used her real name Qin Gui, which wasn¡¯t hidden from her. Therefore, she had used the loophole to use her real name under the guise of hearing.
Empress Wei grew increasingly annoyed the more she listened to Qin Gui. She couldn¡¯t help but smack the desk hard.
¡°Damn it!¡±
Her heart ached so much as if it was being gripped by an invisible hand.
How can there be such hateful people in this world? Their daughter grew upvishly in the Marquis¡¯s mansion, but they treated other people¡¯s daughters so badly. They made her work like a horse, bullied and humiliated her at will.
Had this kid had not used her wits to run away, she would have been married to a fool. Wouldn¡¯t her life and marriage be ruined by them?
Thinking of this, Empress Wei could not help but want to tore Li Family into pieces.
But unfortunately, the couple killed someone and left their hometown.
Empress Wei endured the pain in her heart and barely managed to maintain the smile on her face. She then gently caressed Qin Gui¡¯s hair.
A kid of her age should have silky hair but they are rough and dry. This kid has led a pitiful life!
¡°Mrs. Gu.¡±
Qin Gui¡¯s soft and coy voice interrupted Empress Wei¡¯s chain of thoughts. She raised her palm-sized little face and stared with those pure and ck apricot eyes as she asked with difficulty, ¡°You said that you are my aunt. Who are my parents? Why¡ why don¡¯t my mother and father didn¡¯t want me?¡±
Empress Wei heaved a sigh and replied, ¡°You are the legitimate eldest daughter of Zhongyi Marquis¡¯ Qin Family, and also the legitimate second daughter of the Qin Family.¡±
[TLN: µÕÅ®, eldest daughter or the eldest daughter of legal wife.
µÕ´ÎÅ®, second daughter or much like second in session or rank.]
She took Qin Gui¡¯s cold and little hands and told her about her past one by one. But she covered up all kinds of things that were almost abolished when the emperor was the crown prince. She simply concluded that the Qin family was exiled because of being framed by others, so they had no choice but to entrust their newborn child to others.
¡°¡ After the Qin Family¡¯s reputation was restored, we sent someone to pick you up, but we didn¡¯t expect that they had reced you with their own daughter.¡±
¡°So it¡¯s like this¡¡± Realization suddenly dawned upon Qin Gui.
After a while, she asked again, ¡°Mrs. Gu, who else is in my family? Would my parents like me?¡±
Qin Gui looked a little uneasy. Empress Wei patted her hand as she smiled andforted her, ¡°Your parents are no longer alive. You still have an elder brother and a younger brother. Your elder brother is Qin Zening, and your younger brother is Qin Zeyu. As for the rest of the Qin Family¡ ¡°
Chapter 29 CFV Ch.29 Accepting as Relatives (2)
Empress Wei¡¯s face grew cold for a moment but then she broke intoughter and said, ¡°It¡¯s just your uncles from other branches. You don¡¯t have to care about their likes or dislikes. Your grandfather has passed away, but your grandmother is still alive. You can do anything whatever you want, okay!? Or, you don¡¯t have to care about the likes and dislikes of the rest of the Qin Family. You can act natural¡ Your aunt will take care of you. ¡°
Qin Gui nodded and said in her heart, ¡®Thinking of which, Empress Wei seems to be aware that the Qin Family has decided to support the second prince.¡¯
¡°Good.¡± A warm and gentle look appeared on Empress Wei¡¯s face as she continued, ¡°Your maternal grandfather¡¯s family name is Wei, which is a famous family of Zanying. Two of our ancestors were Senior Grand Secretary, four had beenmanders of border-provinces, eleven had passed the third-level imperial examination. Many Jinshi and Juren had born in our family, it¡¯s not a small family.¡±
[TLN: http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/cosmos/irc/ssics.htm]
Empress Wei¡¯s eyes were overflowing with pride when she spoke of the Wei Family.
¡°Your maternal grandfather is currently the governor of Jiangnan. You look exactly like your mother. Your grandparents will recognize you at first glnace. But you are much thinner than your mother when she was little¡ ¡°
Looking at the skinny and petite little girl before her and thinking of her scars all over her body, Empress Wei¡¯s nose turned sour and tears welled up in her eyes.
Her sister, who had been exiled at a young age, had always been thinking of her daughter till her deathbed.
And she! She had been holding that fake in her arms, pampering her over these years!
Self-me and remorse entangled around Empress Wei¡¯s heart like vines.
Qin Gui took out a handkerchief and wiped the tears on Empress Wei¡¯s cheeks gently,forting her as well, ¡°¡Aunt, don¡¯t cry.¡±
Qin Gui¡¯s pronunciation of aunt was jerky and difficult but it made Empress Wei¡¯s tears flow down even more.
She put her arms around Qin Gui again as if she had found her lost treasure. She choked with sobs, ¡°Good girl¡Good girl, aunt won¡¯t let you suffer anymore.¡±
Empress Wei¡¯s health had always been bad; she couldn¡¯t be extremely sad or happy. The nearby Mother Xu quickly advised, ¡°Madam, isn¡¯t it great that you found your neice. How can you cry? You should be happy!¡±
¡°Madam, take a look at her, she is scared by you.¡±
Empress Wei saw that the little girl had her eyes fixed on her. Her apricot eyes, which were very simr to hers, were bright and at a loss.
Empress Wei smiled and said, taking the girl¡¯s rough hands in hers, ¡°Little Gui,e with me to the capital.¡±
¡°But¡¡± Qin Gui revealed a hesitant look as she looked around. ¡°Aunt, I just rented this shop.¡±
She was really reluctant to part with it. Although she was just acting, she had set up everything bit by bit. She had spent time and effort on it.
¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± Empress Wei said with a smile, ¡°Let¡¯s give this shop up for now. You can ask a reliable steward to take care of it for you in the future.¡±
She thought to herself that she would buy this shop for Qin Gui.
After having been persuaded by Empress Wei with affection for a while, Qin Gui finally relented.
So, on the noon of the very same day, they set off on their way after Qin Gui had cleared up a bit.
They were about 30 miles away from the capital. Originally, Empress Wei shouldn¡¯t havee here in person, she could have asked Mother Xu to bring Qin Gui. But she was worried, worried that Qin Gui would be confused, so she came in person. The emperor had always loved her very much, that¡¯s why he didn¡¯t stop her as well. He only sent some bodyguards to escort her out of the pce.
The team of people hurried along all the way back and finally arrived at the capital before dark. The carriage rushed straight into the imperial city.
On the way, Empress Wei had already told Qin Gui about her identity and asked her to stay in the pce for a few days.
Chapter 30 CFV Ch.30 Accepting as Relatives (3)
The carriage was only stopped in front of the pce gate where Mother Xu handed a token to the guard.
Not far away, a figure in royal blue robe with gold embroidery was standing in front of the pce gates. He was tall, straight, and quite handsome. He was looking in the direction of the carriage in a daze. When he noticed the carriage, he subconsciously took a step but forcefully took it back.
After the carriage entered the pce gates, Qin Gui followed the empress onto the sedan which took them all the way to Fengluan Pce.
¡°Queen Mother¡¡±
A small figure ran out of the pce, down the stone steps, and towards Empress Wei happily.
The boy¡¯s fair and handsome face was full of undisguised joy. He was the sixth prince, Gu Zhen.
¡°Zhen¡¯er,¡± Empress Wei also broke intoughter, she wasughing from her heart. ¡°She is your cousin.¡±
¡°Cousin,¡± Gu Zhen cried sprightly. His big eyes flickered with curiosity as he looked at Qin Gui. He still remembers that Qin Gui had rescued him from theke. He looked at her with an intimate look.
Qin Gui was a little excited. She raised her hand and caressed his soft hair.
¡°Little Gui, he only has a single word in his name, Zhen. You cousins don¡¯t have to pay too much attention to formality. Just call him Zhen¡¯er.¡± Empress Wei smiled, looking at the two. ¡°Let¡¯s go in first.¡±
Gu Zhen took out a pine candy from his purse and gave it to Qin Gui. ¡°Cousin, take it.¡±
The innocent look of this little guy¡¯s face melted Qin Gui¡¯s heart. She found the candy in his mouth extra sweeter.
¡°Little Gui, you should stay in the pce for a while. You can go back when the Qin Family had settled down,¡± Empress Wei¡¯s eyes flickered with a sharp gleam as she said this. ¡°We will take good care of you on behalf of your mother.¡±
Before going out to meet Qin Gui, Empress Wei had ordered her servants to prepare a room, clothes and jewelries for Qin Gui, hoping that her niece could livefortably in the pce.
¡°Awesome,¡± Gu Zhen raised his face excitedly, his eyes shining brightly. ¡°Cousin, since you will be living here with mother, then you can y with me, right?¡±
Qin Gui replied to him with augh. At this time, a maid in green came to report: ¡°Empress, Imperial Concubine requests an audience with the empress.¡±
Empress Wei had just returned to the pce but the imperial concubine got the news already. The corner of Empress Wei¡¯s lips rose into a sneer as she refused in a light voice, ¡°We are busy. We don¡¯t want to see anyone.¡±
The maid in green retreated.
Qin Gui lowered her eyes as the shine in her eyes flickered.
In the novel, the emperor and empress loved each other very much. During the ten years in his reign as the emperor, he had only picked once. He had only picked imperial concubine and consort of the four concubines. His harem was quieter than the other emperors of the Qi Dynasty.
Had the sixth prince not been young and of poor health, the courtiers would not have been fighting for picking his heir.
And the imperial concubine was the biological mother of the second prince, Gu Jing.
Qin Gui couldn¡¯t help but recall the scene where the sixth prince fell into theke. It was quite apparent if Gu Zhen died that day, the biggest beneficiary would have been the second prince, Gu Jing.
Over these days, Empress Wei must have been investigating the incident of Gu Zhen falling into theke in addition to my life experiences. I guess Empress Wei is already suspecting imperial concubine and his son.
¡°Madam,¡± Mother Xu nced at the sky and said with a smile. ¡°Young Master Qin might still be waiting outside the pce gates, waiting for this kid.¡±
¡°Zening knows what to do.¡± Empress Wei raised her chin slightly as she ordered the eunuch in-charge, ¡°Yu Ping, go and tell him that we will stay with Little Guy for some time.¡±
¡°Your ve obeys your orders.¡±
Fengluan Pce¡¯s eunuch, Yu Ping immediately left the pce.
As soon as he went out, Yu Ping saw a morous woman in her early thirties kneeling outside the Fengluan Pce in thin clothes. Her slender figure trembled in the autumn wind.
Keep on pretending! Yu Ping snorted coldly as he walked past the imperial concubine quickly.
Chapter 31 CFV Ch.31 Tearing up the Mask (1)
After exiting the pce gates, Yu Ping saw Qin Zening standing by a red horse.
The young man in blue was just 17-18 years old. His ck eyebrows were nted upward and his eyes shone like stars. He looked particrly dashing. His ck hair dancing along the breeze made him look a bit frivolous and willful.
¡°Young Master Qin.¡±
Yu Ping put away the whisk in his hand and cupped his fist to Qin Zening before conveying Empress Wei¡¯s intention to him.
Qin Zening pursed his thin lips but remained silent.
He also knew that now wasn¡¯t the good time to take his sister home.
After all, the family still had no idea about this. Besides, her imposter was still there. She had to be dealt as well!
A sharp gleam shed past Qin Zening¡¯s eyes before he cupped his fist to Yu Ping and said, ¡°Please tell his highness I know what to do.¡±
When Qin Zening led the imperial guards of fourth rank to investigate Qin Gui¡¯s origin under the emperor¡¯s order, he didn¡¯t have any idea about the empress¡¯ intentions.
It wasn¡¯t until he arrived at Jiangyu County of Jin Province and investigated a bit that he gradually discovered the cruel truth.
His sister was reced by two evil-minded people.
His sister wasn¡¯t just reced but also tortured, humiliated, and had her life almost ruined.
Qin Zening rushed back to the capital as quickly as possible and reported everything to the emperor. Originally, he wanted to bring his sister back to the capital himself but the empress, her aunt was worried that this would scare Qin Gui. So, she went to bring his sister personally¡
A brooding Qin Zening returned to the Zhongyi Marquis Mansion on his horse.
After throwing the rein to a servant, Qin Zening went to Glory Hall where Madam Qin lived with a clear goal.
¡°Big Brother.¡±
Qin Zening met Qin Xin along the way. Qin Xin was also going to the Glory Hall.
Today, Qin Xin was wearing a beizi with red begonia and green plums embroidered on it and a pink pleated skirt below. Her silky ck hair was tied into buns on either side of her head with two pink beaded flowers hung by her temple. Her palm-sized little face was glistening brighter than snow. Her eyebrows twirled upwards whenever she smiled; it was particrly enchanting.
[TLN: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beizi.]
¡°Big Brother.¡± Qin Xin smiled affectionately at Qin Zening and said, ¡°You came back early today. I¡¯m going to grandma¡¯s ce. Let¡¯s go together.¡±
Qin Zening stared at her in a daze. His gaze was as deep as an abyss.
Once, he regarded her as a treasure left by her parents. He cared for her in every possible way.
But now, when he thought how Qin Xin grew up in Marquis Mansion and how her biological parents tortured his sister day by day, hatred rose in Qin Zening¡¯s heart.
Qin Xin was almost four years old when she arrived here. Did she knew¡
Qin Xin was a little scared by Qin Zening¡¯s look. She asked with hesitation, ¡°Big Brother, what¡¯s the matter with you?¡±
Qin Zening said in a nonchnt manner, ¡°Mother¡¯s death anniversary ising soon. I will rest for two days then you and I will go to Huangjue Temple to burn incense for her.¡±
Qin Xin immediately replied, ¡°Then I¡¯ll ask someone to prepare the alms.¡±
Qin Zening didn¡¯tment.
He matched Qin Xin¡¯s pace. While walking, he asked meaningfully, ¡°Mother always missed you when she was alive. She couldn¡¯t die in peace, saying she will remain in the sun to keep watching you¡¡±
It was dusk right now. The sky was grayish blue.
A fewnterns hanging under the eaves swayed with the evening breeze as the candlelight flickered.
Qin Xin couldn¡¯t help but shudder as a cool breeze blew past them
Chapter 32 CFV Ch.32 Tearing up the Mask (2)
She subconsciously avoided Qin Zening¡¯s gaze as she said with a smile, ¡°Big Brother, haven¡¯t I already returned? Mother must be at peace now.¡±
¡°Do you think so?¡± Qin Zening deliberately paused for a moment. A cold smile appeared on his lips as he spoke slowly, ¡°Her daughter has been reced, how can my mother rest in peace?¡±
Panic was clearly written in Qin Xin¡¯s eyes. But she soon calmed down and said, ¡°Big Brother, what are you talking about?¡±
Qin Xin¡¯s current expression gave Qin Zening the answer. He was right.
Qin Zening red at her and said in a sharp voice, ¡°You are not my sister!¡±
He was sure that Qin Xin knew!
Qin Xin knows she is a fake! She and her biological parents are the same!
Qin Zening¡¯s eyes flickered with a sharp gleam. His gaze sent chills to Qin Xin.
Qin Xin also realized that he had lost his temper. She took a step toward Qin Zening, trying to appease him. ¡°Big Brother¡¡±
¡°Don¡¯t call me Big Brother.¡± Qin Zening retreated, looking at Qin Xin in disgust. He emphasized again, ¡°You are not my sister!¡±
Having finished speaking, Qin Zening walked away without turning back. His steps were firm and his long back was straight with determination.
Qin Xin stood there with a flustered expression, clenching the handkerchief in her hand in a daze. Her eyes shimmered as tears almost welled up in her eyes.
Her personal maid, Shu Xiang was at a loss. She asked cautiously, ¡°Miss, what¡¯s the matter with the young master? Why did he suddenly lose his temper?¡±
Qin Xin didn¡¯t reply. There was a gloomy and confused look on her face.
What went wrong? How did Qin Zening came to know about this!?
Qin Xin¡¯s face turned ashen before it paled.
In herst life, she was discovered by her grandfather in the third year after she came to the Marquis Mansion. Her entire life was ruined.
Qin Gui waster found and brought back. She became a nobility.
As for her, she was thrown away. Her biological parents were sentenced to exile. She was also expelled from the Marquis Mansion and exiled to Lingnan along with her parents, where she suffered a lot¡
Even the Gods felt sorry for her and gave her a second chance to start again!
In this life, she had made every effort to get here. Why did Qin Zeninge to know about this?
Why!?
Qin Xin¡¯s eyes widened slightly as the girl she met in Qingyun County shed in her mind all of a sudden.
At that time, she felt that that girl looked a little like Qin Gui. Later, she thought that she could ask what was written on that girl¡¯s pass after the Second Prince¡¯s investigation.
But the Second Prince was scolded by the emperor and was even grounded in the pce. Even she couldn¡¯t see him. So naturally, the matter ended right then and there.
Could it be that that girl is really Qin Gui!?
Is she here!?
Qin Xin¡¯s mind was in a mess.
She clenched her fists and straightened her back as she finally calmed herself down with some difficulty.
It wasn¡¯t easy for me to get here. I can¡¯t let them ruin me again!
Her current life waspletely different from thest one. She was now the second prince¡¯s concubine as per the imperial edict. The Qin Family would not let her go that easily!
Qin Xinposed herself and quickened his steps as she started walking towards Glory Hall.
¡°Second Miss.¡±
Qin Xin¡¯s heart started pounding crazily as she thought, ¡°Qin Zening wouldn¡¯t have already told Madam Qin, would he!? He really does everything at his will. Doesn¡¯t he know to send these subordinates first? How will I show my faceter!?¡±
The maid opened the curtain for her.
Qin Xin left the smells of books outside and when she entered the east room, she heard Qin Zening coldly say, ¡°¡it¡¯s time for everything to return to their ces!¡±
Chapter 33 CFV Ch.33 Tearing up the Mask (3)
Madam Qin was sitting on an Arhat Bed of red sandalwood with a cold as ice look on her face. Qin Zening was standing before him, his back towards Qin Xin.
¡°Big Brother¡¡± Qin Xin called out, her voice trembling slightly.
Qin Zening stated in a cold voice, without even looking at her, ¡°Not any Tom, Dick, and Harry can call me Big Brother.¡±
Qin Xin¡¯s eyes turned red all of a sudden. She bit her cherry-red lips. She could barely hold her tears.
I have been calling him Elder Brother for ten years, for ten years. Can our brotherly-sisterly feeling be no match for blood rtionship?
Madam Qin had always loved Qin Xin like a granddaughter. She couldn¡¯t help but me Qin Zening, ¡°Ning¡¯er, don¡¯t talk to your sister like this!¡±
¡°Grandma, she is not my sister.¡± Qin Zening turned sideways and pointed at Qin Xin with a cold and disgusted look on his face. ¡°It was her despicable parents who had reced my sister and had been torturing, beating, and scolding her in every possible way.¡±
¡°Even a dog would not bite back its owner!¡± Qin Zening¡¯s each and every word was colder than thest.
¡°Ning¡¯er!¡± Madam Qin¡¯s furrow her brow more tightly. She didn¡¯t want to believe Qin Zening.
But Qin Zening wouldn¡¯t make things up regarding such a big matter.
Madam Qin was upset and confused. She remembered that Qin Xin was just four years old when she was brought to the house. She was so young but well-behaved and clever little girl.
Her eldest son and daughter-inw passed away in their prince, When Qin Xin was put on herp, she named her personally.
She watched her grow with her own eyes, calling her grandmother sweetly and coaxing her to be happy.
This granddaughter was the apple of her eyes. How could she cast her aside!?
Even if Li Family is at fault, Qin Xin is innocent!
How can this crime be imposed on Qin Xin!
¡°Grandma.¡± Qin Xin looked at Madam Qin gratefully, her eyes turned redder.
She knew that her filial piety to her grandmother would not be in vain. In the past ten years, she had been filial to her grandmother. What did Qin Gui do? Why should she take away everything when shees back!?
Qin Zening raised his sword-like eyebrows and said, ¡°Grandma, when my parents were alive, they couldn¡¯t forget my poor sister. My sister has suffered for more than ten years but this imposter has been living in Marquis Mansion happily. Aren¡¯t you afraid that my parents would turn in their graves?¡±
Back then, the Qin Family was exiled to Min Province.
Pirates ran rampant in Min Province. The local guards often conscript the exiled criminals forcefully to suppress the bandits. Qin Jue was the eldest son. And Qin Zhun was sick from time to time because of hard life in Min Province. So every time Qin Jue was conscripted until he died during a suppression of pirates.
At that time, Wei was still pregnant. She gave birth prematurely in shock. Wei had difficultbour which caused heavy bleeding after giving birth to Qin Zeyu.
In just a few days, Qin Zening lost both his father and mother.
Madam Qin tightened the Buddhist beads bracelet in her hand.
The eldest son and eldest daughter-inw often missed the second granddaughter when they were in Min Province. If their spirits in heaven came to know that the second granddaughter was living outside and had suffered for so many years, they would really be sad.
The second granddaughter must be brought back, but Qin Xin is¡
¡°Grandmother¡¡± Qin Xin squeezed the handkerchief in her hand in grief as her eyes turned moist, which made people pity her.
Madam Qin couldn¡¯t bear it even more. She thought, Li Family couple¡¯s conduct might be really poor. But Qin Xin had always lived infort, she hadn¡¯t done any work. How could she live that life.
Marquic Mansion has a big business. Can¡¯t we even raise a little girl¡
Ning¡¯er is too stubborn!
Chapter 34 CFV Ch.34 Refusal (1)
¡°Hurry and let Second Miss sit down.¡± Madam Qin told an olddy next to her. ¡°Go and call Marquis and Marchioness here. After all, this is a big issue. We have to discuss it with the family.¡±
Qin Zening stared coldly at Qin Xin.
The olddy had been by Madam Qin¡¯s side for many years. She knew that Qin Xin was important to Madam Qin. She hurriedly helped her sit down on a round-backed armchair.
Qin Xin timidly gazed at Qin Zening but was only met with a cold look.
Qin Xin waspletely disheartened.
Herst life waspletely miserable.
Fortunately, she had the chance to redo her life. She really cherished this opportunity. Whether it was Qin Zening or Madam Qin, she sincerely regarded them as her rtives.
But now, the person she had cherished as her elder brother for ten years keeps iming that she was a fake, an imposter. Is his heart made of stone? Had it not melted after so many years!?
Qin Xin became more and more ashamed and resentful the more she thought of this. Her long and curled eyshes trembled as crystal tears flowed down the corner of her eyes along her jade-like face.
But Qin Zening didn¡¯t give her so much as a nce no matter how pitifully she cried.
Madam Tai¡¯s heart couldn¡¯t bear the sight of this even more so. If it weren¡¯t for Qin Zening¡¯s words, she would have already pulled her into her arms and coaxed her.
Not Long after, Marquis Zhongyi and his wife also hurried over and calmly greeted Madam Qin, ¡°Mother.¡±
The messenger sent by Madam Qin told the couple toe over only. They had no idea about anything. Qin Zhun looked at the sobbing Qin Xin in confusion.
Qin Xin wiped her tears with a handkerchief, rose up and greeted them, ¡°Second Uncle, Second Aunt.¡±
She choked on her words a little. Her eyes reddened from crying.
¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Marquis Zhongyi, Qin Zhun asked with a frown, ¡°Xin¡¯er, tell your Second Uncle who bullied you, your Second Uncle will take care of him.¡±
Qin Xin nced at Qin Zening cautiosly and muttered, ¡°I¡I¡¡±
Qin Zening sneered and interrupted her, ¡°Second Uncle, Second Aunt, let me tell you.¡±
Qin Zening cupped his hands to Qin Zhun and his wife as he exined the ins and out of this matter.
After listening to Qin Zening call her an imposter repeatedly with disgust and coldness in his voice, Qin Xin¡¯s face turned paler as if her face had been pped ruthlessly by someone, again and again.
Her body constantly like a delicate flower in a storm; she was overwhelmed with shame and resentment.
Qin Zhun and Marchioness Su were dumbfounded. The couple looked at each other. It was obvious that they understood Qin Zening¡¯s every word but they couldn¡¯t put two and two together.
¡°Wait, wait, wait!¡± Qin Zhun¡¯s face turned ugly as deep gullies appeared between his eyebrows, ¡°You mean Xin¡¯er is not our Qin Family¡¯s daughter?¡±
¡°That¡¯s right?¡±
¡°And High Highness already knows this?¡±
¡°That¡¯s right?¡±
¡°Impossible! How is this possible!¡± Qin Zhun said in disbelief. From his face, it seemed as if the sky had fallen!
His Highness has just decreed Qin Xin and Second Prince marriage but if Qin Xin is from a humble background, would His Highness still recognize this marriage?
Without this marriage as a guarantee, how could Ie out at the top of the list in the new dynasty by just relying on the meager deeds of dual dragons!?
How will the Qin Family rise under my helm!?
At this moment, Qin Zhun started resenting Qin Zening. He couldn¡¯t help but use him, ¡°Ning¡¯er, you were too rash!¡±
Chapter 35 CFV Ch.35 Refusal (2)
¡°You should havee back and told your family about this first before exposing such a big news to His Highness!? How can you be so rash? What will His Highness think of our Qin Family? He will only denounce us forx governance!¡±
Madam Qin nodded her head in agreement.
Yes. If Qin Zening had returned and told us first, we could have at least thought about the countermeasures in advance instead of making decisions when the matter hade to an end
¡°Second Uncle, you think this nephew should have deceived the king?¡± Qin Zening smiled slightly but no smile could be found in his eyes. ¡°This nephew can¡¯t do that!¡±
Qin Zening fell back, sat down on the rounded-back armchair, and crossed his legs. He looked quite rebellious. Of course, he understood what his Second Uncle, Qin Zhun was thinking.
After all, it was just for benefits!
After the death of his grandfather, the mansion had quite a dispute over who should inherit the title, Qin Zening, the eldest grandson, or his Second Uncle. Qin Zening¡¯s grandfather was in favor of him before his death but with grandmother¡¯s decision, the emperor conferred the title to Second Uncle.
Over these years, the Qin Family had slowly distanced from the center of the power as they mostly led errands in the dynasty. For the sake of their future, the second uncle would surely cling to the second prince!
If I had really done as Second Uncle had said, told him first after finding out the truth, it¡¯s quite possible that Second Uncle might have used any means necessary to suppress the truth.
But that¡¯s my sister!
Qin Zhun furrowed his brow tighter. His ears reddened in anger as he shouted, ¡°Who asked you to deceive His Highness, I just told you to not be so impulsive.¡±
Qin Zening countered immediately, ¡°Since we aren¡¯t deceiving His Highness, what¡¯s the difference if I told him first andter?¡±
¡°You!?¡± Qin Zhun¡¯s chest heaved up and down in anger. ¡°Your surname is Qin, you are a member of Qin Family! You are always so willful and reckless. Where do you put the Qin Family in your heart!? Look at what you¡¯ve done¡¡±
¡°Second Uncle.¡± Qin Zening interrupted him as he raised the corner of his dashing eyebrows, ¡°If you think your nephew messes around and pays total disregard to Qin Family¡¯s interest, it¡¯s better to split up.¡±
Qin Zhun almost seemed to blow his top after hearing the words, split up. He raised his voice, ¡°Qin Zening, you think your wings have grown bigger, is that it?¡±
Back then when I inherited the marquis title, I had already be the talk of the town. If Qin Zening left the family, people would definitely talk; they would say that I couldn¡¯t tolerate his brother¡¯s heirs. Wouldn¡¯t that ruin my reputation?
The air in the room suddenly turned more and more tense.
¡°Ning¡¯er.¡± Madam Qin was also unhappy. She immediately scolded Qin Zening, ¡°Splitting up the family isn¡¯t something trivial. You are already eighteen, you should know what to say and what not to! I¡¯m still alive, no one is allowed to separate this family!¡±
Qin Zening pursed his lips as a smile appeared on his lips. He remained nomittal, let alone admit his mistake.
Madam Qin calmly said, ¡°Since His Highness is already aware of this matter, we have to bring back that child.¡±
¡°¡¡± Qin Xin¡¯s pupils constricted slightly as she nced at Madam Qin before ncing down again. Her gaze was as deep as an abyss.
Having reached this point, Qin Zhun also knew that that kid must be picked up but¡
Under what name, that was the big question!
¡°Let¡¯s do it like this.¡± Qin Zhun thought for a moment before continuing with a p, ¡°Let¡¯s say to the outsiders that the Sister-inw gave birth to twins back then. Xin¡¯er is the older sister and that kid is the younger sister. The young sister had been staying in the vige because of her poor health¡¡±
Chapter 36 CFV Ch.36 Refusal (3)
Qin Xin was slightly relieved upon hearing this. Her taught face rxed a bit. I guess, this is okay as well.
I will still be the eldest daughter of Marquis Mansion, and thus, will be the Second Prince¡¯s concubine.
¡°No way!¡±
Qin Zening¡¯s sharp rebuke broke Qin Xin¡¯s fantasy without a shred of mercy.
Qin Xin¡¯s eyes widened. She nibbled her lips as she gazed at Qin Zening in shock.
I¡¯ve taken a step back, again and again, why do you still refuse to let her go!?
Qin Zening didn¡¯t even look at her. He talked directly with Qin Zhun, ¡°Second Uncle, I have only one sister. If you put this fake under my parents¡¯ name, my parents¡¯ spirit in the heavens would not be at peace!¡±
¡°Nonsense!¡± Qin Zhun grew more and more dissatisfied with Qin Zening. ¡°Ning¡¯er, don¡¯t be capricious.¡±
My nephew is too capricious. Doesn¡¯t he know about how difficult our Qin Family¡¯s situation is in the capital today.
The capital is filled with influential officials. When the new emperor takes the throne in the future, our Qin Family will have no say in the court even more so.
Empress might have given birth but His Highness¡¯ dragon body had grown worse over the past two years. His Highness was seriously illst winter.
His Highness still hasn¡¯t picked the crown prince but the second prince has started participating in politics, while the sixth prince is only four years old. In the future, the gap between brothers will only grow wider and wider. Our Qin Family could only gain a foothold by relying on the second prince.
Qin Xin needs to marry the second prince.
This will serve as our Qin Family¡¯s greatest insurance.
Qin Zhun made a long face as he said in a stern voice, ¡°Ning¡¯er, it doesn¡¯t matter whether you like it or not. You can¡¯t make the decision in this family!¡±
¡°Then let¡¯s split up,¡± Qin Zening mentioned splitting the family for the second time.
Qin Zhun turned livid as his gaze became sharper after having been threatened by Qin Zening with separation, again and again.
Qin Zening faced Qin Zhun¡¯s re directly and said in a firm and forceful manner, ¡°In short, I don¡¯t want this fake to remain under my parent¡¯s name.¡±
¡°Big Brother, what did I do?¡± Qin Xin finally couldn¡¯t help it. She asked in a hoarse voice, ¡°Are you really going to be so cruel to me?¡± Her face was as pale as a paper.
¡°Yes, Ning¡¯er.¡± Marchioness Su. Su decided to the dirty work. She gently persuaded, ¡°Xin¡¯er has called you big brother for ten years. Don¡¯t you have any feelings for her? Xin¡¯er is so well-behaved and sensible, even my aunt is reluctant to drive her away.¡±
Madam Qin nodded her agreement. She was really reluctant to part with Qin Xin. She had many granddaughters but Qin Xin was the only one raised by her.
¡°Second Aunt, since you and Second Uncle like this fake so much, why don¡¯t you take her as your daughter?¡± Qin Zening shrugged his shoulders and said in a frivolous manner, ¡°In this way, it will bepletely Second Uncle and Second Aunt¡¯s affection.¡±
¡°Ning¡¯er, how can you say that¡¡± Marchioness Su frowned unhappily but Qin Zhun, on the other hand, had a pondering look on his face. He said to himself, ¡®This is also a pretty good idea.¡¯
From the start, Qin Xin belonged to the eldest branch. In the future, she will be Second Prince¡¯s concubine, or even might be the empress, a member of the eldest branch. While we are just a part of the second branch. There was a difference of one level in our status. But if her name is recorded under us, then she will be the eldest daughter of the second branch. In the future¡she might even be the head of the country!
Thinking of this, Qin Zhun¡¯s heart could no longer calm down; it started beating like a drum!
Chapter 37 CFV Ch.37 Going Back Home (1)
Qin Zening pursed his lips mockingly.
He didn¡¯t care whether Qin Xin went to the second branch or not. He was already eighteen. Sooner orter, he would be able to leave the family and live alone! He was fine as long as Qin Xin wasn¡¯t under his parents¡¯ name!
Qin Xin¡¯s eyshes trembled a little as she looked at Qin Zhun.
She was tempted.
Second Uncle is a Marquis. And with my name recorded under Second Uncle, I will be a noble rightfully.
Even Qin Gui¡¯s won¡¯t be as noble as me!
¡°I guess, that¡¯s okay.¡± Madam Qin nodded, again and again. ¡°Qin Zhun, let¡¯s put Xin¡¯er¡¯s name under yours. Let¡¯s say that your wife gave birth to her in exile!¡±
¡°Mother, this doesn¡¯t seem right!¡± Marchioness Su hesitantly said hesitatingly, ¡°I¡¯m afraid no one will believe that our family threw two girls away in three years long exile.¡±
When they brought Qin Xin back then, they had said to outsiders that the daughter of the eldest branch was identally lost in exile. If the daughter of the second branch was simrly lost in exile¡ this will be nothing more than treating others as fools.
Although the emperor and empress might know what was going on but it still needed to be hidden from the outside world.
Qin Zhun also started hesitating. Marchioness Su is indeed somewhat reasonable. Besides, Xin¡¯er will be Second Prince¡¯s concubine, or even the queen. We can¡¯t have her origins unclear. It won¡¯t sound good in the future history books.
Since she is going to be in the second branch, we have to make it foolproof at least!
¡°Mother.¡± An intelligent gleam shed past Qin Zhun¡¯s eyes. ¡°Do you remember that when I was away fifteen years ago, A¡¯Yuan was with a child.¡±
When Qin Zhun spoke of this, not just Madam Qin remembered but even Marchioness Su recalled.
Fifteen years ago, Marchioness Su was indeed pregnant with a child.
But it wasn¡¯t long before Marchioness Su received the news of her paternal grandmother¡¯s death. Presumably, she was pregnant after the death of her grandmother. ording to the rules, she must observe mourning. So the couple discussed and quietly decided to abort the child. So, not many people knew about it.
¡°If that child was born, he would have been half a year older than Xin¡¯er.¡± Madam Qin was also tempted.
This is just perfect!
We can say to the outsiders that because MarchionessSu was in the period of mourning but was reluctant to abort the child, she secretly gave the child away to others after he was born. She didn¡¯t bring it back until she returned to the capital, and that too under the elder branch¡¯s name. But now that the real daughter of the eldest branch was back, they could only take the child back to the second branch.
Although it doesn¡¯t sound very good to have the child during mourning but it¡¯s well within reasons as Marchioness Su followed Qin Zhun and hadn¡¯t received the news in time.
And at the end of the day, they were left with no other better way.
Qin Zhun could only bite the bullet. ¡°Then, let¡¯s do this. After the elder brother¡¯s daughteres back, I will write Xin¡¯er¡¯s name under ours and open the ancestral hall together.¡±
¡°Good, good.¡± Madam Qin nodded her head in a hurry. This is indeed the best way to have it both ways!
Her husband had agreed. Even her mother-inw had agreed. Although Marchioness Su was feeling a little unhappy, she knew that there was no room for her to talk about this matter. So, she readily agreed.
Sure enough, Qin Zhun gave her a grateful nce. He felt that Marchioness Su bore the overall situation in mind and put general interest above all.
Chapter 38 CFV Ch.38 Going Back Home (2)
¡°Xin¡¯er, you will be Second Uncle¡¯s daughter in the future.¡± Qin Zhun looked at Qin Xin warmly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you will always be the daughter of Qin Family; no one can drive you away.¡±
¡°Ha.¡± Qin Zening let out a sneer after having watched a good show.
Qin Zhun became angry out of embarrassment but he held his anger down, fearing that Qin Zening would walk out and y some other trick.
Qin Xin clenched her tender palms. She was even more ashamed and angry. I have been stepping back, again and again every step of the way but why is Qin Zening not letting it go, even a bit!?
I won¡¯t expect anything from him any more!
In any case, this matter was finally solved perfectly for most people in the Glory Hall.
After which, Madam Qin ordered Marchioness Su to prepare a yard, maidservant, and other services. And also set a n to enter the pce to pick Qin Gui up.
Marchioness Su and everyone agreed at once.
Qin Zening didn¡¯t interrupt either. Marchioness Su was used to being in the limelight. And the second branch had inherited the title. So, they would not treat the eldest branch¡¯s son and daughter that badly on the surface.
As for other things, let¡¯s wait till my sister returns!
So, Marchioness Su ordered the servants to tidy up the yard and arranged a few maids over the next few days. She was worried that Qin Gui, who grew up in the countryside didn¡¯t understand rules. She would make a joke of herself in front of others. So, she arranged two old wet nurses to teach her etiquette and rules in the future.
After having prepared everything, Madam Qin took a trip to the pce. She handed her token at the gates before entering the pce with Marchioness Su.
In the Fengluan Pce, the mother-inw and daughter-inw duo bowed to Empress Wei. First, they thanked the empress and then proposed to take Qin Gui back.
Empress Wei gently brushed away the tea leaves floating in the tea cup but didn¡¯t speak anything.
Madam Qin said with an apologetic smile, ¡°This olddy was indeed sloppy back then. We never expected that obstinate woman to do such an ignorant thing. Sigh, that child has really suffered over these years.¡±
¡°Empress, thanks to your attentiveness that the child would never know the suffering she would have suffered.¡±
¡°This olddy will take the child back this time and take good care of her.¡±
Marchioness Su knew that Empress Wei must be worried that Qin Gui would be wronged in the Qin Family, that was the reason why she let her stay in the pce for a few days.
To be honest, she thought that it was not worth it.
Qin Gui is just a bumpkin who grew up in the countryside. Not to mention she had been raised by those filthy people. She might be even more vulgar than the rude maids in our family. I¡¯m afraid she will tarnish my daughter!
While these thoughts crossed her mind, Marchioness Su raised the corner of her lips and said, ¡°Empress, I have already prepared a yard and maids for that child. I have also had some jewelry custom-made for her.¡±
¡°This child is really pitiful. I have always been thinking about her day and night since I got the news. After she epts her ancestors and returns to the family, elder brother and sister-inw will finally close their eyes in peace.¡± While speaking of this, she wiped the clean corners of her eyes with her handkerchief.
Empress Wei looked at Marchioness Su with a look that gave everyone an impression of smiling yet not at the same time. She couldn¡¯t see Marchioness Su¡¯s pretense any more clearly.
Chapter 39 CFV Ch.39 Going Back Home (3)
However, Marchioness Su was right. Qin Gui had to acknowledge her ancestors and return to the n, otherwise her sister and brother-inw¡¯s spirit in heaven would not rest in peace.
As for Qin Xin¡if they want to keep her, they can keep her for all I care.
Empress Wei sneered in ridicule and then winked at Mother Xu. Whereupon Mother Xu retreated and bought Qin Gui over not long after.
These days, Qin Gui had been feasting on delicious food in Empress Wei¡¯s pce. The maids in the pces had also nursed her skin and maintained her hair. In just a short span of a few days, she looked far different than before.
Today, she was wearing a beautiful beizi with red butterflies and flowers embroidered with silk and a water-red pleated skirt with a tight waist.
Her dark apricot eyes set off nicely the two buns tied with blue silk ribbon and the two pomegranate beads with rubies on her temples.
Her facial features were exquisite and beautiful. When her petal-like red lips were slightly pursed, a pair of dimples appeared on the side of her lips.
When she walked in, she took everyone¡¯s breath away with her elegance.
Madam Qin and Marchioness Su were slightly taken aback.
They had expected Qin Gui to be vulgar. They had wanted to teach her from the beginning after taking her back so that she doesn¡¯t disgrace herself outside. But now the manner and demeanor of the girl before them hadpletely subverted their thoughts.
¡°Greetings, Auntie.¡±
Qin Gui bowed to Empress Wei.
A gentle smile appeared in Empress Wei¡¯s eyes when she looked at Qin Gui.
She didn¡¯t want to restrain Qin Gui too much but at the same time, she was afraid that she would be looked down in contempt when she returned to the marquis mansion. So, she asked Mother Xu to tell her a little bit of the rules. She wasn¡¯t aiming for Qin Gui to be proficient but in just a few days, she had learned to this extent.
This kid is quite smart like her mother!
Empress Wei was happy but at the same time, she felt more pity for her.
Empress Wei beckoned Qin Gui to her side and introduced both sides with a smile, ¡°Little Gui, this is Madam Qin and Marchioness of Zhongyi Marquis Mansion.¡±
¡°Madam Qin, this is Little Gui. Qin Gui is the name given to her by we.¡± Empress Wei took Qin Gui¡¯s hand affectionately and winked at her meaningfully.
It was a grace and honor to have a name bestowed by the empress. Later, when the Qin Family calls Qin Gui¡¯s name, they would always remember this point.
Qin Gui smiled slightly, understanding the kindness of Empress Wei.
She then bowed to the mother-inw and daughter-inw duo in the most standard manner. ¡°Greetings, Madam Qin, Marchioness.¡±
¡°Good girl.¡± Madam Qin felt inexplicable emotions when she looked at her eyebrows that bore startling resemnce with her daughter-inw¡¯s.
Before meeting her in person, Madam Qin felt very little for this granddaughter. The person she cared about the most was Qin Xin, whom she had raised by herself. But at this moment, when Qin Gui stood before her, Madam Qin suddenly felt something subtle as if her feelings had softened towards her.
This is really the granddaughter whom I have held in my hands in her infancy.
Facing Madam Qin¡¯splicated gaze, Qin Gui smiled slightly with an air of warmth and elegance.
¡°Little Gui, you can go with your grandmother and Marchioness Su back today.¡± Empress Wei said with a smile. ¡°When the Qin Family has opened the ancestral hall and you have acknowledged your ancestors, we will pick you up to stay in the pce.¡±
Empress Wei was raising this point to Qin Family¡¯s matron to state that she would take Qin Gui into the pce at any time to prevent her from being bullied in the Qin Family.
Qin Gui responded with a yes in a cutesy manner and with a lovely smile on her face.
Then, Empress Wei sent them off.
Chapter 40 CFV Ch.40 Elder Brother (1)
¡°Miss, watch your steps.¡±
Mother Ning helped Qin Gui get out of the carriage as the carriage came to halt at the side entrance of the Zhongyi Mansion.
Qin Gui raised her hand and flicked her beizi, naturally and calmly.
¡°Sis.¡±
Qin Zening, who wasn¡¯t that far away, couldn¡¯t hold it anymore. He ran over and stared at Qin Gui in a daze.
Sis¡¯ eyebrows are so simr to mother¡¯s. Qin Zening¡¯s nose turned sore as a throbbing feeling rose from the bottom of his heart, seemingly trying to announce that they were connected by blood.
¡°I¡¯m your elder brother! Your elder brother by blood.¡± Qin Zening¡¯s voice was slightly hoarse.
My sister has suffered so much but I knew nothing about it. And I even considered the enemy¡¯s daughter as my sister! I have been so irresponsible as the elder brother!
Qin Gui smiled from the bottom of her heart as she cutely bowed to Qin Zening and shouted, ¡°Big Brother.¡±
Qin Gui¡¯s mood became a littleplicated, looking at the handsome young man before her.
Qin Zening was also a cannon fodder in the novel.
After the original character returned to the Qin Family, everyone in the Qin Family regarded her as a disgrace. But only her elder brother, Qin Zening felt sorry for her. He would turn hostile at the drop of hat for Qin Gui.
Later, he went to the frontline to support the original character. Finally, he died on the battlefield. His head was hung on the wall by the opposite army for three days and three nights, under wind and rain. At the end, his corpse waspletely mangled.
Qin Zening was the only person in the novel who was kind to the original character.
The big brother from Qin Gui¡¯s mouth made the eyes of an eighteen-year-old suddenly red.
He shouted loudly, ¡°Sis, don¡¯t you worry. With your Big Bro here, no one can bully you!¡±
¡°Ning¡¯er, what nonsense are you spewing!?¡± Marchioness Su said with a smile as she got off the carriage, ¡°She is our family¡¯s daughter. We can¡¯t afford to hurt her. Mother, what do you think?¡±
Madam Qin also got out of the carriage at this time. And when Qin Zening¡¯s words fell in her ears, she frowned in dissatisfaction. She said to herself, ¡®Ning¡¯er is not young anymore. How can he always act like this¡so frivolous.¡¯
¡°Let¡¯s go to Glory Hall first.¡± Madam Qin continued, ¡°Your Second, Third Uncle and brothers and sisters are waiting for you there.¡± Thest sentence was addressed to Qin Gui.
So, the entire team went to Glory Hall.
The other members of the Qin Family had already arrived at the Glory Hall. They all turned their gazes at Qin Gui in unison as they saw theme in, with all kinds of expressions on their faces.
Qin Xin, on the other hand, looked at the somewhat petite girl in front of her intently.
Her palm-sized small face was adorned with willow-like eyebrows and dark apricot eyes that were as bright as gems.
Her face, hair and dress shone with a faint halo, basking under the soft and bright sunshine.
She was like a flower bud blooming in the spring, half-blooming, half-waiting; fresh and beautiful. When she smiled, the freshness of spring seemed to tickle everyone¡¯s nose. But this entire scene gave a suffocating feeling to Qin Xin.
Qin Xin clenched the right hand in her sleeve tightly.
Qin Gui, this bitch is back, even if she is a few yearste!
She is going to ruin my life again!
Qin Xin, suppressing the shame and resentment at the bottom of her heart, stepped forward to lovingly support Madam Qin and smiled sweetly, ¡°Grandma, is this my sister?¡±
Her smile was somewhat forced. But in Madam Qin¡¯s eyes, it was as if she was trying to smile while maintaining a strong front.
Madam Qin¡¯s heart was pins and needles. She said to herself, ¡®Xin¡¯er must have been feeling ufortable these days. She had grown a lot thinner. Sigh, Xin¡¯er had never been so wronged since childhood!¡¯
Chapter 41 CFV Ch.41 Elder Brother (2)
She gently patted the back of Qin Xin¡¯s hand tofort her and also to say that she knew about all the wrongs she had suffered.
Madam Qin introduced her to Qin Gui, ¡°Gui¡¯er, this is your second sister.¡±
Qin Gui smiled but sighed silently in her heart.
In the novel, the original character acted like a viin and went to provoke Qin Xin first. And she was beaten at every step until she was driven out of the Qin Family. But, Qin Gui would not be naive enough to think that as long as Qin Xin turned things around, Qin Xin would not deal with her.
Her existence, her origins were like a big stain to Qin Xin.
Qin Xin could not tolerate her.
¡°Gui¡¯er.¡± Madam Qin felt that this child must still be angry when she saw her didn¡¯t speak. She softened her voice, ¡°Grandma knows that you have suffered all these years but this matter has nothing to do with your second sister. She had also suffered a lot, you¡¡±
¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Qin Zening interrupted Madam Qin in a careless manner, ¡°Qin Xin has really suffered a lot in the Marquis Mansion.¡±
He looked as if he was just making a casual statement but Madam Qin was leftpletely speechless.
Qin Zening looked at Qin Xin with a smile and said, ¡°Our family has really wronged you a lot. I¡¯m so sorry but then, why are you so reluctant to leave?¡±
Qin Gui felt that the temper of her elder brother was really to her liking. She nodded in sympathy.
Qin Xin had been living like a nobility in the Marquis Mansion for ten years, and she was wronged!? Then what about the original Qin Gui!?
Did the original Qin Gui deserve to be tortured by the Zhao Aman couple and marry a fool!?
Qin Zening got even more enthusiastic. He continued, ¡°You can go back to your rtives if you can¡¯t stand the wrongs!¡±
Qin Zhun forced a few coughs before speaking in a heavy voice, ¡°Enough! Ning¡¯er, this is your cousin!¡±
Qin Zhun emphasized on cousin just to remind Qin Zening that Qin Xin will be adopted by the second branch. She had nothing to do with the eldest branch.
He gazed at Qin Gui with displeasure. This little girl is only disturbing the peace of this house bying back. She will definitely be a disaster in the future.
Ah, yes, how can a girl raised by others be good!
Qin Zening shrugged his shoulders as he raised the corner of his lips with faint ridicule.
Qin Xin silently helped Madam Qin sit down on the Luohan bed.
Out of habit, Madam Qin pulled Qin Xin to sit next to her. But the next moment, she realized something was wrong. She hurriedly looked to Qin Gui.
Qin Gui, on the other hand, smiled and said nothing but Madam Qin felt a little ufortable somehow.
She suppressed theplicated emotions rising in her heart. And after everyone sat down in their seats, one by one, she formally introduced Qin Gui to everyone, ¡°This is Qin Gui. She was named by the empress herself.¡±
Qin Xin was a few months older than Qin Gui. There were two girls in the Qin Family. And Qin Gui became the third daughter of the Qin Family. All that was left was the auspicious date when the ancestral hall would be opened and her name would enter the ancestral tree.
Zhongyi Marquis Mansion had only a few people. The second branch had two sons and three daughters apart from Qin Xin who had just been adopted. Whereas the third branch had one son and one daughter. All of them were sons and daughters of concubines.
After Qin Gui was introduced to the rtives and had greeted them, Marchioness Su said kindly, ¡°Gui¡¯er, you will live in the Fragrant Courtyard from now on. Aunt will give you a tour in a while. If there is anything you don¡¯t like, you can tell me. You don¡¯t need to hesitate, this is your home.¡±
¡°Thank you aunt.¡± Qin Gui smiled and thanked her.
Chapter 42 CFV Ch.42 Elder Brother (3)
¡°Grandma,¡± Qin Sheng, the fourth daughter of the second branch said with a smile, ¡°Granddaughter and Second Sister had just received an invitation to the Poetry Convention. Third Sister returned at the perfect time. She cane with us.¡±
The Poetry Convention was hosted by the Royal House of Tai of Yingluo County. It was only hosted one every season, and the noble women in the entire capital were invited to a banquet. For thedies, getting an invitation of the Poetry Convention was also a symbol of status.
Madam Qin was very pleased, thinking that her granddaughter was really sensible. She immediately gave her assent, ¡°Very good, take your third sister with you.¡±
Marchioness Su, on the other hand, furrowed her brows and said, ¡°Mother, Gui¡¯er has just returned from the capital¡¡±
If Qin Gui made a fool of herself at the Poetry Convention, it would bring disgrace to the entire Zhongyi Marquis Mansion!
¡°Mother.¡± Qin Sheng begged Marchioness Su in a spoiling manner, ¡°It¡¯s because the Third Sister has just arrived from the capital that we should get together with everyone. Also, I havee to an agreement with everyone, I have to introduce our cousin of the eldest branch to everyone.¡±
Qin Sheng¡¯s smile looked quite pure and innocent but in her heart, she was scorning Qin Gui.
At first, Qin Sheng was the third daughter of the house but with the return of Qin Gui, she had be the fourth miss.
Is this the so-called turtle dove upying the nest made by magpie!?
She wanted to let the nobledies of the entire capital look at the virtues of the Qin Family¡¯s third miss, and see if she would still be left with the face to go out again!
¡°Let Gui¡¯er go.¡± Madam Tai said kindly, ¡°Isn¡¯t Xin¡¯er and Sheng¡¯er also there.¡±
Madam Qin finally realized that she seemed to have neglected Qin Gui again. She immediately tried to make up, ¡°Gui¡¯er, what do you think?¡±
Qin Gui smiled and didn¡¯t speak another word. Madam Qin had treated as if she had agreed.
After lunch, Marchioness Su personally took Qin Gui to show her courtyard.
After calling all the wet nurses, maids, and women of the courtyard and made them greet her, Marchioness Su said lovingly, ¡°Gui¡¯er, these people were carefully selected by me. In the future, if you need something, just order them. They would aplish it immediately.¡±
Qin Gui said smilingly, ¡°Second Aunt¡¯s choice will naturally be good. Then about their deed of sale¡¡±
Marchioness Su replied generously and gracefully, ¡°I¡¯ve kept the deed for you. Gui¡¯er, if you don¡¯t trust me, I¡¯ll ask someone bring it to you.¡±
Marchioness Su¡¯s words sounded very pleasant but she had no intention of handing the deed to Qin Gui. With the deed in her hands, she would not worry about these subordinates being bought by Qin Gui, rather they would keep an eye on Qin Gui for her.
She had her own schemes and calctions. She was the elder and Qin Gui was a junior. And Qin Gui couldn¡¯t say that she wasn¡¯t at ease with her!
Marchioness Su looked at Qin Gui with a gentle expression, waiting for her to decline.
And the result¡
¡°Okay.¡± Qin Gui nodded, smiling from the bottom of her heart.
What!? Marchioness Su was dumbstruck, thinking that there was something wrong with her ears.
¡°Thank you, Second Aunt. I will keep their deeds securely and won¡¯t lose them.¡± Qin Gui pursed her lips, staring at Marchioness Su; her pupils shining brightly.
Qin Gui smiled seemed so pure and innocent but for some reason Marchioness Su felt like a mouse chased by a cat.
What am I thinking!?
She is just a rude girl with no education!
Marchioness Su said to herself in her heart, holding her breath; her chest heaved neither up nor down.
It was she who proactively said that she would give the deed to her. But now she was regretting it. She could not help but smack her mouth.
Marchioness Su could only give the order albeit reluctantly, ¡°Mother Zhao, go get the deed of sale.¡±
She barely managed to squeeze a smile, almost choking in anger.
Chapter 43 CFV Ch.43 True Heart (1)
After leaving the Fragrant Courtyard, Marchioness Su¡¯s facepletely lost the smile as she let out a cold snort. ¡°I should have better kept things under the table!¡±
¡°Since she grew up in the countryside, we should have let her stay in the countryside, but no, we have to bring her back!¡±
¡°And she is still overconfident. And now she will go to the Poetry Convention and make a fool of herself!¡±
The more Marchioness Su thought about it, the more angry she got. She secretly med the empress for this.
If not, Qin Gui would have been ced in the countryside and would have been married far away after a few years with dowry if she found her way back to the Marquis Mansion. She would not have been treated unfairly!
What bad luck! Another good-for-nothing had appeared in the house! What an eyesore!?
¡°Madam, don¡¯t worry,¡± Mother Zhaoforted Marchioness Su. ¡°My Lord has done this for our house.¡±
Mother Zhao had been a close friend of Marchioness Su. So, how could she not know that her lord was even more annoyed by the fact that Marquis took the second miss under his name. Moreover, in the name of a daughter born under the period of mourning. Which she abhorred it even more so than third miss.
¡°Madam, My Lord is doing for the Second Prince. Think about it, His Royal Highness, the sixth prince has been weak since childhood, and His Royal Highness, the second prince is the eldest son of the emperor. If one day¡¡± Mother Zhao pointed at the sky meaningfully. ¡°Let¡¯s say the second prince bes the prince¡¯s maternal uncle. As the old saying goes, the price of forbearance is always sweet.¡±
I guess I can only forebear it for the future! Marchioness Su squeezed her handkerchief for a while before speaking, ¡°I hope so¡¡±
No matter what Marchioness Su thought of Qin Gui, she still had to be affectionate to Qin Gui on the surface. On the same day, she ordered the servants to sew her autumn clothes. She was acting exactly like the eldest daughter-inw of Marquis Mansion should act so that no one could point fingers at her.
Qin Gui ate and drankvishly at will. And after a good night¡¯s sleep, she came to the martial arts field in the front yard the next morning.
The Qin Family was founded on the basis of literature. All their ancestors had made a living through the imperial examinations. That¡¯s to say, Qin Zening had suffered in exile since childhood. And after having returned to the capital, he had devoted all his time and effort into practicing martial arts. And with the Support of Empress Wei, he had be an imperial guard who ran errands for the emperor.
Qin Zening had trained throughout the year, through all seasons. He never ckened even a bit.
It was just that Qin Zening had never expected her sister toe looking for him. Qin Zening immediately brightened up with joy.
Qin Gui came alone.
She might have gotten the deeds of the servants but the servants of marquis mansion still looked down upon her. The maid said that she was going to bring the food but she disappeared.
So, she came out alone. She just inquired a bit and arrived at the martial arts field.
In the novel, the description of Qin Zening had impressed her:
Qin Zening does not like to read books and has little to no knowledge of world affairs. He seldom stays home except for the training at the martial arts field every morning. And while doing errands for the emperor, he enjoyed thepany of the yboys in the capital everyday, learning nothing and bing a good-for-nothing.
¡°Sis.¡±
Qin Zening unsheathed his sword and strode towards Qin Gui.
His neck and face was drenched in sweat, causing his wheatish skin to shimmer under the sun.
Qin Zening kept his gaze at Qin Gui in fear that she would be gone in the blink of an eye.
¡°Big Brother.¡± Qin Gui shouted in a loud and crisp voice before she went straight to the point, ¡°I heard Imperial Aunt say that the Li Family had murdered someone and escaped!?¡±
Chapter 44 CFV Ch.44 True Heart (2)
Qin Gui was quite surprised when she heard of this. When she left, Li Jinzhu and Zhao Aman were doing quite well. Why would they suddenly murder someone only to run away?
¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Qin Zening nodded his agreement.
He went to Jiangyu County under the behest of the emperor. The local official gave him their full cooperation. Therefore, he had also seen the case files of Li Jinzhu and his wife. He retold Qin Gui everything, ¡°The victim¡¯s surname is Hua and everyone calls her Mrs. Hua. She is a well-known matchmaker in that area.¡±
Speaking of this, Qin Zening took a careful nce at Qin Gui.
From what he had found out in his investigation, Mrs. Hua was the matchmaker Xu Family¡¯s fool!
¡°The local government said that Mrs. Hua died at Li¡¯s house. She was hit by a heavy object on the back of her head.¡± Qin Zening narrated everything in a nutshell, ¡°When Mrs. Hua didn¡¯t return all night, her husband reported it to the officials, who found her corpse at Li¡¯s house. And the Li Family had already disappeared by then. All the valuables in their house were also missing. So, the local government determined that the couple had killed Mrs. Hua. They had issued an arrest warrant for them. But so far, no one has been caught.¡±
Qin Gui was dumbfounded. But after thinking about it, she figured out the ins and outs of the whole matter.
The Li Family must be having a hard time exining to the Xu Family because of her running away. And Mrs. Hua was Xu Family¡¯s matchmaker. She probably came to negotiate with them but they fell into a quarrel and Mrs. Hua was then killed by the Li couple.
Qin Gui voiced her conjecture immediately, ¡°When I left Yaoqing County, I saw officers and soldiers searching for a couple wanted for murder. So they were Li Jingzhu and Zhao Aman.¡±
Qin Zening let out a soft snort and said, ¡°Unfortunately, they escaped.¡±
When Qin Zening was in Jiangyu County, he specifically asked about the Xu Family.
Xu Family¡¯s daughter was married to the magistrate. She was very much loved by the magistrate. Whereas Master Xu regarded himself as the brother-inw of the magistrate.
Whereas that fool of Xu Family was mentally retarded since birth. For his son¡¯s future, Master Xu said that he would give a hundred taels of silver to any matchmaker who could find a bride for his son.
However, everyone cared for their daughters and would not let her marry a fool until Mrs. Hua met Zhao Aman. And the two hit it off.
Qin Zening¡¯s heart burned with anger. Had sis not been alert and ran away promptly, God knows what would have happened to her!
Whether it¡¯s Mrs. Hua or the Li couple, they all deserved to die!
¡°Sis, does Qin Xin still doesn¡¯t know about this.¡± Qin Zening said again, ¡°I guess the Li Family wille to the capital to look for Qin Xin when they have no way out!¡±
¡°I will not spare them!¡±
¡°We must make them pay for what you have suffered over the years bit by bit.¡±
Qin Zening stared at Qin Gui and said in a serious tone.
He was her elder brother. He might not have been able to protect her in the past but he would never let her be wronged in the future!
Qin Gui¡¯s heart burst with warmth, looking at the determined youth before her.
She never had a family since childhood. So, she didn¡¯t care much even when she was transmigrated to this strange ce.
But now¡
She would also be sincere to him since he treats her sincerely.
Qin Gui pursed the corner of her lips as a bright and brilliant smile appeared on her face.
Qin Gui nodded her agreement. ¡°Big Brother, I understand. But you shouldn¡¯t act rashly.¡±
The heroine has powerful plot armor. It¡¯s quite easy to be a cannon fodder at the drop of a hat!
Sis really cares about me! Qin Zening¡¯s heart ddened with joy.
Chapter 45 CFV Ch.45 True Heart (3)
As soon as he smiled, the sharp edges and corners on his face softened a bit. He was like a wild leopard that had suddenly turned into a big dog and started pping its tail.
Qin Zening hurriedly replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Sis. I am quite familiar with the troops of five cities. Today, I will go and ask them to pay attention to them.¡±
Qin Zening held his chest proudly with a stance that says, I have a wide range of connections.
¡°Big Brother.¡± Qin Gui asked with a glimmer in her eyes, ¡°What kind of person do you think Qin Xin is?¡±
Qin Zening turned serious and quickly expressed his loyalty, ¡°Sis, don¡¯t worry, I know everything about her!¡±
Qin Gui was amused by him. Her beautiful apricot eyes shone brightly.
Qin Zening said again, ¡°I tested Qin Xin. She knew she was a fake. She was less than four years old when she came to the Qin House but she had kept it from everyone for so many years.¡±
Speaking of this, Qin Zening¡¯s gaze grew sharper a little bit. He understood the purpose of Qin Gui¡¯s question.
Qin Xin wasn¡¯t just conniving but also very greedy. She could not bear to part with all this glory and wealth.
She was greedy and would definitely want more. She might do something if she thought that they were a hindrance to her.
Qin Zening raised his dashing eyebrows. ¡°I have an idea. I¡¯ll tell you when the results are avable.¡±
¡°Then I will leave it to you, Big Bro.¡± Qin Gui responded cheerfully.
Generally, Qin Zening would go to Glory Hall after bathing and changing clothes after practicing every morning but since Qin Gui was here today, he simply went along with her.
The brother and sisters duo arrived at Glory Hall, talking andughing all along the way. Just as they were about to enter the hall, they heard the dissatisfied Marchioness Suin.
¡°¡Mother, Xia Lian just went to give breakfast but Gui¡¯er was gone. What do you think¡¡±
¡°It¡¯s early morning, has there been any educated girl who has not run around without a word.¡±
The young maid, who was just about to raise the curtain, looked at Qin Zening and Qin Gui at a loss. She immediately announced, ¡°Young Master, Third Miss.¡±
The voicesing from the inside went silent abruptly as the siblings walked inrge strides.
Marchioness Su clenched the handkerchief in her hands at the sight of Qin Gui. She furrowed her brow and sighed, ¡°Gui¡¯er, where were you? Just now Xia Lian said that you had gone missing. I panicked and came to your grandmother in a hurry.¡±
A frown was clearly visible on her forehead as if she was really worried about her niece and was rendered speechless.
Qin Zening crossed his arms before his chest and let out a chuckle mockingly, ¡°Oh, Second Aunt, you can¡¯t say that. They didn¡¯t even notice when their master went out!? Did you appoint the servants for Sis or the ancestors?¡±
Two first-ss maids and two second-ss maids were appointed to the daughter of the eldest branch of Zhongyi Marquis Mansion to serve them.
If these maids didn¡¯t even know when theirdy went out, that would only mean that they weren¡¯t paying attention to their master.
She is just a girl not some thief. She won¡¯t jump over a wall.
Marchioness Su couldn¡¯t hold it any longer. She switched the topic, ¡°Gui¡¯er, I have given you all their deeds. You should punish them whenever they make mistakes.¡±
She meant that Qin Gui didn¡¯t know how to rein in her servants. She had let her servants ride on top of her head. It wasn¡¯t her fault.
However, it was just that Qin Gui had arrived at the Marquis Mansion just yesterday. If they didn¡¯t notice that Marchioness Su didn¡¯t care about her, how could they dare to be so negligent!
And why couldn¡¯t they wait to tell Marchioness Su just after Qin Gui left to take the credit.
Qin Gui certainly understood this.
She smiled and agreed, ¡°Since Second Aunt said so, then deferring to Second Aunt¡¯s intention, Xia Lian will be punished with thirty ps.¡±
Chapter 46 CFV Ch.46 Meeting Again (1)
¡°¡¡± Marchioness Su almost smacked the table hard in anger. She gripped the handkerchief even more tightly, so much so that her well-groomed nails had grown a little white.
If Qin Gui really did this, taught a lesson to Xia Lian before everyone, Marchioness Su would lose all her prestige before the servants of Fragrant Courtyard.
Qin Gui smiled and asked innocently, ¡°Second Aunt, didn¡¯t you want this?¡±
I don¡¯t want it! I really don¡¯t want it! Isn¡¯t it clear that I asked the servants to keep an eye on Qin Gui!?
Marchioness Su¡¯s chest heaved up and down in anger as she squeezed her handkerchief hard. She somehow squeezed the words through her teeth, ¡°This kind of deceitful servant deserves to be pped on her mouth!¡±
So, a confused Xia Lian was taken to the courtyard outside the Glory Hall and knelt down after some time.
BAM! BAM! BAM!
The bamboo board hit Xia Lian¡¯s cheek mercilessly.
Xia Lian kept begging for mercy in a hoarse voice. Her cries echoed throughout the Glory Hall.
Marchioness Su felt as if each p of bamboo board was hitting her face instead. Her face grew pale as her cheeks tingle in pain.
When Qin Gui returned to the Fragrant Courtyard, the air in the courtyard seemed to have changed for the better. When people looked at her, they were all in trepidation. Cold sweat drenched their bodies as the fear of getting pped by the bamboo board next gripped their hearts.
Qin Gui, on the other hand, didn¡¯t care about this.
She went back to her room and changed her clothes. At the third quarter of Chen Shi, she followed Qin Xin, Qin Sheng to the Shenghua Pavilion.
[TLN: Chen Shi, the period of the day from 7 AM to 9 AM.]
Shenghua Pavilion was the property of the Royal House of Tai. It was on Heyu Street south of the city. It was pretty popr among the nobles of the capital. They often came here to enjoy tea and flowers.
The Poetry Convention was held only once a season. And thedies in the capital were proud to receive its invitation.
The maid of the Shenghua Pavilion checked the invitation before leading the Qin sisters trio in.
There was a small garden at the back of the tea house facing the street. Although the garden was small, it had multitudes of pavilions. Its entireyout spelled nothing but elegance and beauty.
It was the beginning of October; the autumn was reaching its peak. The garden was packed with green grass and beautiful flowers.
There was an octagonal pavilion at the northeast corner of the garden. There were many girls sitting in the pavilion.
Most of them were acquainted with Qin Xin and Qin Sheng. They greeted each other affectionately. But when their gazesnded on Qin Gui, there was a subtle change in their eyes.
All of them had heard of Zhongyi Marquis¡¯ Qin Family epting a girl from the countryside over the past few days. Rumor had it that she went missing in childhood. And the empress had asked the Qin Family to take her back.
They couldn¡¯t help but look at each other, wondering, ¡®Is this the one from the rumors?¡¯
¡°Sister Xin, this is¡¡± Princess Yingluo of Royal House of Tai looked at Qin Gui and asked Qin Xin in a friendly tone.
¡°This is my third sister. Her name is Gui.¡± Qin Xin magnanimously introduced Qin Gui. ¡°It¡¯s the name given by His Highness herself.¡±
It¡¯s really her!
Thedies exchanged nces with each other. They all seemed pretty interested.
She really is a hillbilly! She doesn¡¯t even have a proper name, His Highness had to adopt it for her.
Qin Family is really unlucky!
They sized Qin Gui up and down with a certain degree of condescension in their gazes as if they were looking at a new toy.
Chapter 47 CFV Ch.47 Meeting Again (2)
As far as these nobledies were concerned, Qin Gui was doomed to have an indelible barrier with them even if Qin Gui was a noble as she grew up in the countryside. She would never be able to mingle in their circle.
To put it bluntly, no one in the capital from upper families would marry a girl like Qin Gui!
¡°¡¡± Qin Gui remained silent.
She couldn¡¯t help but notice that everything was proceeding almost exactly like when the original character of the novel was just brought back.
The original character grew up in an environment where she had never learned piano, chess, calligraphy, painting, or etiquette, nor had she learned how to handle herself socially. She became even more at a loss before the amazing background of Qin Xin.
This had pushed the desperate original character to another hell.
But Qin Gui wasn¡¯t the original character.
She didn¡¯t want to get involved with the original plot but that didn¡¯t mean that she would let anyone step on her.
Qin Gui looked back at Princess Yingluo without shying away.
Her pretty apricot eyes were adorned with beautiful arcs and long and dense eyshes. Her dark pupils were clear and bright like the blue sky after the rain.
Princess Yinglou seemed unaffected but she was slightly surprised in her heart.
Originally, she believed Qin Gui to be just a bumpkin who grew up in the countryside, who would flinch away in front a dignified princess like her and get angry like a kid. But the girl before her waspletely different from what she had imagined.
Her elegance had a bit of smartness. She was natural and graceful.
Qin Gui¡¯s calm and restful gaze caused some of the judging gazes to lose interest.
They simply stop paying attention to Qin Gui. They gathered around and started talking merrily, making a clear distinction with her.
After some time, many more girls joined them, one after another.
When they noticed Qin Gui¡¯s unfamiliar face, they inquired about her a bit before avoiding her as if they were afraid of getting contaminated by her countryside spirit.
Thedies either admired flowers, chatted with each other, listened to music, or yed pitch-pot merrily.
Qin Gui, on the other hand, leaned on the railing of the pavilion alone, feeding the fishes in the pond leisurely.
Since she had returned to the Qin Family, she would have to face this situation sooner orter. Therefore, when Qin Sheng invited her toe here, she did not refuse even if she knew that all Qin Sheng wanted was to embarrass her.
She had returned to Qin Family but not for locking herself up for the rest of her life.
As soon as the tempting fish food was thrown into the pool, goldfishes swung their tails as they swarmed to grab the food, creating ripples in the pool, one after another.
¡°Third Sister, why are you feeding fishes over here?¡± At this moment, Qin Sheng walked over with a magnanimous demeanor and said with a smile, ¡°Second Sister is painting over there. Third Sister, how about we go and take a look?¡±
¡°We are all sisters. Even if Third Sister is ashamed of herself, you should go and watch. Otherwise, people will think that we sisters are at odds. Don¡¯t you think so, Third Sister?¡±
Qin Sheng was smiling but her contempt for Qin Gui was obvious in her words. Several of thedies in the vicinity had heard her loud and clear; they immediately nced at each other with interest.
¡°Fourth Sister is right.¡± Qin Gui threw thest of fish food into the pound and said in a stern voice, ¡°We sisters are indeed at odds.¡±
Qin Sheng¡¯s smile froze immediately after hearing this.
A nearbydy in red couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.
Qin Sheng¡¯s face grew even stiffer. She asked in a firm manner, ¡°Are youing or not?¡±
Chapter 48 CFV Ch.48 Meeting Again (3)
Qin Gui dusted the fish food residue off her hands and replied with a smile, ¡°No.¡±
Qin Sheng was rendered speechless.
Qin Sheng held her anger down in her stomach. She could neither spit it out nor could she swallow it down. She didn¡¯t want to lose her temper in front of so many people. She found Qin Gui very annoying.
Qin Sheng looked at her angrily and asked again, ¡°Are youing?¡±
¡°No¡¡± As Qin Gui replied leisurely, she inadvertently nced towards the left front, where she saw several figuresing from the direction of the tea house.
Seven to eight luxuriously dressed scions were approaching here. All of them were handsome and extraordinary.
Originally, Qin Gui had casually taken a nce but she caught sight of two familiar figures among the few scions walking in the front. One was the second prince, Gu Jing, and the one walking in the middle was Xiao Ze!
Qin Gui¡¯s eyes widened in shock.
That¡¯s indeed Xiao Ze!
He was luxuriously dressed and had his hair tied with a purple gold crown. He looked extremely handsome and had a calm air around him. A faint smile could be found hanging on his lips. He walked in a slow gait and carried his hands behind his back. His leisure walk was filled with grace and elegance.
Qin Gui¡¯s entire body screamed bad premonition, looking at his gentle and extremely deceptive handsome face.
She promptly stood up and agreed to Qin Shen with a smile, ¡°Okay.¡±
It was not Qin Sheng¡¯s turn to be astounded.
She still thought that she would be rejected by Qin Gui again! This Qin Gui just can¡¯t decide what she wants. Is there something wrong with her brain?
Before she could recover her wits, Qin Gui was already urging her eagerly, ¡°Are youing?¡±
Qin Sheng was afraid that she woulde to regret it again. She hurriedly agreed, ¡°I¡¯ming!¡±
Just as the two sisters stepped out of the pavilion, someone faintly cried behind them, ¡°Look, it¡¯s His Royal Highness, the second prince¡¡±
Qin Sheng halted her footsteps, wanting to turn her head but Qin Gui urged her, ¡°Hurry up!¡±
Having said this, Qin Gui quickened her pace and left Qin Sheng behind.
Qin Sheng was left speechless.
Qin Sheng had no choice but to chase after her immediately.
Opposite to the pond was a two-story water pavilion, where seven to eightdies were standing around Qin Xin.
Qin Xin, who was standing before arge redcquered desk, just withdrew the goat-haired brush and put it on the brush holder.
A portrait of Queen Mother of the West was lying on the table. The Queen Mother of the West was wearing a Five Phoenix Crown and long eyebrows and exquisite eyes. She looked elegant, dignified and other-worldly.
The fewdies gathered around toment on the painting.
¡°Sister Xin¡¯s painting is really good. The Queen Mother looks elegant and dignified. And also amiable and respectful.¡±
¡°That¡¯s right! Apassionate feeling for all mankind ising out of her!¡±
¡°Sister Xin¡¯s painting skills have improved again!¡±
¡°¡¡±
Everyone was singing praises of her.
¡°Third Sister.¡± Qin Xin seemed to have noticed Qin Gui approaching at this time. She raised her head and said with a smile, ¡°I was just looking for you. Why don¡¯t you join us?¡±
Qin Gui smiled but remained nomittal.
Qin Sheng, on the other hand, said impatiently, ¡°Second Sister, the second prince is here.¡±
Qin Sheng red at Qin Gui when she spoke of this. She med Qin Gui for running too fast, otherwise she would have led the second prince here.
Qin Xin¡¯s eyes immediately lit up.
She hadn¡¯t seen him for a long time since the second prince was grounded by the emperor in the Jianglin Pce.
Be that as it may, she calmly nced at Qin Gui with a deep gaze and no change in her expression.
At present, she couldn¡¯t wait to see Gu Jing now.
Chapter 49 CFV Ch.49 Villain (1)
¡°His Royal Highness must be here for Sister Xin.¡± Princess Yingluo teased Qin Xin with a smile, ¡°His Royal Highness is so affectionate to my sister.¡±
Several otherdies were also envious. The second prince was handsome and had a noble status. Qin Xin was really lucky to have such a husband!
Qin Xin let out a tender snort, ¡°Princess, you are making fun of me again.¡±
Princess Yingluo beckoned a round-faced servant girl and ordered her with a smile, ¡°Go and tell His Royal Highness that his sweetheart is here. Let¡¯s see whether he wille or not?¡±
Qin Xin clenched her handkerchief. The smile on her face didn¡¯t show any signs of disappearing.
¡°¡¡± Qin Gui started having a faint headache.
Who cares whether the second princees or not. It will be troublesome if Xiao Zees with him! I finally got rid of him. I don¡¯t want to have anything to do with this dangerous guy!
Qin Gui was just about to leave but Qin Sheng asked her in a loud and clear voice, ¡°Third Sister, what do you think of Second Sister¡¯s painting?¡±
Her words attracted the attention of several other nobledies to Qin Gui.
Qin Gui was a little absent-minded as she was still thinking about running away. She answered in a very casual manner, ¡°Pretty good.¡±
She remembered every single detail about Qin Xin¡¯s piano, chess, calligraphy, and painting from the original plot of the novel. Her answer ¡®pretty good¡¯ was indeed correct!
¡°¡¡± Qin Sheng choked on her anger once again. She felt that Qin Gui wasn¡¯t ying by the rules. How am I going to bring her down?
Qin Gui prefunctorily said, ¡°If there is nothing else, I will¡¡±
Before she could finish speaking, the round-faced maid returned hastily and said with an unsteady breath, ¡°Princess, Miss Qin, his royal highness, the second prince and his royal highness, the third prince areing.¡±
This maid went and returned in this short span with the second prince was evidence in itself that she had encountered them on road.
Princess Yingluo covered her lips and said with a smile, ¡°What did I tell you, His Royal Highness, the second prince is most interested in Sister Xin. He knew Sister Xin was here and couldn¡¯t wait toe here.¡±
While speaking, she nudged Qin Xin a little and winked at her.
A natural and elegant smile appeared on Qin Xin¡¯s lips as she went to greet Gu Jing and his team.
Gu Jing didn¡¯te alone. The third prince, Gu Rui and Qin Kingdom¡¯s heir, Jiang Rao, and others were with him as well.
In the past, when they traveled together, the noble scions were all centered around Gu Jing but this time, the nobledies in the water pavilion noticed that Gu Jing, Gu Rui, and others were centered around an unfamiliar youth in purple.
He was about twenty years old, handsome, noble and elegant. He walked with leisure and his every gesture spelled nothing but elegance.
Who is this?
Everyone couldn¡¯t help but be a little curious.
¡°Little Girl, where are you going?¡±
While everyone was waiting for Gu Jing to introduce him, the purple-robed youth spoke out first. His voice was as gentle as water and there was a smiling look on his face. When he smiled, it felt like a gentle breeze was blowing, giving everyone an indescribable sense offort.
Qin Gui, who was slipping out quietly, stiffly put down her raised right foot.
She silently turned around and forced a smile at Xiao Ze, ¡°Big Brother, long time no see.¡±
Qin Gui addressed him as Big Brother subconsciously. Gu Jing, Qin Xin and others were shocked.
What did Qin Gui say!?
¡°It seems Sister doesn¡¯t want to see me?¡± Xiao Ze stood a few steps away, looking at Qin Gui.
Chapter 50 CFV Ch.50 Villain (2)
His smile, voice, and demeanor were all gentle but Qin Gui couldn¡¯t help but think of the night in Yaoqing County, when he asked if she wanted to travel with him.
Qin Gui only felt her scalp tingle.
¡°How can I!?¡± Qin Gui smiled more sincerely than him, looking at him with her big ck and white eyes, unblinking, ¡°I am so happy to see Big Brother. I am so happy that I can¡¯t even move my hands and feet.¡±
¡°So it was like that.¡±
Xiao Ze looked at this double-faced girl with interest.
She has grown a lot more lively in the half month I have not seen her. Her eyes are bright and she seems to be in high spirits. There is a trace of deceit and valiance in her nce.
Her sincere words and the forced smile on her face made Xiao Ze want to tease her.
The nearby second prince, Gu Jing sized up Qin Gui with a strange look.
This was the first time he saw Qin Gui. Qin Gui¡¯s appearance was a little simr to Empress Wei. He immediately recalled the recent rumors and guessed her identity.
But why would she call the third young master of King Duan brother!?
¡°Royal Uncle Ze.¡± Gu Jing asked Xiao Ze nonchntly, ¡°Thisdy is¡¡±
Gu Jing¡¯s address to Xiao Ze surprised Princess Yingluo and others in the water pavilion even more. They nced at each other; they became more and more curious about Xiao Ze¡¯s identity.
In the Great Qi Dynasty, only a few young scions could be addressed as Royal Uncle by the second prince!
¡°His Royal Highness.¡± Princess Yingluo had a vague impression of Xiao Ze. She asked, ¡°Is this the third son of Duan Royal House?¡±
Gu Jing said with a smile, ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±
Qin Gui waspletely dumbfounded. Her eyes were almost ready to pop out.
She kept blinking for a long time; she had lost her wits.
She finally knew who Xiao Ze was!
Xiao Ze, my ass!?
This liar!
He is clearly surnamed Gu. His full name is Gu Zezhi. He is the third prince of Duan Royal House, and the future regent.
He is the biggest viin in this Golden Age of Proud Phoenix!
In the novel, he was narrow-minded, unpredictable, and his means were even more cruel and ruthless. Because King Duan refused to remove the concubine¡¯s son from the heir¡¯s position and let him be the heir, he killed his father in anger and fled. He wasn¡¯t found for two years.
Duan Royal House was then inherited by Gu Chenzhi.
Two yearster, Gu Chenzhi was ordered to enter the capital for the Empress Dowager¡¯s birthday but he was killed on the way instead.
Gu Zezhi, who had been missing for two years, appeared again and beheaded his eldest brother, Gu Chenzhi.
This incident immediately caused an uproar in the dynasty. The emperor was furious. Gu Jing, who was the crown prince at that time, was ordered to lead the imperial army to King Duan¡¯s fief and take down Gu Zhenzhi. But he suffered heavy losses against Gu Zezhi instead; the entire army was wiped out.
Gu Jing was also captured by Gu Zezhi. He almost died in his hands.
Not only that, but after that, Gu Zezhi even led an army to force the pce under the banner that he was dutiful to the throne anding to rescue.
The emperor was so angry when he heard this news that he had a heart attack and died.
Gu Zezhi established Gu Jing as the new emperor. He controlled the entire court using the emperor and became the regent of the Great Qi.
In the next few years, Gu Zezhi controlled the court as the regent, persecuting the faithful and honest, and indiscriminately killing the innocent. The new emperor, Gu Jing dared not speak.
The entire court was filled withints.
Chapter 51 CFV Ch.51 Villain (3)
The Great Qi¡¯s court spent three-long darkest years under his reign, until the hero and heroine worked together to regain the power.
Gu Zezhi naturally died a horrible death like a viin.
Qin Gui never thought that the person she met in the small county would be the future regent who would strike terror in everyone¡¯s heart.
¡°¡¡± Qin Gui wanted to cry but had no tears.
Immersed in grief over the ruthless destiny, Qin Gui did not notice that Gu Zezhi had approach two steps closer and casually caught the orange osmanthus that was about to fall on her temple with his right hand.
The orange osmanthus was pretty small, just the size of his fingernails. But it set off his white and shiny jade-like skin. The entire scene was indescribably beautiful like a painting.
Qin Gui, staring at him in a daze, forced a smile which was more ugly than crying.
The otherdies present here looked at these two back and forth. Their expressions were even more subtle andplicated than Qin Gui¡¯s.
Gu Zhezhi was a nobility. He was the only son of King Duan. Even Gu Jing, who was the prince, had to address him as Royal Uncle.
The question hovering in their mind was why Gu Zezhi knew a wild girl of the Qin Family?
Princess Yingluo and other nobledies secretly exchanged nces. They wanted to ask but they were afraid of Gu Zezhi¡¯s identity, and dared not ask.
Gu Jing looked back and forth between Gu Zezhi and Qin Gui, his eyes flickering non-stop.
Qin Family¡¯s matter had long spread throughout the capital. He naturally was well aware of it.
Especially the fact that the empress let Qin Gui stay in the Fengluan Pce for so long and then asked Madam Tai to enter the pce to take her in. Who knows what¡¯s going in her mind!? Could it be that she did this to deal with me!?
Recalling that day when his mother kept kneeling in front of the Fengluan Pce for a day and night straight, allowing the people, who came in and out of the pce, to look at her wantonly, Gu Jing felt suffocated as his body became stiff.
Originally, he came to Shenghua Pavilion specially today to support Qin Xin, lest Qin Gui bully Qin Xin with the protection of the empress.
But now, Qin Gui had addressed Gu Zezhi as elder brother. Then, how should I address Qin Gui!?
This is a mess!
Gu Jing¡¯s mind was in a turmoil!
However, in Qin Xin¡¯s eyes, it appeared as if Gu Jing was staring at Qin Gui intently.
Qin Xin slowly followed Gu Jing¡¯s gaze to Qin Gui. The girl before her seemed familiar yet unfamiliar. Qin Gui¡¯s slender figure seemed to be coated with a light golden powder under the golden sunlight, which emphasized her beauty even more so. She was exuding an unspeakable noble spirit that was overwhelming her.
It gave her the impression as if Qin Gui was born to be a nobility while she could only worship her humbly!
Qin Gui was struck with panic.
In the previous life, the person who married Gu Jing and became the second prince¡¯s concubine, and finally became the royal concubine was Qin Gui.
In this life, she had reced Qin Gui and was offered to marry the second prince.
In fact, she knew that the reason she was decreed by the emperor to marry Gu Jing even after the Qin Family¡¯s decline, was only because she was Empress Wei¡¯s niece.
When Empress Wei was still a crown prince concubine, she joked with her sister Wei that if Wei gave birth to a girl, Empress Wei would marry her eldest son to her. Later, the eldest prince died and this agreement was lost.
Later, the emperor followed the original agreement and offered her marriage to the second prince.
Qin Xin was afraid of Qin Gui¡¯s return, afraid that she would rob her of everything.
Qin Gui was Empress Wei¡¯s niece and Empress Wei would definitely help Qin Gui.
Chapter 52 CFV Ch.52 Unlucky (1)
¡°His Royal Highness,¡± Qin Xin called Gu Jing with a smile. ¡°This is my third sister. She had returned to the mansion just yesterday. She grew up among the people. But unfortunately¡¡± Having said this, she gave a look of pity to Qin Gui.
Qin Xin hadn¡¯t even finished her words but everyone understood what she meant.
Qin Gui grew up in a vige since childhood. She had no education and did not know any etiquette. Perhaps she didn¡¯t even know how to read ¡®A¡¯.
Severaldies covered their mouths and snickered, looking at Qin Gui with sympathy,ment, and contempt.
Qin Gui heard it loud and clear. She heaved a helpless sigh. She felt that her viinous supporting character was really conscientious. She hadn¡¯t done anything but was hated by the hero and heroine.
This wasn¡¯t her fault!
Qin Gui didn¡¯t care about the contemptuous gazes around her. She gazed at Qin Xin kindly and exhorted, ¡°You can¡¯t say that. There is a saying, the people are the most important element of the state, next are the gods ofnd and grain, and least is the ruler himself. Second sister, you cannot look down on the people.¡±
When did I look down on the people!? Qin Xin was so shocked that the veins on her forehead were almost about to burst.
Interesting! Gu Zezhi looked at Qin Gui with great interest. This little girl looks as if she is waiting for death but she would not let anyone step on her.
Seeing Gu Jing¡¯s gaze fall on Qin Gui again, Qin Xin clenched her handkerchief and said, quickly changing the subject, ¡°His Royal Highness, I just drew a portrait of the Queen Mother of the West. I was thinking about offering it to Empress Dowager during the autumn festival. Can you help me check if there are any shorings? I always feel that I haven¡¯t painted the Queen Mother of the West¡¯s aloofness.¡±
Empress Dowager had always believed in Taoism. And Qin Xin painted this Queen Mother of the West as the birthday gift during the autumn festival a monthter.
¡°Sister Xin, don¡¯t underestimate yourself. Your picture of the Queen Mother of the West is very beautiful. It¡¯s truly unique.¡± Ady in rose red dress marveled.
¡°Yes! Sister Xin¡¯s painting is exquisite. I can¡¯t see any ws in it.¡±
Gu Jing¡¯s interest was aroused. He suggested to Gu Zezhi, ¡°Royal Uncle, do you want to take a look?¡±
Gu Zezhi wasn¡¯t interested. He indifferently said, ¡°You do it yourself.¡±
What¡¯s so good about the painting? This little girl is even more interesting! Gu Zezhi looked at Qin Gui with a smile on his face. Qin Gui, the target of his gaze, was having jitters. She always felt that the other party was having some wicked ideas.
Gu Zezhi might disregard Gu Jing but other people still have to give him face. Therefore, everyone surrounded the desk and evaluated the Queen Mother of the West, one after another. And everyone praised it well.
Princess Yingluo suddenly spoke, ¡°By the way, I heard that Daoist Yun Guang is also in the Shenghua Pavilion today. Why don¡¯t you ask her to check for Sister Xin?¡±
Taoist Yunguang was the Taoist aunt of Xuan Qingguan of the capital, who was pretty famous in the capital. Rumor had it that she had profound Taoist skills and was proficient in the art of eight trigrams, five elements and geomancy.
Shenghua Pavilion was nning to rebuild the garden recently. She was invited to do Feng Shui today. The only reason she came was because of the Tai Royal House.
If this Queen Mother of the West was praised by Taoist Yunguang, then it would be a good story for Empress Dowager.
Otherdies also nodded in agreement.
Chapter 53 CFV Ch.53 Unlucky (2)
A strange gleam suddenly shed past Qin Xin¡¯s eyes as the corner of her lips pursed into a smile.
Princess Yingluo beckoned that maid again and ordered her to invite Taoist Yunguang.
While speaking, Princess Yingluo inadvertently saw the bumpkin from the Qin Family sitting together with Gu Zezhi. Seeing Qin Gui chatting happily, she became even more curious.
Unfortunately, for the concerned party, Qin Gui, this was really not a happy chat!
¡°When did Big Brother arrive at the capital?¡±
¡°Big Brother, was everything fine alone the way?¡±
¡°Big Brother, you have be even more dashing in just a few days I haven¡¯t seen you.¡±
Qin Gui kept talking by herself with a forced smile on her face, regardless of whether he answered or not.
At this moment, she felt a little thirsty. She picked up a fruit juice on the table and drank it in one gulp.
Forget it.
So what if he is a viin and I am a vicious side character, who is not hated by anyone!?
It¡¯s not right!
Qin Gui¡¯s eyes slightly widened.
She remembered that Gu Zezhi only appeared in the middle of the novel.
And as soon as he appeared, the news that he personally killed and beheaded his brother spread to the capital. It shocked the entire court. After that, the novel introduced the character in detail from Gu Jing¡¯s perspective, talking about his life experience, his escape over the few years after killing his father, and then, the emperor ordered Gu Jing to lead his army to a punitive expedition.
It was never written in the novel that he had been to the capital when Qin Xin was fourteen years old!
Has the plot changed!?
Watching the rich and ever-changing expression of Qin Gui, Gu Zezhi picked a grape from the bowl and stuffed it into her slightly opened mouth with great interest.
Qin Gui subconsciously ate it. The grape was sweet, sour, and juicy. It was very delicious.
This kid has such a good appetite! Gu Zezhi asked with a smile, ¡°Is it sweet?¡±
¡°It is.¡± Qin Gui answered in a casual manner.
After having answered it, her face turned stiff; she could not wait to spit out the grape in her mouth.
At this time, she heard someone say in a light voice, ¡°Daoist Yunguang is here!¡±
Qin Gui was suddenly distracted and looked out of the water pavilion.
In the garden, a forty-year-old taoist wearing a cyan cassock was walking over. There was a merciful look on her face and she held a silver-white whisk in her right hand. Her clothes blew along with the wind, giving her a fairy-like bearing. Everyone could not help but be in awe.
Taoists were public figures outside the loop. Everyone present here were either princes, heirs, or princesses. Most of them were distinguished nobility. But they still got up and greeted her as a courtesy.
Princess Yingluo smiled and said, ¡°Taoist Yunguang, my Sister Xin just drew a picture of Queen Mother of the West, and I n to dedicate it to Empress Dowager. I would like Taoist to give your assessment.¡±
Taoist Yunguang flicked her whisk and responded with a smile, ¡°Princess, you are being too polite. This would be an honor for this poor taoist.¡±
¡°Madam Taoist, please.¡± A servant girl led Taoist Yunguang to the desk and asked her to assess.
Taoist Yunguang looked at the painting on the desk carefully for a moment and praised, ¡°Wonderful! Really wonderful! This Golden Mother of the Jade Lake is really lifelike!¡±
[TLN: Golden Mother of the Jade Lake is another name of Queen Mother of the West.]
A radiant smile immediately appeared on Qin Xin¡¯s face.
¡°Unfortunately¡¡±
While speaking, Taoist Yunguang suddenly frowned, looking embarrassed.
Everyone was at a loss. They looked at each other while Princess Yingluo asked, ¡°Madam Taoist, but what¡¯s wrong?¡±
Chapter 54 CFV Ch.54 Unlucky (3)
Taoist Yunguang looked at the painting and shook her head regretfully, ¡°Who else has seen this painting?¡±
¡°Sigh, this painting was originally very spiritual. It had a glimmer of auspicious aura. But now this painting is stained with bad luck, which has made this painting dusty. I¡¯m afraid this painting is not suitable for gifting to the Empress Dowager.¡±
¡°¡¡±
¡°¡¡±
¡°¡¡±
The water pavilion sunk into silence. A look of incredulity appeared on everyone¡¯s face.
How is this possible? Who is not noble here!?
Wait, wait, wait!
Everyone thought of someone and turned their look towards Qin Gui!
If we talk about who is unlucky here, that would be none other than the bumpkin from the Qin Family!
Qin Sheng looked contemptuously. Sure enough, she is bad luck! We shouldn¡¯t have brought this bumpkin to the mansion!
Taoist Yunguang also followed everyone¡¯s gaze to Qin Gui. Her face immediately darkened.
She raised her right hand and looked at Qin Gui to do some calction. Her expression grew more and more grave. She then asked, ¡°Were you born in the year of Bing Yin, on the month of Jia Wei, on the day of Xin Chou, and at Ren Yin time?¡±
[TLN: All part of eight trigrams.]
Qin Gui didn¡¯t answer. But Qin Sheng rushed to answer instead, ¡°That¡¯s right! That¡¯s exactly right!¡±
Qin Sheng nodded frequently before looking at Qin Gui with an expression on her face as if she was looking at a catastrophe.
Princess Yingluo and the other people all showed admiration. She mumbled to herself, ¡®Taoist Yunguang lives up to her name. She actually saw the birth date of Qin Gui in one nce.
Taoist Yunguang calcted on her finger again and sighed faintly, ¡°Unfortunately, her eight characters were a noble girl but she has the fate of lone star of evil gods. It would bring harm to father, mother, husband, son; it will hurt the luck of the entire family!¡±
[TLN: Eight characters (in four pairs, including the year, month, day and hour of a person¡¯s birth, each pair consisting of one heavenly stem and one earthly branch, formerly used in fortune-telling)]
Everyone gasped. Thedies immediately took a step back, like they were avoiding her.
Qin Sheng nodded hurriedly. ¡°That¡¯s right! Our family was exiled as soon as my third sister was born, my uncle and aunt¡¡±
Qin Sheng stared at Qin Gui fiercely. Her eyes were almost about to pop out. She looked as if realization had suddenly dawned upon her.
So it was like this!
So it turns out that our Qin Family was exiled back then because of Third Sister¡¯s bad luck!
Princess Yingluo and other nobledies had a subtle look in their eyes. They had all heard that the Qin Family was exiled and had their titles revoked fourteen years ago on the suspicion of treason. It wasn¡¯t until now that the Qin Family had been able to wash away their grievances and regain their dignity.
On second thought, Taoist Yunguang¡¯s prediction of Qin Gui is right on the mark!
Taoist Yunguan flicked her whisk casually, looking otherworldly. She then asked, ¡°Has this girl also seen this painting?¡±
Qin Sheng hurriedly replied, ¡°Yes, Third Sister has seen it.¡±
¡°So that was the case.¡± Taoist Yunguang said with a sigh, ¡°It¡¯s precisely because of this that the pearl like Queen Mother of the West had gone dusty. Sigh, it¡¯s really a pity.¡±
Everyone looked at each other.
Just now Taoist Yunguang had said that this Queen Mother of the West was excellent and extraordinary. It even had an auspicious aura!
And this painting was ruined by just a single nce of Qin Gui! How unlucky is this person!?
The girls stepped back subconscious, trying to stay away from Qin Gui.
Chapter 55 CFV Ch.55 Inaccurate (1)
The priest, Yun Guang had been cultivating in Xuan Qing monastery for more than ten years.
As everyone knows, she has always been very urate in her fortune telling skills, but would never ept the requests of ordinary people. Even the Empress Dowager had to treat her with courtesy and often invited her to the pce. Not long ago, Priest Yun Guang offered an elixir prescription to the emperor, she said that it could cure the emperor¡¯s chronic illness, the Empress Dowager was overjoyed.
Qin Jiu, the new ¡°Marquess¡¯s daughter¡±, her fortune was described as ¡°lonely and cursed star¡± from Yun Guang. Even if she was backed by Empress Wei, she could never hold her ground in the capital.
Even so, Qin Jiu just ruined the birthday gift which was originally intended for the Empress Dowager.
Everyone looked at Qin Jiu¡¯s subtle expressions.
They knew that Qin¡¯s third daughter is doomed, even if the Qin family sent her to a far away vige, the Empress Dowager would have noment on this decision!
Qin Jiu held the jam with an innocent look, and finally realized this when she saw everyone¡¯s somewhat pitiful, and joyous gaze.
It turns out that Qin Sheng tried so hard to bring her here to look at this painting in person, just for this!
Qin Jiu looked around the room, slowly moving her sight from Yun Guang to Qin Sheng, and then to Qin Xin.
It was easy to know that there was no one else except Qin Xin who would secretly do such things.
Sigh.
Sure enough, being an ordinary girl was just impossible.
Qin Xin nced back at Qin Jiu faintly, and the corners of her lips raised almost invisibly. So what if someone knew that she was targeting Qin Jiu? Among this prestigious family here, was there anyone that would stand up for this wild girl, Qin Jiu.
Qin Jiu ced the jam in her hand down, got up, stroked her dress, and walked over slowly.
All the nobledies stepped back in disgrace with pale faces, as if they were afraid that the bad luck on her would contaminate them.
¡°Priest Yun Guang,¡± Qin Jiu smiled slightly, as if she didn¡¯t realize what was happening, and said with a smile, ¡°You just said that I¡¯m a lonely and cursed star?¡±
¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Priest Yun Guang nodded slightly, his face stered with immensepassion, ¡°Young girl, ording to your four pirs of destiny, you should be honored for a lifetime, but this life, you are destined to be a lonely widow. This is the characteristics of a lonely and cursed star, who would bring misfortune to their father, mother, husband and son.¡±
Qin Jiu¡¯s expression did not change at all, not even lifting the corners of her eyebrows, she pointed to Qin Xin and asked, ¡°What about my second sister?¡±
Priest Yun Guang flicked the hossu and said: ¡°The Qin¡¯s second daughter is born with a good fate, her fate leads her to be a government official, and she can also bring luck to her family. I have never seen a better fate than hers.¡±
¡°I see.¡± Qin Jiu sighed softly.
Qin Xin stared at Qin Jiu intently, her gaze dark and intense.
She didn¡¯t want to take this step either, but Qin Jiu forced her to!
Why can¡¯t Qin Jiu just stay put in the rural vige and had toe back to the capital!
Qin Jiu asked for this!
As long as Qin Jiu¡¯s title of a ¡°lonely and cursed star¡± was confirmed, the emperor will never let her marry the second prince on her behalf.
Qin Xin¡¯s hands that were hidden in her sleeves clenched into a fist, and she couldn¡¯t wait to see Qin Jiu¡¯s flustered and hopeless expression.
However¡ª¡ª
Qin Jiu¡¯s voice sounded in her ears: ¡°Since my second sister has such a good fate and could even bring luck to her family, then her parents will be fine.¡±
Chapter 56 CFV Ch.56 Inaccurate (2)
¡°Alright, then I shouldn¡¯t have to worry.¡± Qin Jiu sighed relievedly.
What does that mean? ! Those nobledies and men were slightly confused.
They have all heard of the Qin family¡¯s scandal, saying that, that year, the young girl that was given birth by the first wife, Wei, was identally lost when they were travelling somewhere, and she was never found since then. That time, if it wasn¡¯t becausedy Su, who wasn¡¯t the Marquess¡¯s wife at the time, was reluctant to send away her second daughter that she just gave birth to secretly during the mourning period. After hesitating again and again, she then brought the second daughter who was raised outside into the mansion under the identity of the first wife¡¯s eldest daughter. But who would have thought that the young girl by the main branch who got lost was found again after 14 years. So, the two cousins could only return to their original identities.
Honestly, this story had already been discussed for several days in the capital. If it weren¡¯t that Qin Xin would be the second prince¡¯s future concubine, this rumor would have spread even rapidly!
Everyone looked at each other puzzledly.
But what does Qin Jiu¡¯s remark mean? What happened to the righteous Marquess and his wife?
Qin Xin¡¯s expression changed when she suddenly was reminded of something.
Just when Qin Xin was about to speak, Qin Jiu took the lead before her, and said anxiously: ¡°¡¡Second sister, don¡¯t you know? The Lee¡¯s had murdered someone and fled the capital, the yamen had already issued the arrest warrant.¡±
¡°¡¡¡± Qin Xin¡¯s hand trembled, her pupils shrank sharply.
Father and mother killed someone? !
She doesn¡¯t believe her!
Her parents are kind people, they have been managing their own small business, how would they kill someone!
¡°You¡¡¡± Qin Xin wanted to say that she was talking nonsense, but after saying one word, she then gulped down the next two words abruptly, and changed her words, ¡°What does this have to do with me?¡±
¡°Huh?¡± Qin Jiu tilted her head innocently, ¡°Nothing to do with you?¡±
She smiled slightly, this smile looked so disgusting in Qin Xin¡¯s eyes.
Qin Jiu continued: ¡°Actually, I think priest Yun Guang¡¯s fortune telling skills are really inurate.¡±
¡°Otherwise, how would you misread the second sister¡¯s fate?¡±
¡°Second sister, don¡¯t you think so too?¡±
Qin Jiu stared at Qin Xin deeply, Qin Xin¡¯s expression darkened, and she felt nervous: Why did Qin Jiu deliberately mention her parents in public? Is it possible that she wants to reveal her real identity?
How dare she?!
Was she not afraid that she would be med by grandmother, and that the Qin family would kick her out?!
Qin Xin¡¯s gaze turned darker and darker, as dark as a deep whirlpool.
¡°Priest Yun Guang.¡± Qin Jiu looked at Yun Guang again, her apricot eyes were both dark and bright, and said intently, ¡°Look carefully again, whether my second sister has a noble or poor fate, isn¡¯t it impossible that I am the only one fated to be a ¡°lonely and cursed star?¡±
¡°Enough, third sister.¡± Qin Xin felt uneasy, but her face didn¡¯t show it at all, she smiled and stretched out her hand to hold Qin Jiu, ¡°Priest Yun Guang just wanted to be helpful.¡±
¡°You can¡¯t say that.¡± Qin Jiu smiled, gently getting rid of Qin Xin¡¯s hand that was holding her, ¡°Second sister¡¯s painting is to be given to the Empress Dowager¡¯s as a birthday gift at the Qian Qiu Festival. If the second sister ¡®also¡¯ had a poor fate, wouldn¡¯t it be adding bad luck to the Empress Dowager?¡±
The quarrels between the two sisters naturally fell in the eyes of the others, they were suspicious about what was happening.
Chapter 57 CFV Ch.57 Inaccurate (3)
They didn¡¯t fully understand what this pair were talking about, but they could see that Qin Xin must have something in Qin Jiu¡¯s hands, otherwise, Qin Xin would not have to grin and bear with her now.
After carefully analyzing Qin Jiu¡¯s words just now, some of the smarter people suspected that something was off, and an incredible guess came to their mind.
No way?!
¡°Sister Xin,¡± Princess Ying Luo asked hesitantly, ¡°What is your third sister trying to say?¡±
The others stared at Qin Xin intensely.
Qin Xin¡¯s heart skipped a beat, the suspicious gaze from everyone around her made her nervous.
She lowered her gaze slightly, her slender and curled eyshes pped lightly like butterfly wings, pitifully, she looked like she wanted to just blurt out everything but she couldn¡¯t.
Gu Jing looked at his sweetheart, he felt like needles were pricking into his heart, he just wanted to hold her in his arms immediately tofort her.
Sigh. His Xin¡¯er was just too kind, as she was her sister, she just let this wild girl use her like this!
¡°Guards.¡± Gu Jing snorted coldly.
The prince would always travel around with his guards. He gave an order and two tall and agile guards immediately came over.
Gu Jing raised the corners of his mouth slightly, a light shed across his eyes, and he thought: Qin Jiu had offended him.
Qin Jiu is fated to be a lonely and cursed star, the empress still kept this niece of hers in the pce for such a long time, that¡¯s why the emperor¡¯s royal body had fallen ill recently¡¡ If he utilised this matter well, he could avenge his mother over the incident where she knelt outside the Feng Luan Pce for a whole day and night!
¡°Take her down!¡± Gu Jing ordered.
¡°Yes! Your Highness!¡±
The two guards strode towards Qin Jiu, but Qin Jiu remained calm, she calmly looked at Gu Ze Zhi who was sitting aside, and gave him an unusually bright smile.
In Gu Ze Zhi¡¯s eyes, the little girl¡¯s bright smile at this moment and the fake smile she had on just now were a world apart.
Gu Ze Zhi smiled with interest: ¡°Second prince, let the youngdy finish her words first.¡±
His tone was gentle, but there was an unquestionable aura to it.
His words left everyone dumbfounded, and they looked at each other again.
What is the rtionship between the third son of Duke Duan and Qin¡¯s third daughter?! He would actually stand up for her!
The second prince is indeed honourable, but Gu Ze Zhi¡¯s identity wasn¡¯t too bad either. Although he isn¡¯t the crown prince of Duke Duan, he is the only elder son of Duke Duan. What¡¯s more, he is also elder to the second prince, so the second prince must pay some respect to him no matter what.
Gu Jing¡¯s expression darkened.
Gu Jing stared at Gu Ze Zhi for a moment, then said: ¡°Since uncle said so, nephew shall obey.
His voice didn¡¯t show either joy or anger.
Qin Jiu grinned from ear to ear and said in her heart: This cheap big brother is really reliable, he will indeed be the viin who will make the male and female lead grit their teeth and want to get rid of him in the future!
Qin Jiu blinked at Gu Ze Zhi, as a sign of gratitude.
The reason why Qin Jiu dared to face Qin Xin head on was because of Gu Ze Zhi, this golden patron.
She believes that the big viin and the male and female leads must not be dealt with. Anyway, she had been addressing him as ¡°Big Brother¡± for a few days now, the cheap big brother can¡¯t bear to just watch her being bullied right!
Qin Xin¡¯s hands that were hidden in her sleeves tightened, her nails sinking into her tender palms.
All this hadpletely spiralled out of her control.
Chapter 58 CFV Ch.58 Noble (1)
Qin Xin nced at Priest Yun Guang, and motioned her not to continue further.
Priest Yun Guang: ¡°¡¡¡±
She was secretly annoyed at Qin Xin. If Qin Xin had not got hold of her secret and threatened her with that, she would have never dealt with such unappreciated work!
Now, she was in a dilemma. If she says that she has made a mistake, she would be ruining her own reputation and contradicting with her own self!
¡°Although I¡¯m not a jack of all trades, I still know a thing or two on physiognomy and fate.¡±
What Priest Yun Guang meant was that her readings weren¡¯t wrong.
She sighed, looked at Qin Jiu and said with apassionate tone: ¡°Qin¡¯s third daughter, I know you don¡¯t believe in me, but the matter is over, I hope you will stop creating a scene out of it.¡±
Priest Yun Guang flicked her hossu again, and walked away, ¡°I will leave first.¡±
Qin Jiu couldn¡¯t let her leave so easily. She blocked her way with a smile, and asked: ¡°Priest, you haven¡¯t answered me yet. Does my second sister have a noble or poor fate?¡±
¡°Noble.¡± Priest Yun Guang said sharply.
Qin Jiu asked again: ¡°Is it even more noble than the empress dowager¡¯s?¡±
Was there any woman in this world who had the audacity to say that her fate is more noble than the empress dowager¡¯s! Priest Yun Guang¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she denied without hesitation: ¡°Of course not. Qin¡¯s third daughter, mind your words, don¡¯t be¡¡± disrespectful towards the empress dowager.
¡°That¡¯s weird.¡± Qin Jiu interrupted her directly, frowning suspiciously, ¡°If my fate is that bad, with just one nce, I could ruin a painting dedicated to the Empress Dowager. The 10 years that second sister was under the presence of my fate¡¡¡±
¡°Qin Jiu!¡±
Qin Xin subconsciously called out Qin Jiu¡¯s name.
Qin Jiu ignored herpletely, and said to herself: ¡°Why didn¡¯t it affect her noble fate?¡±
¡°¡¡¡± Qin Xin¡¯s expression changed drastically, and her petite body trembled uncontrobly. Qin Jiu actually said it!
Qin Xin has been raised in the Marquess Mansion since she was four years old. In the past ten years, she lived a noble and royal lifestyle, the poor life she had gone through in her previous life felt so distant, it felt just like a nightmare.
Ever since she was little, everyone around her talked and acted gently, politely. Even if they hated each other, they would always scheme behind each other¡¯s backs, but on the surface, they acted nice and gave off an ¡°everyone is well¡± illusion.
She has never seen someone so thick-faced, that she had to be so head on with her in front of so many people!
Qin Xin stared at Qin Jiu bitterly.
In her previous life, Qin Jiu returned to the Marquess Mansion when she was eight years old, and she had to leave. The two of them had only met once. That one time when they met, Qin Jiu¡¯s face had already been clearly printed in Qin Xin¡¯s heart.
The fourteen-year-old girl in front of her eyes looked so simr to that eight-year-old girl in her previous life, but something changed about her.
Her slight smile looked so bright, so calm, so brisk, she didn¡¯t seem to know how outrageous her words were.
Qin Xin felt like a fire was burning in her heart, and her body tightened.
Qin Jiu didn¡¯t seem to feel the hatred in Qin Xin¡¯s eyes at all, she looked pleased.
Anyway, it¡¯s already out in the open and besides, the female lead was already setting up a trap to deal with her, wouldn¡¯t it mean that she will send herself into the trap for the female lead if she continued to bear with it!
Qin Jiu¡¯s smile deepened, she smiled evilly, and deliberately asked: ¡°Second sister, am I right?¡±
Chapter 59 CFV Ch.59 Noble (2)
The nobledies around had different expressions stered on their faces, some were surprised, some were puzzled, and some already had imagined a big scene of the two enveloping in their minds, and their gaze on Qin Jiu and Qin Xin were even more intense.
Qin Xin was so angry that her hands started to tremble.
At this moment, she seemed to be standing on the edge of a cliff, one step further and she will fall into the abyss.
The four pirs of destiny were already very difficult to exin. If she admits that her fate is more noble than the Empress Dowager, she would just be digging her own grave!
She did not dare, and Priest Yun Guang felt the same.
The Empress Dowager was born with the fate of a phoenix, in the Qi Dynasty, there was no one as noble as her, including the current empress.
Priest Yun Guang also felt the same way: Qin Jiu was clever with her words, she was too hard to deal with.
Priest Yun Guang didn¡¯t know if Qin Xin really used Qin Jiu¡¯s birth character, she couldn¡¯t ask as well as the matter had reached this point¡¡
She quickly weighed the options in her heart, in the end, she could only grit her teeth: ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m not fullypetent for this, it is indeed my mistake.¡±
These words almost exhausted all her strength.
She knows that after today, the reputation she had built over the past ten years would likely be ruined.
At this moment, she can only make up for this chaos.
She pretended to evaluate her again, and sighed: ¡°Qin¡¯s third daughter¡¯s fate is indeed not the best, but there are noble stars in her fate. This year, she had met a Tian Yi nobleman, and her bad luck turned to fortune, her distress will be resolved. As her face is quite peculiar, so rare that I¡¯ve read it wrongly.¡±
¡°So that¡¯s the case!¡± Qin Jiu nodded unexpectedly, and smiled more brightly ¡°What about this picture of the ¡°Empress of the West¡±?¡±
Priest Yun Guang choked, barely maintaining the posture of a priest, and said: ¡°Naturally, it is good.¡±
¡°Then I wouldn¡¯t have to worry.¡± Qin Jiu patted her chest and let out a long sigh of relief, ¡°I was so scared just now.¡±
Seeing her innocent look, the corner of priest Yun Guang¡¯s eyes twitched with anger, and she secretly said: She was afraid? What was she afraid of?! She¡¯s been criticizing herself until this very moment, if she really was afraid, she should be afraid of herself!!
Priest Yun Guang didn¡¯t dare to stay any longer, she just wanted to leave as soon as possible, and then think about how to gain her reputation back.
Qin Xin¡¯s expression turned even more nasty.
She didn¡¯t dare to meet the gazes of the people around her. For the first time since her rebirth, she was in such a dilemma.
¡°I¡¯m leaving now.¡± Priest Yun Guang bid her farewell again.
It¡¯s a pity, I didn¡¯t look at my fortune that I was going to be unlucky today, as she said her words, a gentle and calm male voice said, ¡°Take her down!¡±
Everyone looked at the owner of the voice, Gu Ze Zhi.
Gu Ze Zhi still sat in the same position, his posture was graceful, like the spring breeze blowing past the willows, and the deep waters in the abyss, his slender fingers gently rubbed against the tea cup beside him.
Gu Ze Zhi smiled slightly, as gentle as jade, and said: ¡°Reading one¡¯s fate inurately, and she¡¯s still talking gibberish. I¡¯m afraid that she is a demon liar, I should send it to Jing Zhao Court for a trial.¡±
When Gu Ze Zhi arrived in the capital, he didn¡¯t bring anyone with him. After he came to the capital, the emperor assigned two guards for him. Now as Gu Ze Zhi spoke, the two guards immediately stepped forward and bowed to Gu Ze Zhi. They hesitated and answered to his order.
Chapter 60 CFV Ch.60 Noble (3)
Priest Yun Guang almost lost it, she could no longer maintain her identity as a world renowned master, her voice trembled as she said: ¡°What are you¡what are you doing?!¡±
¡°Yes, Uncle.¡± Gu Jing came back to his senses. He took a step forward and thoughtfully protected Qin Xin behind him. He spoke kindly to Gu Ze Zhi, ¡°Priest Yun Guang has always been trusted by the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager often ordered her into the pce to preach. What¡¯s more, she is also well-known in the capital, she had always been urate in her fortune telling and predictions, and had a high level of cultivation skills.¡±
¡°Uncle, please think twice before you act!¡±
Gu Ze Zhi smiled and said: ¡°It is precisely because the Empress Dowager trusts the priest so much that I can¡¯t tolerate her any further.¡±
¡°Yes.¡± Qin Jiu hugged her golden patron tightly, and said in a hurry, ¡°You can¡¯t let the world know that the Empress Dowager trusts a demon cultivator, isn¡¯t this criticizing the Empress Dowager.¡±
She had already made up her mind.
She had offended both the male and female leads. She¡¯s afraid that they will get rid of her soon, so she could only rely on her golden patron.
Anyway, her golden patron was still years away from his death, it¡¯s a waste if she doesn¡¯t utilize this golden opportunity!
Gu Ze Zhi waved his hand casually. The two guards escorted Priest Yun Guang away. Priest Yun Guang wanted to scream, but she was afraid of ruining her already detached image. Her face was pale, and she finally left after saying one sentence ¡°I have nothing to hide.¡±
Everyone was silent.
They weren¡¯t stupid, they all witnessed it happen before them. Today¡¯s events had lots of twists and turns, they were confused at that moment. Now thinking back it carefully, everything could somehow be linked together.
The Qin family now ims to the public that Qin Xin was given birth by the wife of the sub branch, Lady Su.
However, this is probably another lie of the Qin family. New lies are always used to cover up the old lie. So, is there a scandal in the Qin family that they wanted to hide?
Also, Qin Jiu kept mentioning, that Qin Xin¡¯s parentsmitted murder?!
This is interesting!
Thedies exchanged nces calmly. Thedies in the water pavilion at the moment were on good terms with Qin Xin, but in the current situation, they don¡¯t even know how to ask her about this and where to even start.
¡°Ahem.¡± Princess Ying Luo gave a light cough, to smooth things over, she said, ¡°Sister Xin, let¡¯s continue painting.¡±
This chanting event was hosted by Princess Ying Luo. If something really happened, not only Qin Xin would be humiliated, but so would she!
Princess Ying Luo brought the topic back lightly, as if they had been painting and admiring the paintings all along, and they didn¡¯t have anything to do with priest Yun Guang.
Thedies looked at each other, they all respected Princess Ying Luo¡¯s words. No matter how curious they were, it was obviously not a good time to inquire on.
They could only talk about itter¡¡
Gu Jing¡¯s thin lips pressed tightly, and his handsome face turned slightly gloomy.
He was a majestic second prince. He was born royal and noble. He was always held high and respected by others. He was never humiliated in public before. His gaze towards Qin Xin couldn¡¯t help but look slightly annoyed.
Qin Xin¡¯s heart sank even more when she saw this.
She was scared.
Since her rebirth ten years ago, she told herself that she must not lose to Qin Jiu, to be more clear, Qin Jiu from the previous life, so she took the initiative to get close to the second prince.
In order to make the second prince fall in love with her, she familiarized herself with his personality. She knows that he is prideful and now he must be angry that she had embarrassed him.
She can¡¯t let him hate her for this.
Qin Xin¡¯s pupils flickered.
Chapter 61 CFV Ch.61 Snitch (1)
¡°Your Highness¡¡¡±
She called out softly, she wanted to walk towards him, but stopped in her steps again, her eyes that were looking at Gu Jing was covered with a thinyer of mist, and her expression looked terrified, sad and pitiful.
She raised her hand to cover her forehead, her body swayed, and she fell to one side¡¡
¡°Xin¡¯er!¡±
Gu Jing, who was still angry, suddenly panicked and rushed over to hold Qin Xin¡¯s slender waist, he was deeply worried: ¡°Xin¡¯er, are you okay? Xin¡¯er¡¡¡±
Qin Xin¡¯s eyes were closed shut, lying in his arms, her eyshes quivered slightly, and her worries finally dissolved.
Qin Xin that suddenly passed out, caused chaos in the water pavilion.
Thedies cried out nervously, some maids went to get the smelling salt, some went to get chairs, and some asked Princess Ying Luo whether they had to call for the doctor¡¡
Gu Jing easily lifted Qin Xin up, and carried her to the chair brought by the maid. Even in a hurry, he didn¡¯t forget to nce at Qin Jiu, his gaze full of disgust.
Qin Jiu: ¡°¡¡¡±
Forget it, she is the vicious female supporting role. There was no difference between dislike and hatred¡¡ as if!
¡°Little girl, brew some tea for me.¡± At this moment, Gu Ze Zhi said.
Brew tea? Qin Jiu came back to her senses and thought in her heart: This ¡°ancestor¡± is still so used to ordering people!
But that remained as her own thought, Qin Jiu still picked up the teapot that was ced aside, and said to herself happily, she¡¯s already taken advantage of her golden patron today, it¡¯s just brewing tea, just do it.
Qin Jiu casually poured him a cup of tea and said: ¡°Big brother, please drink some tea.¡± Her attitude was extremely half-hearted.
Then, she poured herself a ss as well.
Gu Ze Zhi looked at Qin Jiu, who was joyful, and the cloudy tea in front of him. He couldn¡¯t help but smile, his brows glowing with radiant, ¡°Little girl, this tea is not good.¡±
Qin Jiu raised her head from the tea cup, she tried to look as innocent as she could. Isn¡¯t it just a cup of tea?!
Gu Ze Zhi made a gesture, and a maid immediately offered him aplete new tea set.
Gu Ze Zhi skillfully started to brew a new batch of tea, cleaned his hands, ran the tea sets with boiling water, washed the tea leaves, andstly brewed the tea¡¡ His movements were elegant, clean and neat, as if he wasn¡¯t brewing tea but was doing some kind of a ritual.
Qin Jiu suddenly felt that the tea she just poured was not ¡°tea¡± after all.
After a short while, a cup of tea that was clear and apanied with a mellow tea fragrance was pushed in front of Qin Jiu.
Gu Ze Zhi raised his eyebrows and said, ¡°Drink the tea.¡±
He didn¡¯t have to urge on, Qin Jiu had already picked up the tea cup, took a sip of the tea, and blinked slowly.
The fragrance of the tea lingered for quite some time, with a hint of bitterness and astringency in her mouth¡There wasn¡¯t much difference from what she just made!
The people around either looked at Qin Jiu and Gu Ze Zhi, or looked at Gu Jing and Qin Xin, with subtle expressions, whispering to each other.
Gu Jing frowned, he couldn¡¯t stay here anymore.
He once again carried Qin Xin and strode out of the water pavilion. Qin Sheng also chased after them while ordering Qin Xin¡¯s maid: ¡°Shu Xiang, you should go back to the Marquess Mansion and report to grandmother¡¡¡±
The group of people walked away in a hurry, leaving everyone in the water pavilion dazed.
When Gu Jing took Qin Xin back to the Zhong Yi Marquess Mansion, Elder Lady Qin was already waiting anxiously for them.
Qin Xin woke up on the way to the mansion, her small face was pale, and she weakly leaned against Gu Jing¡¯s chest. Everyone that saw her will pity her, like the weak and delicate buds on a branch.
Elder Lady Qin felt very distressed. Before waiting for them to bow, she stepped forward and took her hand, and asked with concern: ¡°Sister Xin, Shu Xiang said that you fainted¡¡what happened? Don¡¯t scare grandma.¡±
Chapter 62 CFV Ch.62 Snitch (2)
¡°Grandma.¡±
As soon as she saw Elder Lady Qin, Qin Xin¡¯s grievance surfaced, her eyes turned red, and shed with crystal tears, but she said nothing.
Elder Lady Qin¡¯s heart ached as if it was being pulled by someone, and she hurriedly said: ¡°Sister Xin, please quickly tell grandma, are you not feeling well, or had someone bullied you?¡±
¡°I, I¡¯m fine.¡± Qin Xin shook her head weakly, her eyes turned a darker shade of red, and tears were hanging from her eyes.
¡°Fine? Second sister, you¡¯ve fainted.¡± Qin Sheng, who came back with them, said uneasily, ¡°Grandma, it¡¯s all the wild girl¡¯s fault¡¡it¡¯s the third sister¡¯s fault! The third sister provoked her and she fainted!¡±
¡°Fourth sister, don¡¯t say any further¡¡¡±
¡°Second sister, it is clear that you were bullied.¡± Qin Sheng said angrily. ¡°Grandma, you have no idea what the third sister did today, she said that the second sister¡¯s parents are murderers in front of so many people at the Sheng Hua Pavilion. She also said that she has a lonely and cursed fate, and used her for holding back her birth characters.¡±
Qin Sheng got even more angry while talking, her face flushed with anger.
¡°Grandma, the third sister is crazy, she didn¡¯t care about our Qin family¡¯s pride and reputation!¡±
¡°Your granddaughter kindly took her to Sheng Hua Pavilion so that she could learn a thing or two, but she had to create chaos!¡±
¡°Your granddaughter will be ashamed to go out and face these people in the future.¡±
All this time, Qin Xin bowed her head slightly, and when she heard these words, the tears she had been holding flowed down from the corner of her eyes, she looked extremely pitiful.
She whispered in a low voice: ¡°Grandmother, it¡¯s my fault, it has nothing to do with the third sister¡¡¡±
Elder Lady Qin ced her arms around Qin Xin¡¯s slender shoulders, coaxing her softly.
Gu Jing felt distressed as well.
In addition to that, he felt immense anger in his heart. It wasn¡¯t only Qin Xin who was ashamed today, but he was included too.
Of course he would not me Qin Xin, after all, Qin Xin is innocent, and she has suffered such embarrassment in public.
It¡¯s all Qin Jiu¡¯s fault.
Gu Jing was doubtful, Qin Jiu must be backed by Empress Wei to be brave enough to humiliate him!
And Gu Ze Zhi as well¡¡
¡°Where is Qin Jiu?¡± Elder Lady Qin asked angrily.
¡°She¡¯s still at the Sheng Hua Pavilion.¡± Qin Sheng gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Hmph, she didn¡¯t feel any sense of remorse.¡±
Elder Lady Qin¡¯s face was stern, and her graceful face was as gloomy as deep dark water, and she said coldly: ¡°Mama Cui, head to Sheng Hua Pavilion now and bring Qin Jiu back!¡±
After that, she softly coaxed Qin Xin: ¡°Sister Xin, stop crying, grandma will definitely stand at your side.¡±
Mama Cui left in a hurry.
As soon as she left, she secretly asked someone to inform Qin Ze Zing. When she arrived at the Sheng Hua Pavilion, Qin Ze Ning had already rushed there on a horse.
Qin Ze Ning gave a polite bow to Mama Cui and went straight into Sheng Hua Pavilion.
At this time, the chanting event hadn¡¯t finished yet, Qin Ze Ning asked the maid and was informed that Qin Jiu was in the garden behind the pavilion, and hurriedly walked towards that direction.
Among the many well-dresseddies, Qin Ze Ning saw his little sister with just a nce.
The little girl sat in an octagonal pavilion with her cheeks in one hand, her small and exquisite chin slightly raised, a small smile stered on her face, like the bright and splendid spring.
Looking at her again, he noticed that his sister was not alone. Sitting across from her was a gentle and handsome young man in a purple robe who was talking to her with a smile, while her sister was listening intently. Qin Ze Ning suddenly had an inexplicable feeling in his heart.
His sister never sat with him and had a decent conversation like this before!
Qin Ze Ning took two steps at a time, quickening his footsteps and walked over.
Chapter 63 CFV Ch.63 Snitch (3)
From a distance, the warm and gentle voice of the youth sounded over the wind:
¡°¡¡The water temperature to brew the tea is very particr, the water temperature varies from different kinds of tea. This Pu¡¯er tea alone has a lot of things to pay attention to. For example, aged Pu¡¯er is suitable to brew with boiling water, while the pce Pu¡¯er made of bud tips and Pu¡¯er green tes are not advisable to use boiling water to avoid it from nching the tea leaves.¡±
¡°Different types of tea have different brewing times too. Old tea and coarse tea can be brewed longer, while young tea and fine tea are the opposite¡
¡°If the heat is not right, it will spoil the tea aroma and taste.¡±
¡°¡¡¡±
Qin Jiu sat there absent-mindedly, and nodded asionally.
She didn¡¯t quite understand what Gu Ze Zhi was saying. Aren¡¯t all Pu¡¯ers the same? She didn¡¯t know the difference between the pce Pu¡¯er and Pu¡¯er green tes. It all tastes the same!
Qin Jiu gave some response once in a while, her big apricot eyes were nk.
Gu Ze Zhi looked at Qin Jiu, and couldn¡¯t help but raise the corner of his lips.
This little girl seemed so innocent and harmless, but her ws were sharper than anyone else. Now she is in a daze and her ws shrunk, she was innocent again, just like a cat, she had two sides to her, which was very interesting.
The autumn breeze was neither cold nor hot, and the air covered with the fragrance of flowers lingered on the tip of their nose, which made people feel rxed, peaceful and calm.
Gu Ze Zhi¡¯s smile on the corners of his lips deepened, and he pushed the tea cup to Qin Jiu, ¡°Try making another cup of tea¡¡±
¡°Little sister.¡±
A man¡¯s voice interrupted Gu Ze Zhi at that time, Qin Jiu was suddenly brought out of her trance, and her spirits lifted. She followed the voice and looked at Qin Ze Ning, then shouted happily, ¡°Big Brother.¡±
Qin Ze Ning walked quickly to them and said to Qin Jiu: ¡°I¡¯vee to bring you home¡¡¡±
While he was talking to her, he nced at Gu Ze Zhi defensively.
¡°Okay.¡± Qin Jiu was thinking of running away but had no good excuse to do so. She immediately responded, impatiently got up and said to Gu Ze Zhi, ¡°Big Brother, I¡¯m going home now.¡±
Qin Ze Ning was stunned for a moment, only to realize that his sister¡¯s second call ¡°big brother¡± was not referring to him.
He narrowed his eyes, his gaze darkened, and he looked at Gu Ze Zhi again, and his gaze wasn¡¯t only cautious, but also dissatisfied.
¡°This is¡¡¡± Qin Ze Zing asked calmly.
¡°The third son of Duke Duan. The great¡¡.third son Gu, this is my eldest brother.¡± Qin Jiu briefly introduced, then looked at Qin Ze Ning with scorching eyes, signalling that they could leave now.
Gu Ze Zhi smiled slightly and said: ¡°Little girl, I just taught you¡¡¡±
Qin Jiu¡¯s heart skipped a beat, fearing that he would let her brew tea again, and hurriedly said, ¡°Thank you, big brother, for your advice, next time I will treat big brother with a good cup of tea.¡±
Gu Ze Zhi nodded, ¡°Little girl, you must remember what you¡¯ve promised me.¡±
¡°I will remember, I will definitely remember.¡±
Qin Jiu simply replied in response, and quickly pulled Qin Ze Ning away.
Gu Ze Zhi sat alone in the pavilion, made a cup of tea for himself, his gestures were elegant and calm.
Seeing Qin Jiu¡¯s departure, the third prince, Gu Rui came over and said apologetically to Gu Ze Zhi: ¡°Uncle Ze, just now, the second brother was just too impatient.¡±
He really didn¡¯t know what his second brother was thinking, he actually left Gu Ze Zhi here all by himself. Haih, it¡¯s too unwise of him to embarrass him like this.
Gu Rui didn¡¯t show any emotions on his face, and changed the subject with a smile: ¡°Uncle Ze, I¡¯m ying darts over there. Would you like to check it out?¡±
¡°Alright.¡±
Gu Ze Zhi put down the tea cup in his hands, got up, followed Gu Rui and walked over to the willow tree not too far away from them, with a calm posture.
Chapter 64 CFV Ch.64 Soft-hearted (1)
Qin Jiu left Sheng Hua Pavilion with Qin Ze Ning.
Along the way, Qin Jiu recited what had happened just now, and then asked: ¡°It was Qin Xin who went toin to grandmother right.¡±
Qin Ze Ning nodded and said angrily: ¡°Sister, you are doing the right thing. If Qin Xin dares to mess with you again in the future, you can just hit her. Whatever happens, you will have my support! Ha, this Qin Xin, she still had the guts to snitch on you.¡±
Qin Jiu was not surprised. In other words, she had guessed that they would snitch on her upon returning to the Marquess Mansion.
But she already went all out at the time, and it¡¯s impossible for her to call truce with them now.
She didn¡¯t expect Qin Ze Ning toe for her.
While speaking, Qin Jiu already saw Mama Cui, who was waiting next to the carriage. As she saw the both of them walk out, Mama Cui smiled and bowed politely, ¡°Master, thirddy.¡±
Qin Ze Ning said: ¡°It was Mama Cui who asked someone to notify me about the news.¡±
Qin Jiu blinked as she looked at Mama Cui who was a few steps away.
¡°I watched thest crown prince grow up.¡± Mama Cui took the initiative to exin.
The st crown prince¡± in her words referred to the former Zhong Yi Marquess¡¯s crown prince, Qin Jue, who was the biological father of Qin Ze Ning and Qin Jiu.
¡°At that time, the nanny that was chosen by your grandmother for the former crown prince suffered a sudden illness, and I had to be the former crown prince¡¯s nanny. In other words, I was the one who watched the former crown prince grow up.¡±
Back then, Mama Cui¡¯s child that was less than half a year old passed away, so she treated Qin Jue, who fed on her breast milk, as her own child.
Thinking of Qin Jue¡¯s death at such a young age, Mama Cui¡¯s expression inevitably showed a hint of sadness.
¡°Twelve years ago, when the Qin family was exiled, Mama Cui went along with them.¡± Qin Ze Ning added, ¡°Little sister, if you have any difficulties in the future, just discuss with Mama Cui.¡± He always had errands to run so he can¡¯t always be here for her. It would be much better to have Mama Cui watching over her.
Qin Jiu responded with a smile and bowed politely to Mama Cui again. Mama Cui hurriedly rejected it and said ¡°I don¡¯t deserve it¡± dozens of times.
¡°Thirddy,¡± Mama Cui said worriedly, ¡°Elder Lady Qin is fumed with anger¡¡¡±
¡°Let¡¯s go back first.¡± Qin Jiu already had so much to worry about anyway.
The siblings and Mama Cui returned to Zhong Yi Marquess Mansion in no time, and they went straight to Rong He hall.
As soon as they stepped into Rong He hall, a cup suddenly flew in towards Qin Jiu¡¯s direction, and fell just at her feet.
¡°Piak!¡±
The tea cup shattered and the tea sshed everywhere.
Immediately afterwards, Elder Lady Qin¡¯s angry voice sounded: ¡°Kneel down!¡±
Qin Ze Ning squinted his eyes, and guarded Qin Jiu behind him.
Mama Cui frowned worriedly. Just as she was about to say something to calm her down, Qin Jiu spoke first: ¡°Grandma, what¡¯s the matter? Who made you upset?¡±
While she said that, she nced at Qin Xin who was sitting next to Elder Lady Qin. Although she didn¡¯t mention Qin Xin in her words, they all knew what she meant.
Qin Xin was so angry that Qin Jiu nced at her, her gaze darkened.
Yesterday, when Qin Jiu just returned to the Marquess Mansion, she kept quiet and did not say a word for quite some time. Qin Xin thought she was timid. Now, she really wanted to go back in time to p her innocent self awake.
Qin Jiu looked calmly at Qin Xin¡¯s eyes.
Chapter 65 CFV Ch.65 Soft-hearted (2)
Anyway, she was already on bad terms with the female lead, as the saying goes ¡°when you¡¯re up to your ears in debt you stop worrying¡±.
¡°Haih.¡± Qin Jiu sighed, ¡°Honestly, second sister!¡±
¡°Qin Jiu!¡± Elder Lady Qin angrily yelled at her, and the pity that she had for her in the past had beenpletely reced by anger at this moment, ¡°You don¡¯t even know what you¡¯ve done wrong!¡±
Qin Jiu blinked with her big eyes and said innocently, ¡°I don¡¯t understand what grandmother is talking about¡¡ What did I do wrong?¡±
¡°Grandma, don¡¯t continue any further.¡± Qin Xin¡¯s voice sounded like she was crying, her eyshes trembled, and it felt like tears would fall down at any moment. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. The third sister doesn¡¯t like me. Grandma, just let me go to the rural vige.¡± As she spoke, she got up to leave.
¡°Sister Xin, what nonsense are you talking about.¡± Elder Lady Qin hurriedly grabbed Qin Xin, gently patted Qin Xin on her back twice, and blurted out angrily, ¡°Qin Jiu should be the one going there!¡±
After she spoke, Elder Lady Qin realised that this was a good idea.
Qin Jiu, this girl, she relied on Empress Wei¡¯s support, that¡¯s why she could be so rampant, she just returned to the mansion and had already caused such trouble, the family wouldn¡¯t have peace. If she continued to stay in the mansion, she would create so much conflict between everyone!
Today, sister Xin and sister Sheng took her to the chanting event out of kindness. However. she actually talked nonsense in front of the nobledies, exposing all of their secrets, without even caring about the reputation of the Marquess¡¯s family at all.
Lady Su was right. The young girl who grew up in the countryside is uncultured, even if Empress Wei trained her to look proper on the outside, she could never change the fact that she still is the wild girl from the vige.
She must let this girl know that she must abide by the rules of the Marquess family!
¡°Mama Cui,¡± Elder Lady Qin ordered with a stern face, ¡°Order someone to prepare a carriage and send the thirddy to Yang He vige immediately!¡±
¡°Elder Lady Qin, the thirddy¡¡±
Mama Cui wanted to persuade her, but she was interrupted by Elder Lady Qin in a cold voice: ¡°Don¡¯t say anything further, I must punish her today! I have to let her reflect upon her own mistakes.¡±
¡°When she knows what she did wrong, then she would only be allowed toe back!¡±
¡°Zhong Yi Marquess Mansion cannot tolerate a selfish person like her!¡±
Elder Lady Qin looked at Qin Jiu who was a few steps away, her gaze was sharp.
Qin Jiu stood still silently, with her head low, until Elder Lady Qin finished speaking, she then only raised her head up, crystal clear tears rolled in her eyes, her face stered with innocence, and shouted: ¡°Grandma¡ ¡¡±
Elder Lady Qin was taken aback by her sad expression. She was dumbfounded and somewhat softened, but she suppressed her emotions and her voice rose by two pitches: ¡°Mama Cui, what are you doing standing there? Quickly prepare the carriage and send¡..¡± her away.
¡°Grandma,¡± Qin Jiu¡¯s eyes seemed to have been washed by the rain, and they were clear and bright, reflecting clearly on Elder Lady Qin¡¯s face, ¡°It is clearly the second sister¡¯s fault, I am innocent.¡±
Qin Jiu sobbed slightly, and thest three words sounded both aggrieved and persistent.
¡°I know that grandmother favours my second elder sister. After all, the second elder sister had stayed with grandmother for around ten years? I wasn¡¯t the one who was taken back to the mansion back then!¡± Qin Jiu got more and more sad while she talked on, dabbing the corner of her eye with her handkerchief. Her shoulders trembled slightly.
Chapter 66 CFV Ch.66 Soft-hearted (3)
She was born thin and small, and her big eyes were particrly prominent on her palm-sized face, making her look more pitiful.
Elder Lady Qin was soft-hearted. Yes, it wasn¡¯t Qin Jiu¡¯s fault that she was raised in the countryside.
Qin Xin has a bad feeling in her heart.
She was raised alongside Elder Lady Qin since she was a child, she knows nothing better then her grandmother¡¯s indecisive temperament.
Qin Xin signaled Shu Xiang with her eyes, and Shu Xiang immediately understood what she meant, and whispered with her nervous expression: ¡°Youngdy¡¡¡±
Shu Xiang took out the smelling salt and ced it under Qin Xin¡¯s nose, and stroked Qin Xin¡¯s back with one hand.
Elder Lady Qin looked at Qin Xin¡¯s weak face, and her heart felt as if it was pricked by a needle. The doctor just said that her second granddaughter was provoked, that¡¯s why she is so worried and depressed, and that she should rest for a few days.
Her sister Xin had never felt so wronged before!
When she thought of this, Elder Lady Qin persisted, ¡°Qin Jiu, you¡¡¡±
¡°Grandma,¡± Qin Jiu¡¯s face was sulking, sobbing and crying out of breath, ¡°Since you like the second sister so much, why did you have to take me back?¡±
¡°Since the Qin family can¡¯t ept me, I will leave now!¡±
¡°The Empress¡¯s aunt really likes me, she will definitely believe me.¡±
¡°I will nevere back again!¡±
Qin Jiu covered her small mouth with a handkerchief, she sobbed out loud, turned and ran away.
¡°Little sister!¡± Qin Ze Ning hurried to catch up with her.
The curtains at the door leading outside were continuously lifted and dropped. The curtain swayed in mid-air, and the sound of footsteps gradually faded away.
Elder Lady Qin: ¡°¡¡¡±
What did she just say? !
Yes!
She wants to send Qin Jiu to the vige, but where is she now?
Elder Lady Qin stared nkly at the curtain in front of her, slightly dazed, for a while, she didn¡¯t know how to respond to the situation.
After Qin Jiu ran to the Rong An hall¡¯s courtyard, she put down the handkerchief in her hand, her small jade-like face was clean and there were no traces of tears.
She tucked her handkerchief into her sleeve, turned her head towards the back and smiled brilliantly towards the Qin Ze Ning that ¡°followed her out¡±, her eyes shining like the cold stars in the sky.
Just now when Elder Lady Qin said that she was going to send Qin Jiu to the vige, Qin Ze Ning felt angry and was about to go wild, but was quietly stopped by Qin Jiu who was secretly tugging on his clothes.
Qin Ze Ning remained calm at first, and the next moment, he saw his sister ¡°cry¡± even more sorrowful than Qin Xin¡¡
Her innocence and grievances, anyone who saw or heard her would feel bad for her.
¡¡
This is so interesting!
She deserves to be his sister, her actionspletely suited his style!
Qin Ze Ning looked at his sister who was a head shorter than himself, and the corners of his lips curled up.
When the young man smiled, his handsome face was shining like a ray of light from the sun, refreshing and energetic.
¡°Big brother, remember to tell Mama Cuiter, to not worry.¡± Qin Jiu said again.
Just now, Mama Cui repeatedly signaled her with her eyes with a worried look, obviously she was really worried about the both of them.
Qin Ze Ning nodded in response, and said, ¡°Little sister, I will send you to the pce first.¡±
So, Qin Ze Ning rode all the way on his horse, escorting Qin Jiu¡¯s carriage out of the mansion.
Qin Ze Ning led the imperial guards along, he handed over his badge at the pce gate, and asked someone to report to Empress Wei. Not long after, the little servant of Feng Luan Pce hurried over and led Qin Jiu in.
Chapter 67 CFV Ch.67 Cause (1)
¡°Jiu.¡±
After seeing Qin Qiu that just left yesterdaye back today, Empress Wei quickly waved and signaled her toe to her side, she concernedly asked: ¡°Are you okay? Did the Qin Family bully you again?¡± Empress Wei¡¯s eyes flickered.
Qin Jiu bowed, and walked towards Empress Wei, she smiled happily and said: ¡° Aunt, don¡¯t worry,I wasn¡¯t bullied, it was Qin Xin that was ¡°bullied¡± by me. I¡¯m here so I could stay away from trouble.¡±
It was only her that would say ¡°stay away from trouble¡± so proudly.
Empress Wei was curious about what Qin Jiu¡¯s words meant, she raised her eyebrows: ¡°What happened?¡±
Qin Jiu wasn¡¯t thinking of hiding it from her anyway, she told the empress the whole story, and emphasized on how she unleashed her words on Qin Xin. As expected, Empress Wei was overwhelmed with joy after hearing her story, she even cried as she wasughing too hard.
Empress Wei reached out her small, delicate hands and poked on Jiu¡¯s forehead, she smiled and said: ¡° you naughty little fe.¡±
Empress Wei with a smile in her eyes, thought: Jiu is truly her younger sister¡¯s daughter, they have the same personality, resilient and refused to ever give up!
Looking back, Qin Xi, that little girl, was nothingpared to her sister. She acted innocent all the time, and always looked like she was about to cry. She was to me as well, after all these years, she didn¡¯t realise Qing Xi was this kind of a person!
Empress Wei held Qin Jiu¡¯s hand and said: ¡°Jiu, if you encounter this kind of situation next time, don¡¯t be afraid and just do anything you want! I¡¯m always here to support you.¡±
What she said was exactly the same as what Qin Ze Ning had said, she swiftly agreed with a bright smile, she wasn¡¯t shy about it at all.
Empress Wei then said: ¡°Jiu, the priest, Yun Guang you mentioned just now¡¡¡±
While speaking, a small figure could be seen running towards them, his voice could be heard even before he arrived.
¡±Mama, Cousin Jiu.¡±
It was the sixth prince, Gu Zhen that just finished his lessons in the imperial study room.
¡°Cousin Jiu, you are back.¡± Gu Zhen happily pulled on Qin Jiu¡¯s hand, his white and chubby face was glowing with joy.
¡°Jiu, Zhen was unhappy after knowing that you left after he returned from his studies.¡± Empress Wei smiled gently, ¡°He even nagged for a while, asking when would you be back.¡± Empress Wei and Gu Zhen said the same thing, to e back.¡±
¡°Jiu, you should just stay in the pcefortably.¡±
¡°You should only go back when your grandmother acknowledges her wrongdoings.¡±
Empress Wei¡¯s smile was graceful and loving.
Qin Jiu happily answered: ¡°Sure.¡± Living here was sofortable, she didn¡¯t need to fight with the female lead in a battle of wits and courage, she really didn¡¯t mind staying here for a longer period of time.
¡°Cousin Jiu,e and y the puzzle ring with me.¡± Gu Qin quickly ordered his servant to get the rings, his big ck eyes shining.
The puzzle rings were formed and connected with nine metal loops, and set on a frame. Gu Qin had the whole set of puzzle rings, they had different shapes including the basic sword shape, a flower shape,ntern shape, butterfly shape, goldfish shape and many more.
Gu Qin was still young, but he was very clever. The puzzle rings were in his hands, his bun shaped hands were swift, dancing around quickly, and a set of puzzle rings was solved in seconds.
¡°Amazing.¡±
Qin Jiu happily picked up and yed with a puzzle ring, thinking that she should make a Rubik¡¯s cube and let Gu Zhen have a go at it.
Empress Wei looked at them ying with a gentle expression, and asked: ¡°Jiu, you mentioned that Yun Guang was sent to the Jing Zhao residence?¡±
Qin Jiu nodded, ¡° Aunt, do you know the priest, Yun Guang as well?¡±
Chapter 68 CFV Ch.68 Cause (2)
¡°Of course.¡± The empress smirked, and slowly said, ¡° Yun Guang had gained fame in the capital all these years. The Empress Dowager always believed in Taoism. However, one time, when she visited theXuan Qing temple, she had a headache all of a sudden, Yun Guang drew a paper charm, burnt the charm in water and served it to the dowager.The dowager recovered instantly after drinking it. Since then, Yun Guang had gained the trust of the dowager and she frequently brought her into the pce.
At this moment, Gu Zhen solved another puzzle ring again, he was staring at Qin Jiu with a hopeful look, her heart instantly melted at the sight of him.
¡°Zhen, you are brilliant!¡±
Qin Jiu apuded and carassed his soft hair. Gu Zhen smiled shyly, his lips pursed, the 4 year old boy looked cute and well behaved.
Empress Wei¡¯s smile softened.
Gu Zhen continued to y with his toy again, Qin Jiu looked at the empress and continued the conversation: ¡°Aunt, do you think the priest really has the skills?¡±
She felt that Yun Guang wasn¡¯t reliable at all.
After having the incredible experience of ¡°traversing through a book¡±, Qin Jiu could no longer confidently say that she believed in science.
However, she still firmly believes that masters wouldn¡¯t be so easily tricked by Qin Xi.
¡°It is just evil sorcery.¡± Empress Wei frowned, said disdainfully.
Speaking about Yun Guang, the empress felt uneasy. Her thoughts words were initially buried deep down, as she did not have anyone toin to, now that Qin Jiu was here, she could finally express her thoughts : ¡°If it was the dowager that trusts Yun Guang, I wouldn¡¯t even bother. However, the priest would always bring precious medicines to the dowager. The dowager would then ask the emperor to consume them!¡±
¡°The emperor has a good temper, he couldn¡¯t reject his mother¡¯s request and could only consume the medicine.¡± Empress Wei got even grumpier, her well-cared hands tightly grabbed the side of a napkin, ¡°Since the emperor started taking these medicines one year ago, his body had been growing weaker. The dowager chose to ignore this fact and persisted that those medicines could prolong his life!¡±
¡°A few days ago, Yun Guang was again invited to the temple. This time, she gave the dowager a folk prescription, exaggerating that the prescription could cure the emperor¡¯s chronic illness. The dowager treated the prescription like treasure and requested someone to make the pills for the Emperor.¡±
Qin Jiu eyes widened in disbelief.
It turns out, all this time, the emperor had been consuming the pills ?!
Qin Jiu blinked, she suddenly remembered the plot in this novel, describing that the Emperor was obsessed with these prescriptions, and he had to take these pills every single day. After that, the Emperor didn¡¯t care about the court affairs, luckily, there was the second prince helping his father deal with matters¡..
However, hearing from the words of Empress Wei, the Emperor doesn¡¯t seem like he was ¡°addicted¡± to the pills to such an uncontroble extent.
Qin Jiu knew that medicines in this era were mostly made with cinnabar, and it¡¯s poisonous. There were a lot of emperors seeked to prolong his own life and would consume it. However, none of them lived a long life.
¡°Aunt,¡± Qin Jiu frowned, and asked, ¡°Have you let the imperial physician review the prescription of these pills?¡±
¡°The imperial physician have tested them, and concluded that they weren¡¯t poisonous.¡± Empress Wei sighed.
Anything that was consumed by the Emperor needed to be checked by an expert, simrly, the pills were also examined. If the pills were poisonous, Empress Wei would have neverpromised.
Empress Wei furrowed her brows out of anxiety.
Fourteen years ago, when the Emperor was still a prince, he was nearly abolished by the former emperor. After that, it was at the strong requests of the civil and military officials, the former emperor only then reluctantly epted the request.
Chapter 69 CFV Ch.69 Cause (3)
Yet, the emperor was still locked up for 3 years. There was a time, he was locked in a horse stable for half a year by his father.
The 3 years were tough for the both of them. His eldest son died, the emperor¡¯s body was also weaker than an average person¡¯s because of all the ordeals he had to deal with.
However, from the advice of the imperial physician, if the emperor was well cared for, he would still live a longer life than the others.
However, since consuming the pills one year ago, the Emperor¡¯s health showed no signs of recovery, it got even worse, and he found it hard to fall asleep. Recently, an abscess even grew on his back.
The more Empress Wei thought of it, the more worried she got, and her heart felt like it was being squeezed together.
Qin Jiu was careful with her words: ¡°Aunt, is it possible that the medicines are slightly poisonous? It would be totally fine if he took them once or twice, however, the longer he took them, the poison would umte inside his body. Hence, the medicine could pass the imperial physician¡¯s safety test. If the emperor continuously took the pills, the effects would then slowly appear.
How could Empress Wei not think about this hypothetical situation that Qin Jiu just mentioned to her? Her expressions looked slightly grave.
She suspected this long ago and had mentioned it to the Empress Dowager. However, the dowager doubted her and said that the medicine consumed by the emperor was insufficient for the medicine to show positive results just yet. The emperor as a caring son didn¡¯t want his mother to worry, he was left with no choice but to continue taking the pills.
Empress Wei sighed: ¡° I already secretly ordered someone to bring the pills and have them examined by the folk¡¯s doctor.¡±
Qin Jiu pondered for a moment, and raised her lips thoughtfully. When she was about to speak, Gu Zhen, who was solving the puzzle ring suddenly cheered: ¡°Cousin Jiu,e take a look, I solved all of it!¡±
Gu Zhen¡¯s eyes were as ck as the dark sky, and his bright smile was like the sun that rose from within the dark clouds, that could blow all the sorrows away.
¡°You are so brilliant, Zhen !¡± Qin Jiu apuded Gu Zhen again, then shook the puzzle ring on her hands, ¡°Zhen, I only managed to solve one, could you teach me?¡¯
¡°Sure!¡± Gu Zhen raised his head, and his chubby fingers pointed at the puzzle ring, ¡°Cousin, you should do it like this¡¡¡±
He was exining attentively to Qin Jiu, like a little teacher, his highly raised lips and flushed cheeks glowed with excitement.
Empress Wei smiled and looked at the pair who were getting along well, her worries slightly dissipated, and her gaze softened.
The wind was blowing, and made the branches and leaves rustle. The ambience in Feng Luan Pcewas peaceful andfortable.
That day, Qin Jiu stayed in the pce, the same room which was at the side hall of the Feng Luan pce.
The next few days, Qin Jiu lived afortable life staying in the pce. Everyday, she would apany and talk with Empress Wei, or y with Gu Zhen, or read a book, she truly enjoyed the days.
Empress Wei even specially instructed the imperial physician to produce a medicine for her to apply every day. Since then, her old scars had faded, and her rough skin that was caused by the harsh weather was as soft and delicate as a baby¡¯s skin.
During her free time, she even drew a sketch of a Rubik¡¯s cube, and requested the craftsman in Empress Wei¡¯s pce to make it.
Qin Jiu only provided a simple sketch, on it was a rough drawing of the Rubik¡¯s cube¡¯s design, she alsobelled the dimension of each part and the approximate gamey. In a short period of three days, the craftsman had alreadypleted the Rubik¡¯s cube.
Chapter 70 CFV Ch.70 Wrongdoings (1)
The new Rubik¡¯s cube had a hint of soft fragrance from the pine wood and paint.
Qin Jiu held the cube and yed for a while, each turning of the cube was smooth. Inparison with the modern world, the cube highly resembled theirs, and it was crafted rather exquisitely, with vibrant colors painted on it, attracting the others¡¯ attention.
After seeing the Rubik¡¯s cube, Gu Zhen liked it very much. Qin Jiu only taught him once, and the little fe could already y with it on his own.
¡°Click, Click, Click¡.¡±
The rotating sound of the magic cube echoed in the air.
Gu Zhen seemed to have something on his mind. After ying with the cube for a while, he could not help but rant towards Qin Jiu softly:
¡°Cousin. Let me tell you a secret. Yesterday, mama was scolded by the dowager during the morning greeting.¡±
¡°The dowager told the empress that she should mind her own business.¡±
¡°She even reminded her that the imperial noble consort¡¯sst name was ¡°Liu¡±!¡±
¡°Cousin, what does it mean to mind your own business?¡± Gu Zhen looked up to Qin Jiu, his innocent face looked puzzled, ¡°Did my mother do something wrong?¡±
Gu Zhen¡¯s words were not clear, but Qin Jiu roughly understands what he tries to convey.
She had been staying in the pce for a while, and knew that the Empress was still investigating the incident when Gu Zhen fell into the waters of Qing Jing temple, her sources led her to the imperial noble consort.
These days, Empress Wei had been using the reason of managing the cost of the imperial harem and released a group of pce maids from the ce, removing all of the imperial noble consort¡¯s spies in the pce.
Qin Jiu still had no idea that the imperial noble consort was not only the biological mother to the second prince, Gu Zhen. She was also the Empress Dowager¡¯s niece and had the samest name, ¡°Liu¡±.
Therefore, it could be seen that the dowager was helping the imperial noble consort.
Qin Jiu gently touched Gu Zhen¡¯s head, and exined: ¡°What the dowager meant was that my aunt shouldn¡¯t be a busybody, but..¡.¡±
She stopped, and continued,¡± But, my aunt is the Empress, the lord of the imperial harem, she has the duty and responsibility to manage the ce, this is her right and power.
Qin Jiu lowered herself, looked in his eyes, and said slowly: ¡°So, my aunt isn¡¯t wrong.¡±
¡°Ok!¡± Gu Zhen smiled, on his cute chubby face, was a bright smile.
He nodded his head strongly, ¡° I believe you!¡±
Gu Zhen felt relieved now!
Although he had no clear idea what did the dowager mean, Madam Lee had secretly told him that the dowager was angry at the empress, and asked him to advise his mother to apologise to her. Only then, the dowager would calm down.
Gu Zhen was slightly confused, but he still felt that something wasn¡¯t right.
Hence, he whispered and asked Qin Jiu.
Now that Qin Jiu told him that the empress was right, and everything was fine!
Gu Zhen¡¯s gaze was bright and full of trust, he said: ¡°Actually, the Empress Dowager doesn¡¯t like me at all.¡±
He was only four, but every time he spoke about this, he couldn¡¯t cover the sadness in his eyes.
¡°The empress loves Zhen, the emperor likes Zhen, and I also like Zhen.¡± Qin Jiu said in a happy tone, ¡°Those who don¡¯t like Zhen, we shouldn¡¯t force them to.¡±
¡°Ok!¡± Gu Jin nodded his head strongly again, the corners of his lips showed a shallow dimple.
That¡¯s right, he still has the empress, emperor and cousin Jiu!
Gu Jin¡¯s vision fell on the Rubik¡¯s cube that was held in Qin Jiu¡¯s hand, furrowed his brows, he pointed at the cube and said:¡± This is wrong, you should turn it the other way round!¡±
¡°No! It should be on the right side.¡± Qin Jiu persisted.
¡°Cousin, if you don¡¯t believe me, you will regret your decision!¡±
¡°¡¡¡±
They talked andughed, and no one noticed that Empress Wei was standing outside the door quietly for quite a moment.
Empress Wei didn¡¯t go in, she turned around and left.
Chapter 71 CFV Ch.71 Wrongdoings (2)
¡°Your highness, we don¡¯t know what that ¡®someone¡± is up to.¡± Madam Xu was Empress Wei¡¯s nanny. That year, she followed the empress that just married into the east pce and had always been loyal to her. ¡°That someone even tried to confuse the prince, wanting to ruin the rtionship between you and the prince.¡± Madam Xu said in an indignant manner.
Empress Wei looked tense.
These days, all the evidence she investigated was pointing towards the imperial noble consort, she could be quite certain that it was the noble consort that wanted to hurt her son.
The empress¡¯s hand that was hidden in her sleeves clenched into fist, her fingertips tightly pinched into her palms, her mind spun quickly: If it was real that Zhen¡¯er was tricked by the dowager to go against her, and force her to apologise. She would probablypromise just for her son.
The dowager knew her well, knowing that her weakness was Zhen.
Empress Wei ridiculed with a cold tone: ¡°The dowager likes Gu Jing, and treats him as her sweetheart; Zhen, in contrast, was just a tool that she could take advantage of!¡±
¡°Fortunately, we still have Jiu.¡± Madam Xu said in relief, ¡°You didn¡¯t waste your efforts in loving her.¡±
Empress Wei smiled and nodded, her eyes that were ice cold just now had a hint of happiness in them, she then said: ¡°Madam Xu, I¡¯ve finallye to a realisation that counterfeit goods will always be fake.¡±
¡°You are right, my highness¡± Madam Xu nodded and agreed, ¡°In the past, I already felt that there was a gap between your highness and Qin Xi.¡±
¡°During that time, I wanted to treat her well, but I felt that I somehow couldn¡¯t get close with her.¡± Empress Wei sighed and continued: ¡°However, when I¡¯m with Jiu, I feel at ease.¡±
¡°Your highness, the issue with the noble consort and Empress Dowager¡¡¡± Madam Xu hesitantly asked, ¡° Should we inform the emperor?¡±
Empress Wei shook her head, ¡°The emperor is not feeling well these days, and he still needs to deal with the officer from Bei Yen.¡±
She continued in a calm tone: ¡° Let¡¯s discuss further after the celebration of the Qian Qiu Festival.¡±
Talking about ¡°Qian Qiu Festival¡±, Madam Xu¡¯s eyebrows frowned, she looked agitated.
Not long ago, the Empress Dowager saw as the empress was busy preparing for the emperor¡¯s birthday banquet, and intentionally requested the noble consort to assist her in the pce affairs. However, to the empress, the task was rtively easy and she chose to be ignorant of it.
The festival was held every year, Empress Wei could prepare it orderly, they could just follow the old rules.
However the words of the empress dowager, had led her to consider another thought. The second day while she was handling the pce affairs, she brought Qin Jiu by her side.
Qin Jiu:¡±¡..¡±
Facing Qin Jiu who totally had no idea what was going on, Empress Wei couldn¡¯t hold back herughter and exined: ¡°Jiu, your mother is gone and your grandmother is not trust-worthy¡.You are going to marry someone soon, and by bringing you by my side, you could learn from me on how to cook and prepare food.¡±
¡°In fact, there is not much difference between a mansion and pce, it still goes down to just the basic necessities. We don¡¯t need to do everything ourselves, as long as we are in control of the rough direction. Otherwise, it will be useless for us to hire so many people right?¡±
Since Empress Wei said so, Qin Jiu could only follow and took up the ount book that Empress Wei passed to her.
Empress Wei smiled dly and said: ¡° You are going to reach your marriageable age next year. When the timees, aunt would help you pick a good partner.¡±
Qin Jiu was preparing to look at the ount book, but after listening to what Emperor Wei said, it was like a bomb had fallen on her, the shock left her dazed.
No wonder, it seems like the girls now would marry at the age of 15.
The original host is already 14 years old¡.
Qin Jiu¡¯s eyes were wide open, she didn¡¯t feel good right now.
Chapter 72 CFV Ch.72 Wrongdoings (3)
¡°Jiu, take some time and finish reading the ount book..¡.¡±
Empress Wei¡¯s gentle voice echoed in her ears, however Qin Jiu was so immersed in the bad news that she was about to get married, she couldn¡¯t take in anything else.
During the weekdays, Empress Wei would normally handle the pce affairs. However, she wanted to teach Qin Jiu, so she slowed down her pace.
Before lunch, Madam Xu went out, when she came back, she reported: ¡°Mistress, the empress dowager had already instructed someone to the Jing Zhao residence to fetch the priest, Yun Guang.¡±
Empress Wei elegantly ced down the spoon in her hand, her pinky finger raised slightly, and she used a napkin to wipe the corner of her lips, nodded and said: ¡°Where are they right now?¡±
¡°They are in Ci Ning pce, preaching and walking through the medicine prescription.¡± Madam Xu answered.
Empress Wei instructed with a smile : ¡° Could you please visit Ci Ning pce, inform them that I know that the dowager believes in Taoism, and have specially prepared a ce for the priest, Yun Guang to preach nearby the Ci Ning pce¡¡¡±
Madam Xu then stepped back after epting the order.
Empress Wei meaningfully looked at Qin Jiu and winked.
Qin Jiu smiled, her eyes were shaped like crescent, she looked innocent and naive.
It was Qin Jiu¡¯s idea, to intentionally leak the news to the Emperor Dowager that Yun Guang was locked in the Jin Zhao residence.
¡°Jiu¡± Emperor Wei confirmed again, ¡° Are you sure that there¡¯s something wrong with the pills?¡±
Qin Jiu firmly nodded her head
She was sure that there was something wrong with the pills, and that they couldn¡¯t be consumed for a long period!
Empress Wei trusted Qin Jiu, and did not question further. She then switched the conversation and said: ¡°Jiu, after you¡¯ve finished your lunch, you must finish looking at the ount book.¡±
Qin Jiu: ¡°¡¡¡±
Thinking about the bunch of numbers and traditional chinese words, she suddenly felt that the dishes before her were not as scrumptious anymore.
The Empress Dowager¡¯s birthday was on October 21th.
That morning, the morous Lady Qin brought her daughter inw, Su and Qing Xi along to the pce.
They first greeted Empress Wei in the Feng Luan pce, just before they stepped into the main pce, they saw Qin Jiu that was sitting beside Empress Wei.
Lady Qin and her daughter inw¡¯s gaze fell on Qin Jiu.
They hadn¡¯t seen her for 10 days, she looked so different than before. Her skin became fairer, and her temperament had changed, with a hint of confidence and elegance. The corner of her lips pursed up, she looked calm and rxed, she had the aura of a noble daughter from a well-known family.
Lady Qin had mixed feelings.
¡°Greetings, Empress Wei.¡±
After they bowed to Empress Wei, Lady Qin frowned and said to Qin Jiu: ¡°Jiu, you should follow us back home today. Don¡¯t trouble the empress by staying in the pce anymore.¡±
That day, after Qin Jiu rushed out from the Rong He hall, Lady Qin was shocked, and she didn¡¯t know how to respond. Qin Xi, on the other hand, was worried: ¡°Grandma, would the third sisterin about us to Empress Wei? It is better for me to just head to the vige¡¡¡±
After hearing what Qin Xi had said that day, Lady Qin felt very angry and chose not to enter the pce from then on, thinking that Qin Jiu would apologize one day. In contrast, not only did Qin Jiu not give in, she even started tofortably settle down in the pce.
At this moment, seeing Qin Jiu at Empress Wei¡¯s side, like a pair of mother and daughter. Lady Qin felt embarrassed.
No matter what, she saw Qin Jiu, and there was no excuse to not bring her back today.
Qin Jiu smirked, and didn¡¯t reply to Lady Qin.
Empress Wei slowly used the lid of the tea cup to wipe off the residue floating on the tea, she said in a calm tone: ¡°Lady Qin, do you admit to your wrongdoings now?¡±
Chapter 73 CFV Ch.73 Close (1)
¡°¡¡¡± Lady Qin and the others looked at the empress in disbelief. What did she do wrong?
In the Feng Luan pce, around 7 or 8dies from the noble families had already arrived. After listening to Empress Wei, all of their graceful looking faces showed interest in what was happening.
Empress Wei shook her head and sighed: ¡°You don¡¯t seem to know yet.¡±
Su knew that something felt wrong. However, they were at the Feng Luan pce, everyone here would believe anything the empress said, so they should just go along with her.
After they brought Qin Jiu back to the residence, they could scold and punish her as their wish, as it was their own family affair. The empress, that would know about this issue could not punish them for their wrongdoings as it was not her responsibility.
Su smiled apologetically: ¡°My highness, it is my..¡.¡±
She wanted to stand in for Lady Qin, yet she was harshly interrupted by the Empress:
¡°Someone, please take them to meet the imperial noble consort.¡±
In front of such an audience, the Empress did not even care about Lady Qin¡¯s feelings
Lady Qin, Su and Qing Xin felt that the gaze from the people around them was like a needle poking on their faces, their faces turned bright red.
Qing Xi looked stiff, she was ashamed and angered.
This was the first time Qing Xi met Empress Wei after Qin Jiu¡¯s return. Previously, Empress Wei would still treat her nicely as she was the daughter of her sister, this was her first time facing the empress¡¯s cold treatment.
¡°Lady Qin, Lady Su, Miss Qin, please.¡± A round-faced pce maid with a t attitude, stretched out her hand and signaled them to move.
¡°¡¡¡± Lady Qin was trying to make eye contact with Qin Jiu.
Qin Jiu held a napkin in her hand and wiped away her nonexistent tears, she didn¡¯t even bother to look at Lady Qin, ¡°Sob¡¡¡±
¡°Grandma only trusts my second sister, she didn¡¯t believe me at all..¡.¡±
Her shoulders trembled, apanied with an innocent look.
The round-faced pce maid walked closer to the three from the Qin family, her smile deepened, yet her gaze was still ice cold.
Su was sure that if they didn¡¯t leave, Empress Wei would embarrass them further.
Su secretly tugged on Lady Qin¡¯s arm, the three of them gloomily left the Feng Luan pce with the pce maid.
The three of them could feel the intense gaze from the othersing from behind them, and their faintugh as they mocked them.
Lady Qin couldn¡¯t bnce herself as she walked, the Qin¡¯s family reputation is ruined!
The empress ignored the three of them, she proudly nced at Qin Jiu, this little girl is truly intelligent.
It was obvious that Lady Qin wanted Qin Jiu to plead for them. Qin Jiu¡¯sst name is Qin, and she was her granddaughter, if she ignored her grandma¡¯s request, then the me would be on her. But now, everything was different.
In the meantime, more noble women starteding in to greet the Empress, and the main hall appeared to be more lively.
The empress was having a casual conversation with the noble women, seeing as there were many girls in the hall, she smiled and said to the second princess: ¡°Xin an, you should bring some of the girls to tour around the royal garden, go on a rxing walk and admire the flowers in the garden.¡±
The second princess, Xin An was only fifteen years old, her biological mother died ofbor dystocia, and she was under the care of Empress Wei since young.
Xin An was wearing a red butterfly patterned silk dress, her hair was tied with a crescent moon hairpin. She looked sweet and beautiful and had a gentle smile on her oval-shaped face.
She stood up and invited Qin Jiu toe along, she stepped out of the Feng Luan pce with a group ofdies.
Chapter 74 CFV Ch.74 Close (2)
The cool autumn breeze caressed their faces, with a hint of a sweet and refreshing scent.
Although the flowers in the royal garden during autumn hadn¡¯t fully bloomed yet aspared to spring, it was still an amazing scenery to look at, all kinds of chrysanthemums, osmanthus, wood hibiscus and many more bloomed together, filling the autumn breeze with a burst of floral fragrance.
The girls parted ways, some continued on a walk, some chased after butterflies, some were looking at the beautiful flowers and some sat by theke, everyone was enjoying themselves.
Qin Jiu sat in the waterside pavilion for a moment, and a girl dressed in pink came over.
¡°Qin¡¯s third daughter¡± She gracefully introduced herself, ¡°I¡¯m from Wei Yuan Bo residence, I am also the third child, Jiao Niang is my nickname.¡±
Qin Jiu looked at her in confusion.
Ever since Qin Jiu followed Empress Wei back to the capital, Empress Wei had roughly told her about theplicated rtionship between the residences in the capital. It was tooplicated that she didn¡¯t remember any of them.
She dived into her memory but she really couldn¡¯t remember which family does the Wei Yuan Bo residence belong to, and decided to point at the box of fish food : ¡°Do you want to feed the fish?¡±
Yun Jiao Niang smiled and sat beside her, she casually grabbed a handful of fish food and tossed it into theke, the tails of the goldfish that was simr to a phoenix swarmed up..¡.
She passionately said: ¡°Qin¡¯s third daughter, I have never liked Qing Xi.¡±
Although the incident in Sheng Hua hall was only witnessed by a few, but the incident itself was so interesting that it spread like a bush fire, in just a few days, all the nobledies in the capital would have heard of it.
Yun Jiao Niang had heard several version of the story, some said that Qin Xi¡¯s biological parents were murderers, some said that she was a devil, and would bring bad luck to her parents and husband, and some even said that the second prince is her true love, and the prince would not take anyone other than her.
Qin Jiu: ¡°¡.:¡±
Yun Jiao Niang ranted to herself: ¡°You have no idea, Qing Xi always looked down on others, and treated us like ordinary folk and only herself as a goddess. I have no idea what she is prideful of¡¡±
She didn¡¯t even expect Qin Jiu to reply, and was happily talking to herself, until a female voice on the other side interrupted her: ¡° The emperor is here!¡±
Once everyone heard the news, the nobledies around theke got excited and looked towards the southeast direction.
Ten feet away, the emperor, who was in a bright yellow robe, was walking towards them with a few others, they were casually strolling through the garden.
Besides the several older princesses and Gu Zhe Zhi from the Duke Duan residence, there was an unfamiliar figure.
There was a handsome teenager from a different nation, he looked tall and fit, with profound facial figures, and had a pair of deep blue eyes that was like the blue sky and the ocean. His whole body exuded a different type of manly aura.
Xin An and the other nobledies hurriedly stepped forward to greet them, and neatly bowed down to the emperor.
The emperor was in a good mood today, he smiled happily, and signaled everyone to just forego these formalities.
Only then, the nobledies stood up and thanked the emperor. When Qin Jiu straightened herself, the corner of her eyes nced at Gu Zhe Zhi.
Gu Zhe Zhi smiled, with refined grace, he was like the glistening bamboo that stood tall and straight, he had an excellent personality and character.
He was very sweet and friendly, but she didn¡¯t dare to act too presumptuous in front of him.
Qin Jiu obediently smiled at him, and greeted him: ¡°Big brother.¡±
Chapter 75 CFV Ch.75 Close (3)
Gu Zhe Zhi smiled warmly, and said: ¡° I heard that you, my sister, made something quite interesting.¡±
Something interesting? Qin Jiu froze for a moment, is he talking about the Rubiq¡¯s cube that she made for Gu Zheng?
Hearing her golden patron¡¯s small request, Qin Jiu hurriedly replied: ¡°Tomorrow¡¡I will ask someone to send the cube to you.¡±
Both of them burst intoughter, there was an unspeakable harmony between them.
The people around them including the emperor and Xin An looked at them subtly, the emperor raised his eyebrows.
Most of the nobledies there had heard the gossip about Qin Jiu greeting the third prince as big brother at the chanting event. However, they were doubted that it was true, as the both of them were from totally different worlds, it wasn¡¯t possible for them to be so close.
Some of them were looking at Gu Zhe Zhi, and some were secretly peeping at the teenager that was standing on the emperor¡¯s left. Some of them had correctly guessed his identity.
A few days ago, the second prince of Bei Yan served as a representative to visit Da Qi. Since the teenager dared to walk alongside the emperor, hence he should be the second prince of Bei Yan, Ye Lu Luan.
It was said that the second prince of Bei Yan came to Daqi this time to make peace with them, and was hoping they could foster a good rtionship.
¡°Zhe Zhi, are you familiar with Jiu?¡±
The emperor looked at them, and asked out of curiosity. Gu Zhe Zhi had been in the capital for a few days, and the emperor hadn¡¯t seen him act so pleasantly and friendly to the otherdies.
Gu Zhe Zhi smiled and nodded, his smile was warm.
Qin Jiu: ¡°¡¡¡± Alright, she¡¯ll just follow his ns.
The emperor thoughtfully touched the jade ring on his thumb.
Gu Zhe Zhi was born and raised in the north, and had only been to the capital once nine years ago. That time, he was only ten years old.
That year, Gu Zhe Zhi followed Duke Duan and stayed in the capital for 3 months before leaving. The emperor knew something about his cousin brother who was approximately 20 years younger than him.
Gu Zhe Zhi¡¯s personality had always been very gentle, when he was 10, he was already very mature, elegant and solemn, and always had a sweet smile on him.
The emperor has not seen him angry before, sometimes the smile of Gu Zhe Zhi¡¯s face felt like a mask. However, seeing how he treated Qin Jiu, the emperor realised that his ¡°mask¡± seemed to have loosened, an idea popped into the emperor¡¯s mind.
Three days ago, the emperor received a letter from Duke Duan.
In the letter, Duke Duan stated that he would thoroughly investigate the matter surrounding Gu Zhe Zhi¡¯s assasination. If it was really done by the prince of Duke Duan, Gu Cheng Zhi, he would definitely inform Gu Zhe Zhi.
On the other hand, Duke Duan had also asked the emperor to arrange a marriage for Gu Zhe Zhi.
By year end, Gu Zhe Zhi would be 20 years old. He should have been married long ago, but firstly, he refused to; Secondly, Duke Duan was ced in a difficult position to arrange for Gu Zhe Zhi¡¯s marriage.
At that time, the eldest son of Duke Duan, Gu Cheng Zhi has yet to be honored as crown prince, and his eldest daughter inw was just ady from an ordinary fourth grade officer¡¯s family.
If he picked a wife that was of a higher status for Gu Zhe Zhi, he was afraid it would intensify the conflict between the brothers, and would cause disharmony between the sisters-inws.
However, if he had topare between the two, Gu Zhe Zhi as the duke¡¯s eldest sons, a wife from an ordinary fourth grade officer¡¯s family wasn¡¯t worthy of his identity.
Because of this, Gu Zhe Zhi wasn¡¯t married at the age of 20 yet. A crown prince at his age should already have 2 to 3 children, and Duke Duan was getting anxious.
On the contrary, Gu Zhe Zhi was calm about his marriage, in desperation, Duke Duan sought help from the emperor.
Chapter 76 CFV Ch.76 Care (1)
The emperor calmly raised his eyebrows, a ray of light swifted past his eyes, he then looked at Qin Jiu again.
Qin Jiu had been staying in the pce for quite some days, and the emperor had seen her around for a few times.
From his observation, Qin Jiu¡¯s personality was docile and well-behaved. She suffered so much in the rural vige for the past 10 years, once she returned to the Qin family, she didn¡¯t even rant or me the others for the tough life she had gone through. For what she experienced, she should be able to adapt to Duke Duan¡¯splicated family and wouldn¡¯t quarrel with the crown prince¡¯s wife.
Most importantly, Gu Zhe Zhi seemed to care about this little girl.
It is possible!
The emperor secretly thought to himself: If the marriage was sessful, he could also fulfill his uncle, Duke Duan¡¯s favour.
Wait for a moment¡¡something isn¡¯t right !
The emperor¡¯s finger suddenly stopped rubbing on the jade ring.
Duke Duan is the former emperor¡¯s brother, Gu Zhe Zhi is his cousin, but the girl, Qin Jiu, should address him as her uncle!
The emperor pursed his lips in frustration, he turned around and said to Gu Zhe Zhi: ¡°Jiu should address you as uncle from now on.¡±
Gu Zhe Zhi: ¡°¡¡¡±
Qin Jiu: ¡°¡¡¡±
Qin Jiu ran through the family tree in her head, and agreed with the emperor.
As she was going to nod her head, Gu Zhe Zhi smiled and said: ¡°Big brother is fine.¡±
Qin Jiu: As long you¡¯re happy, I¡¯m fine with any name!
The emperor kept quiet, he stared at Gu Zhe Zhi for a moment, and had no idea what his words meant.
He seemingly sensed that something was not quite right. Should Gu Zhe Zhi follow Jiu and address him as uncle, or should Jiu follow Gu Zhe Zhi and address him as brother?
¡°Zhe Zhi¡¡¡± the emperor was worried, as he was about to speak, his chest suddenly felt a scorching burn, and he uncontrobly coughed.
¡°Urgh..¡.¡±
His cough was somewhat unstoppable, and he coughed on continuously for four and five times, each louder than the one before.
The prince of Bei Yan, Ye Lu Luan calmly looked at the emperor, scanning through the emperor¡¯s face, his blue eyes slightly squinted, deep in thought.
Gu Zhe Zhi kept the fan in his sleeves, and his fingers quickly pressed on the acupoint on the emperor¡¯s back.
The emperor¡¯s cough immediately stopped.
He took the napkin that the head eunuch, Zhou Zin, had passed to him, pressed it against his lips, and talked to Ye Lu Luan as if nothing happened: ¡°Once the weather turns cold, the itch in my throat just bes too unbearable¡±
The emperor looked fine, it seemed like that cough was because of his itchy throat.
Only Gu Zhe Zhi noticed that the emperor¡¯s left hand that was ced by his side was trembling badly.
¡°Father.¡± At this moment, the second prince, Gu Jing said worriedly, his face looked concerned, ¡°Are you experiencing difort because of the windy weather?¡±
Ye Lu Luan raised his eyebrows and looked at the emperor, he looked deeply concerned.
The emperor was nearly angered by his stupid son, he could only stay calm and replied: ¡°I just choked on the cold wind, I¡¯m fine.¡±
¡°You can¡¯t take this lightly.¡± Gu Jing quickly replied, his brows furrowed, ¡°Father, your health means a lot to the country. All these years, your health has been deteriorating, I¡¯m very worried.¡±
¡°These imperial physicians are overly conservative, I suggest seeking treatment from a famous physician in Jiang Nan, what do you think, father?¡±
Emperor: ¡°¡¡¡±
¡°Father¡¡¡±
Ye Lu Luan¡¯s gaze was doubtful, he thought to himself: Is the emperor terminally ill?
¡°Sister.¡± Gu Zhe Zhi interrupted Ye Lu Luan¡¯s thought, he smiled and urged Qin Jiu: ¡°You didn¡¯t bring it over?¡±
Chapter 77 CFV Ch.77 Care (2)
Does he need it now? Qin Jiu froze, it was just a rubik¡¯s cube, what is he so desperate for?
Even if sheined, she still answered him: ¡°I¡¯ll order someone to pick it up right now.¡±
Gu Zhe Zhi went on, and turned around to face the emperor: ¡°Your Majesty, my father always mentioned that you are a master of horse-riding and archery, that you were capable of piercing the target even from a faraway distance. It happened that this girl right here had came up with something interesting, would you be willing to demonstrate your skills?¡¯¡±
Qin Jiu¡¯s hazel eyes blinked.
She finally understood what he was referring to, Gu Zhe Zhi was not mentioning about her rubik¡¯s cube, but the bow that she had recently crafted!
Gu Zhen was only four years old, but was already attending horse-riding and archery sses. However, his body had always been weak since young, thest time Qin Jiu saw him holding a mini-sized bow, he did not even have the strength to pull it backwards, he looked both frustrated and pitiful.
Qin Jiu then thought of remodeling the bow, to make her little cousin happy.
She once saw a type ofpound bow. Although she forgot about the detailed structure of it, she vaguely remembers that the bow was made of rollers to make the pulling much easier and increase the shooting range.
Hence, she sought help from the two craftsmen under Empress Wei. She described and drew out a rough sketch of the arch and tested for a few days with the two craftsmen. Finally, they managed toe out with a prototype.
Qin Jiu nced at Gu Zhe Zhi, and instructed the pce maid to get the bow that was in the Feng Luan pce.
¡°Oh?¡± the emperor raised his brows and asked in interest: ¡°What is it?¡±
Gu Zhe Zhi smiled, and kept it a secret: ¡° You will know afterwards.¡±
Hence, the emperor and others sat by the waterside pavilion.
The nobledies left, and went to a flower garden that was not too far from them, to y. Only the second princess, Xin An and Qin Jiu was asked by the emperor to stay back.
After a while, a ck bow was ced in front of the emperor.
The body of it was just an ordinary bow that the craftsman had randomly found, an unremarkable stone bow, except for the two rollers that caught his attention.
¡° This is¡¡¡± The emperor took the ck bow and looked at it interestingly.
¡°This is apound bow.¡± Qin Jiu introduced, ¡°I saw that cousin Zhen was still too young and had no strength to draw the bow. Hence, I remodelled the bow for him.¡±
Gu Zhe Zhi smiled and suggested: ¡°Your majesty, have a go at it.¡±
The emperor understood Gu Zhe Zhi¡¯s intention, as soon he raised his hands, the bow was very easily drawn, and his eyes shed with surprise, but he tried to remain calm.
The emperor pulled on the bow and arrow skillfully into the shape of a full moon.
¡°Thwish!¡±
The long arrow shot out of the bow, as swift as a meteor, and shot through the trunk of the tree that was three hundred metres away, the thick trunk shook violently and countless leaves fell from the tree like rain drops.
¡°SuSuSuSu¡¡¡±
Ye Lu Luan¡¯s eyes widened, and he was taken by surprise.
Although it was just a normal stone bow, and the shooting range was just only 200 steps away. This seemingly normal bow could shoot as far as 300 steps, no, the emperor had just casually taken the shot, maybe it could go even further, 350 steps, or even 400 steps?!
¡°Your majesty, this bow¡¡± Ye Lu Luan said in a stiff tone.
¡°This bow is very well made.¡± The emperor was very satisfied and praised her, ¡°If this could be manufactured and given to the soldiers of Da Qi, our soldiers would grow even stronger!¡±
Chapter 78 CFV Ch.78 Care (3)
Qin JIu smiled and said: ¡° This is just a rough-design of it.¡±
Indeed, it could be refined!
Qin Jiu only knew the general concept and design of thepound bow, she was taking a wild guess, coupled with the amazing understanding of the craftsmen, and they coboratively came out with version 1.0 of thepound bow. There was still a huge gap inparison with the bow from theter generations, it was simply just adding rollers to make it less exhausting.
But, Qin Jiu understood Gu Zhe Zhi¡¯s intentions.
Qin Jiu remembered that in the novel, Bei Yan and Da Qi had been enemies over the generations. Although they have signed an armistice covenant, they were still defensive of each other. If Prince Bei Yan discovers that the emperor¡¯s health had been deteriorating in recent years, Bei Yan would inevitably raise a war against Da Qi.
Initially, the emperor had already covered up the issue,but¡¡.
Qin Jiu nced at the second prince, in the novel, he was not that stupid, is it because he was still young, or that, he had been living an overlyfortable life, and has the halo of the male protagonist, that he didn¡¯t get the emperor¡¯s signal?
Qin Jiu¡¯s gaze moved left, in the backlight, Gu Zhe Zhi was standing with his hands behind him, the corner of his lips was smiling.
Since the emperor¡¯s condition couldn¡¯t be kept a secret anymore, Gu Zhe Zhi wanted to let Ye Lu Luan have a peek at their military capabilities? To demotivate Bei Yan¡¯s ambition.
However, this bow was not even a semi-finished product, it was made to make her cousin happy. The durability of this gear hasn¡¯t been tested yet so it wasn¡¯t possible to mass produce it. There was still a long process ahead until it could be introduced in the army.
Obviously, this wasn¡¯t a suitable timing, Qin Jiu just stood there quietly and acted innocent.
Then, she saw the emperor keep her bow.
Qin Jiu: ¡°¡¡¡±
The emperor was in a good mood, thinking that he should inform the empress, to reward Jiu for her creation.
Everyone gathered and politely sent off the emperor.
Until the emperor disappeared from their gaze, only then the nobledies rxed and continued on with their activities.
At half past 11, a pce maid came over and told them: ¡°The royal second princess, it¡¯s time.¡±
Xin An hurriedly responded, and everyone followed the pce maid to the Ci Ning pce.
When they arrived at the Ci Ning ce, they were just in time.
Empress Wei was leading a group of concubines including the imperial noble consort Yang to congratte the empress dowager, they also presented their own gifts, followed by several elder princesses and the emperor¡¯s princesses, and subsequently thedies from the other residences.
The atmosphere in the Ci Ning pce was solemn, yet lively.
After the session ended, an hour and half had passed.
Everyone was relieved, and stepped out from the pce to attend the banquet.
Yet for Qin Jiu, she was called by Madam Xu and summoned to the side hall of Ci Ning pce.
There was a lot ofmotion happening in the hall. Empress Wei, noble consort Yang and the other elder princesses were apanying Empress Dowager Liu.
The dowager that was 50 years old today was sitting on a heated brick bed, there were white strands of hair showing, but her fair skin was well-cared for, she looked much younger than her actual age.
The priest, Yun Guang, who was holding a hossu, was standing on Dowager Liu¡¯s side. She still had her sagelike features,and just by standing there, she felt that the priest would drift away anytime now.
Yun Guang saw Qin Jiu, the moment both of their eyes met, the hossu in her hand trembled slightly.
Chapter 79 CFV Ch.79 Wrong (1)
Yun Guang was now slightly afraid to meet Qin Jiu, terrified that she would be humiliated again.
One wrong move could be seen as just a mistake, as long as the Empress dowager still trusts her.
Next time, when she sees this girl, Qin San, she would avoid her at all cost.
She averted her gaze calmly, it was hard to tell what she was thinking of.
Not only was Yun Guang there, Qin Xin was also present.
Qin Xin sat next to Empress dowager Liu, smiling brightly like a flower. When she looked towards Qin Gui, his pupils brightened and darkened as they changed.
It was probably because Qin Gui was so ustomed to being inferior and he felt unjust about the fact, so he was like a porcupine.
Qin Xin took a deep breath and held it in, her right hand that was hidden in her sleeve clenched into a fist.
¡°This painting is really good!¡± Empress dowager Liu focused on the painting in the hands of a pce maid, and was thoroughly impressed by it, ¡°The Empress of the West looks so life-like, with apelling aura, wonderful!¡±
There was a faintyer of golden shimmer on this painting, reflecting on the face of Empress dowager Liu which coated her face with a thinyer of golden powder.
Seeing that Empress dowager Liu loved the painting, Qin Xin¡¯s lips curled slightly, and her beautiful face looked slightly delighted and proud.
Even if the queen pped her in the face for Qin Gui, so what!? As long as the Empress dowager still likes her, Empress Wei wouldn¡¯t dare to really drive her out of the pce.
Qin Jiu and Xin An came closer, kneeled on their knees and addressed Empress dowager Liu, Empress Wei beckoned them to sit down beside them.
Imperial Noble Consort Liu smiled and said to Empress dowager Liu: ¡°Empress dowager, Sister Xin is so considerate. For this painting, she not only dug through various ancient books, but also traveled to Taoist temples all over the city. This is how she drew this picture of The Empress of the Wes.¡±
She asked Empress Wei, ¡°Empress, what do you think of this painting?¡±
Empress Wei smiled slightly, she looked at the painting in the hands of the pce maid, and said: ¡°This painting is really good, and the skills and technique are of a master¡¯s level. I am afraid that no one in the city can do better than this.¡±
Empress dowager Liu felt very delighted upon hearing what she said, and nodded with a smile on her face: ¡°Yun Guang said that this painting was spiritual, and there would still be hints of aura appearing from time to time.¡±
While speaking, Empress dowager Liu looked at Qin Xin with a soft gaze, and said in her heart: Yun Guang really wasn¡¯t wrong. Qin Xin is blessed, and her four pirs of Destiny are good, that is why she could paint this picture of The Empress of the West with such apelling aura.
Half a month ago, when the news about Qin family¡¯s fake daughter first broke out, the emperor had already told Empress dowager the cause and effect of the news, and he also said that he wanted to dissolve the marriage contract between Gu Jing and Qin Xin. At that time, Empress dowager Liu was slightly startled. After all, how could a child that was born to a servant be worthy of the prince, one was just mere dust on the ground, and the other was like the stars in the sky, but Gu Jing didn¡¯t want to do so and came to her for this favour.
Empress dowager Liu couldn¡¯t fight over Gu Jing, so she went to ask Yun Guang to look at Qin Xin¡¯s fortune and destiny.
Chapter 80 CFV Ch.80 Wrong (2)
Yun Guang said that Qin Xin¡¯s four pirs of destiny is good, her signs show that she is a benefactor, a guardian angel. It is not only towards herself, but she also would bring luck for her husband and son.
Empress dowager Liu also gave it some thought, if she wasn¡¯t that she was born blessed, how could Qin Xin change her fate, from a maid¡¯s daughter to a daughter of the noble family, and would marry into the royal family?
Therefore,Empress dowager Liu dismissed her original n and asked the emperor to cover up for the Qin family. The Qin family would deal with the matter privately, as long as they gave Qin Xin a legitimate ¡°identity¡±.
Now, It seems that her decision was right.
The more Empress dowagerLiu thought about it, the more she felt this way, and the look in Qin Xin¡¯s eyes had be kinder.
¡°I am very fond of this artist¡¯s artwork.¡± Empress dowager Liu smiled, ¡°This is the best birthday gift that I have received today. Sister Xin, you are really talented.¡±
Qin Xin got up and thanked her, and said with a shy expression: ¡°Thank you, Empress dowager Liu, for the praise.
To be able to receive such apliment from the mama is a great honor in the eyes of all thedies in the world.
After today¡¯s Qian Qiu Banquet, this matter will spread, and her reputation will definitely be restored.
Qin Xin couldn¡¯t help but nce at Qin Jiu again. She wanted to see Qin Jiu¡¯s envious and jealous gaze. However, she was disappointed. Qin Jiu was talking to Xin An happily, as if she didn¡¯t care about it at all.
Qin Xin felt dispirited for a while, her gaze fixated on Qin Jiu.
As if she felt Qin Xin¡¯s gaze, Qin Jiu finally raised his head and nced at her briefly.
Her gaze was soft, and her beautiful apricot eyes looked like theke under the sun, clear and shining, but Qin Xin simply couldn¡¯t get her attention.
¡°Empress dowager,¡± Empress Wei spoke again, ¡°Yun Guang has superb mana and is a powerful master in everyone¡¯s eyes. It¡¯s no wonder that with fate, you got to meet him in person and obtain some of his prescriptions.¡±
¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Empress dowager Liu was in a good mood, her eyes narrowed with a smile, ¡°Yun Guang has stayed in the pce these past few days, and he has put out a new prescription for the emperor¡¯s dragon body. I have already asked him to refine it for the emperor.¡±
Empress Wei firmly clenched her right hand, her expression was calm, as she suppressed her emotions.
While talking, several courtdies came in, took away the old tea, and served everyone a fresh cup of tea.
Empress dowager Liu turned her head to look at Yun Guang on the right, ¡°Yun Guang, please talk to the empress about this medicine, so that the empress doesn¡¯t always think that I want to harm the emperor.¡±
Yun Guang gently shook his silver hossu, bowed to Empress Wei, and talked persuasively: ¡°Empress can be rest assured as this pill is made with the fire of Yin and Yang. It takes nine days to refine it into a pill. Taking this pill can remove all chronic diseases, nourish the organs, and prolong his majesty¡¯s life.¡±
Yun Guang praised this pill in such an exaggerated matter, as if one could ascend to the immortal world by taking this pill.
Her lips started to feel slightly dry from all of the talking, so she picked up the tea cup to take a sip.
Empress dowager Liu nodded without any doubt, and said to Empress Wei earnestly: ¡°Mama, I did this all for the emperor¡¯s good. Yun Guang was enlightened by the old emperor, and the pills she refined are from the immortals. The emperor¡¯splexion has gotten much better these days!¡±
Chapter 81 CFV Ch.81 Wrong (3)
Imperial Noble Consort Liu, on the other side, immediately smiled and chimed in: ¡°The empress is right, the emperor does seem to be more energetic these days.¡±
Empress dowager Liu listened, she felt at ease and was instantly energised.
¡°Empress dowager is right.¡± Empress Wei said lightly, with a smile on her lips.
A few of the eldest princesses that were present, silently gazed at Empress dowager Liu, Empress Wei and Imperial Noble Consort Liu, but none of them spoke.
Empress Wei grasped the handkerchief in her hand, and said: ¡± Yun Guang, can I take a look at the medicine?¡±
¡°Of course.¡± Yun Guang looked calm, he took out a pill from his wide sleeve, and respectfully presented it to Empress Wei.
Qin Jiu sat beside Empress Wei, looked up at Yun Guang, and smiled slightly.
Her eyes bent along with her smile, sweet and innocent.
But in the eyes of Yun Guang, the delicate little girl in front of her seemed wicked.
Yun Guang gulped, and his hand that was holding the hossu trembled slightly.
Qin Jiu nced at the pill in Empress Wei¡¯s hand, and asked with a smile: ¡°Yun Guang, can cinnabar also be used to make the pill?¡±
If someone else dared to question his pill in front of the Empress dowager, Yun Guang might still be reluctant to deal with the other party, it was better to let the Empress dowager to suppress her power on the person.
But when faced with Qin Jiu, she felt frustrated and politely exined: ¡°The girl knows something, cinnabar condenses the spiritual energy from heaven and earth. It can destroy viges, keep the evil away, attract blessings and so on. In our Taoist alchemy, the most important element is the cinnabar.¡±
Yun Guang said patiently, with a gentle expression and a polite tone, as she feared that Qin Jiu would attack her if she was upset.
Qin Jiu curled his lips and smiled, ¡°When I was in Jin County, there was a squire named Master Cheng in there who was also a believer of Taoism. He often invited priests to preach. Last year, Master Cheng got a prescription from a priest and learned how to get the furnace started and make alchemy. But how could one ordinary person be able to master this skill that easily.¡±
¡°At the beginning of this year, a spiritual old man with white eyebrows happened to pass by the county by chance, and happened to meet Master Cheng in a Taoist temple. The old master only nced at Master Cheng and said that his life was almosting to an end and Master Cheng got so angry at him..¡±
¡°Master Cheng is only thirty-five years old, just in his prime years. Seeing that the old priest cursed him and said that he would die at such a young age, he almost wanted to brawl with him.¡±
¡°There were also many visitors at the time. Some visitors asked the priest why he said this. The old priest said that although he did not know Master Cheng, he could see that Master Cheng was taking pills all year round and said that the pills that he was taking were the wrong ones.
¡°Also, that pill was very unpredictable, and the effects of it differed greatly. Not only would the wrong medicine be ineffective, but it will hurt one¡¯s body and the toxins from the pill will enter into one¡¯s body.¡±
As she said this, the smile on Qin Jiu¡¯s face deepened, looked at Yun Guang and added: ¡°However, the pill cultivated by the priest, Yun Guang must be different.
¡°¡¡¡± Yun Guang moved her eyebrows, she felt that Qin Jiu¡¯s remarks always seemed to have anotheryer of meaning to her words, and she dared not respond casually.
Chapter 82 CFV Ch.82 Contradict (1)
Empress Wei stroked her sleeves gracefully, then answered in a timely manner: ¡°Jiu, what happened then?¡±
Empress Dowager Liu liked to listen to legendary stories like this, she was drawn to the story. She wanted to know what happened to Master Cheng and asked, ¡°What happened after that?¡±
Qin Jiu took a sip of tea and continued: ¡°When the old priest first said this, Master Cheng didn¡¯t believe him. He felt that even after only half a year of taking that pill, he felt energized and hisplexion improved tremendously. The gray hair on his temples turned silky ck. There were also some visitors who knew Master Cheng personally and stood up to testify.¡±
¡°Master Cheng also suspected the priest¡¯s intention was to lie and get some benefit out of it. He almost chased the priest out. The visitors were also very angry.¡±
¡°Who would have thought, the old priest used his hossu to tap two acupuncture points on Master Cheng twice, Master Cheng grabbed his stomach and felt his abdomen hurting, and drool leaked from the corners of his mouth, so he asked the old priest what evil sorcery did he use on him?¡±
¡°The old priest said that if the alchemy was not done right, what was made is not a pill, but a poison. After a person takes it, the evil poison will enter the person¡¯s body. The evil poison would hurt the body, one would copse just like how tiny ant holes would destroy the nest, gradually swallowing one in whole. Once the poison reaches the heart, one¡¯s gums will be red and swollen, the mouth will rot, the corners of the mouth will drool, and it will be apanied by abdominal pain, spasm, dizziness and so on.¡±
¡°Master Cheng is already showing several symptoms. Within three days, the medicine will not work. Let him head back quickly.¡±
Qin Jiu was good with words and articted the story interestingly.
Empress Dowager Liu was fascinated, and nodded slightly from time to time, her expressions were changing throughout the development of the story, sometimes she was in awe, sometimes she frowned, and sometimes she sighed.
Yun Guang¡¯s pupils shrank slightly, his face turned pale, he subconsciously raised his hand to stroke the back of his neck, paused in midair again, and then put his hand down casually.
Qin Jiu sighed, ¡°However, Master Cheng was still stubborn. He just doesn¡¯t believe him, he was persistent to say that the old priest had used evil sorcery on him¡¡±
She sighed, with an expression that said ¡°Master Cheng is really blinded.¡±
¡°Piak!¡±
Empress Dowager Liu excitedly patted the small table beside her, and raised her voice slightly, and said, ¡°Master Cheng is so silly . How can you not believe him! This old priest is obviously a good man, how can you not believe him!¡±
¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Qin Jiu nodded in agreement, ¡°How can you not believe him! The old priest is really god-like, he only nced at Master Cheng, and saw right through him!¡±
Empress Dowager Liu eagerly asked: ¡°What happened next?¡±
Qin Jiu shook his head sadly, ¡°Master Cheng is a stubborn man. He felt that the old priest was fooling him, so, with a flick of his sleeves, he left.¡±
¡°In the end, within three days, the old priest¡¯s words came true one by one. The Cheng family called upon all the famous doctors in the county back to their mansion and used a lot of medicines and elixirs on him, but there was still no cure.¡±
The story was over, but Empress Dowager Liu was still immersed in the story, sighing.
She said to Empress Wei emotionally: ¡°Empress, look, this priest¡¯s talent is the most important criteria. Don¡¯t be coaxed by the demon¡¯s words, making the alchemy by yourself so rxedly. You¡¯ll just end up hurting yourself?!¡±
Chapter 83 CFV Ch.83 Contradict (2)
¡°The Empress Dowager is right.¡± Empress Wei smiled and nodded, as if she felt the same.
Qin Jiu had also lived in the pce for ten days. She always followed Empress Wei to greet Empress Dowager Liu, but at that time, Empress Dowager Liu was having some sort of argument with Empress Wei, so she didn¡¯t take a good look at Qin Jiu.
Looking at Qin Jiu before her, Empress Dowager Liu felt that Qin Jiu looked more pleasing to the eye now and said to herself: But she is a smart little girl, it is no wonder that even the emperor praised that this girl was quite decent.
Qin Jiu continued: ¡°The old priest also said that alchemy is the art of the immortals. One must find a Tao master who has unlocked a high level of cultivation and has real talents to perform the alchemy. It¡¯s a pity that there are so many people in this world who have a fake reputation. It is hard to tell who¡¯s the real deal and who¡¯s not.¡±
Empress Dowager Liu nodded frequently, slightly distracted, it was because of her sharp senses, she was able to invite a world renowned expert like the priest, Yun Guang.
Thinking about it, Empress Dowager Liu felt proud of herself, and held her head high.
¡°¡¡¡± Yun Guang remained silent.
If she hadn¡¯t seen how brilliant her way of speech was at theirst meeting, she would have thought that this girl was naive and pure. However, it turns out, this girl was the ultimate devil!
Yun Guang felt that Qin Jiu¡¯s words meant something else.
A sneer appeared on the corner of Qin Xin¡¯s lips, she knew what she was doing: Qin Jiu was smart, knowing that the love from the empress alone was not enough, she was deliberately coaxing the Empress Dowager to please her too. Qin Jiu¡¯s thinking was just way too naive.
¡°Yun Guang,¡± Empress Dowager Liu turned her head to look at Yun Guang, thinking that she said two days ago that she would head out for a while, but she was reluctant to let her leave, and nned to keep her in the pce for a period of time. I n to build Xuan Qing monastery, a¡¡¡±
Before she could finish her words, she saw Yun Guang¡¯s face turn pale, her whole body was trembling, and cold sweat trickled down her forehead¡
Others in the hall also noticed that Yun Guang was acting weird, and Imperial Noble Consort Liu called out: ¡°Yun Guang¡¡¡±
¡°Priest¡¡±
Yun Guang felt paining from her abdominal, so she subconsciously covered her stomach, opened her mouth slightly, and her saliva leaked out from the corner of her mouth uncontrobly.
Empress Dowager Liu suddenly thought of something, her eyes opened slightly, and she subconsciously looked at Yun Guang¡¯s slightly opened mouth towards her gums¡
As expected¡ª¡ª
Yun Guang¡¯s gums were red and swollen, and bloodshots could be vaguely seen.
Empress Dowager Liu¡¯s eyes widened, and she remembered the story Qin Jiu had just told her.
The old priest said, if the pill wasn¡¯t done right, what was made is not a pill, but poison.
Abdominal pain, spasm, drool, red and swollen gums¡¡
Yuan Guang, at this moment, had the exact same symptoms that the evil poison would bring about as the old priest had described!
Could it be that Yun Guang was also ¡°poisoned inside¡±?!
When this thought came to the Empress Dowager Liu¡¯s mind, she couldn¡¯t help but turn her head and look at Qin Jiu.
Qin Jiu was also surprised, she looked at Yun Guang, ¡°Priest, what¡¯s the matter with you? Why are you like this¡why do you have the exact same expression as Master Cheng?!¡±
Chapter 84 CFV Ch.84 Contradict (3)
Empress Dowager Liu asked Qin Jiu eagerly: ¡°Is it really exactly the same?¡±
¡°Yes, Empress Dowager.¡± Qin Jiu nodded with agreement. ¡°At that time, all the famous doctors in the county went to see Master Cheng, so everyone in our county knows that Master Cheng looked exactly like this before he passed away¡¡¡±
Qin Jiu nced at Yun Guang again, with a look of horror, as if she had seen a ghost.
¡°I¡¡I¡¯m okay.¡± Yun Guang had wiped off the saliva from the corners of her mouth with a handkerchief, she was holding back the pain, but her body was still twitching slightly, she didn¡¯t fool anyone there.
Qin Xin frowned slightly, she was hesitant to speak, but in the end, she still kept silent.
Empress Dowager Liu couldn¡¯t care about the other people at all, she looked at Yun Guang with a piercing gaze, the more she looked at her, the more suspicious she got.
She asked Qin Jiu again: ¡°Qin Jiu, when the poison enters the body, are there any symptoms?¡±
Qin Jiu furrowed her delicate brows, ¡°wrecked her brain¡± to recall, then she stroked her palms excitedly: ¡°That¡¯s right! The old priest also said that the evil poison in the body will also cause one¡¯s back to grow thin and red bumps. Spreading everywhere and it looked ming red.¡±
When Empress Wei heard these words, her hand that was holding on to the handkerchief tightly clenched, her gaze darkened.
Empress Dowager Liu quickly ordered the madam next to her: ¡°Madam Wang, go look at Yun Guang¡¯s back!¡±
Madam Wang walked over with two pce maids. At this time, it didn¡¯t matter if Yun Guang was willing or not. The two maids held down Yun Guang, and Madam Wang personally lifted her clothes. She saw rashes on the back of her neck, spreading to her back, and her back was red as if she had been burned in fire.
Madam Wang was so shocked that she hurried back to report to Empress Dowager Liu: ¡°Empress dowager, she does have red rashes!¡±
Empress Dowager Liu: ¡°¡¡¡±
On one hand, she couldn¡¯t believe what was happening before her, but she also knew that it was the truth.
The various symptoms showed that there was clearly poison in Yun Guang¡¯s body!
Empress Dowager Liu calmed down and asked: ¡°Qin Jiu, the old priest said that if the alchemy was not done right, what was made is not a pill, but a poison. After a person takes it, the evil poison will enter the person¡¯s body. The evil poison would hurt the body, one would copse just like how tiny ant holes would destroy the nest, gradually swallowing one in whole. Once the poison reaches the heart, one¡¯s gums will be red and swollen, the mouth will rot, the corners of the mouth will drool, and it will be apanied by abdominal pain, spasm, dizziness¡¡¡±
Empress Dowager Liu repeated what Qin Jiu had just said.
Qin Jiu nodded, her small face was both surprised and confused, ¡°Yun Guang should have a powerful mana and skills, the effects shouldn¡¯t be so detrimental for her. The old priest said that only those who didn¡¯t know anything about alchemy woulde out with these types of ¡®poison pill¡¯.¡±
Empress Dowager Liu got more afraid after thinking about this: Is it possible that priest Yun Guang is not a priest, but a demon?
Empress Dowager Liu couldn¡¯t believe it, her gaze was filled with horror when she looked at Yun Guang.
Chapter 85 CFV Ch.85 Poisoned (1)
Priest Yunguang also came back to her senses at this time, she realized that whatever was going on with her body would for sure have something to do with Qin Jiu, and the story about Master Cheng and the old priest that Qin Jiu had mentioned earlier, was also directed at her!
And Qin Jiu had the support of Empress Wei.
The question is, how did Qin Jiu find out that she had red sores on her back and an ulcerated mouth?
Priest Yunguang¡¯s gaze turned gloomy.
Qin Jiu is too smart!
She¡¯s clever because she knows that Empress Dowager Liu is a believer in taoism, so instead of directly bashing about the pill like Empress Wei, she first affirmed Empress Dowager Liu to make her feel that she was on the same side as her, this would make her believe Qin Jiu¡¯s words even more.
Priest Yunguang couldn¡¯t figure out the reason behind this, she didn¡¯t provoke Qin Jiu anymore, so why is Qin Jiu still attacking her?!
At this moment, even if Priest Yun Guang said that Qin Jiu was deliberately framing herself, Empress dowager Liu would not believe her at all.
What¡¯s more, Priest Yun Guang herself couldn¡¯t figure out what happened to her. How could she have the exact same symptoms as the Master Cheng in the story? Also, why is her whole body suddenly twitching, her abdomen in deep pain, and her gums were starting to bleed? Although she did feel some difort before, but it was not this serious at all.
Priest Yun Guang looked at Qin Jiu again, and Qin Jiu held onto her handkerchief tightly, her face filled with shock.
¡°Ahem¡¡¡±
Priest Yun Guang¡¯s breathing started to turn heavy, she coughed several times, and her body trembled even more.
¡°Could it be that Priest Yun Guang took the elixir that she made?¡± Empress Wei took a deep breath, and also panicked, her voice choked with emotions, ¡°The emperor¡¡¡±
Empress Dowager Liu suddenly remembered that the elixir that the emperor was taking was cultivated by Priest Yun Guang, and Empress Wei once mentioned to her that abscesses had recently started to appear on the emperor¡¯s back ¡¡
However, the emperor did not suffer from abdominal pain and seizures like Priest Yun Guang¡¡Priest Yun Guang must have taken too much of the poison elixir she had cultivated! The emperor wasn¡¯t suffering as much because he only took small doses.
Empress Dowager Liu immediately convinced herself.
The emperor is Empress Dowager Liu¡¯s dearest child. This matter involves the health of the emperor¡¯s royal body. Empress Dowager Liu felt anxious and quickly summoned the imperial physician.
Not long after, an old imperial physician came hurriedly with one of the pce maids, and after paying his respect to Empress Dowager Liu and Empress Wei, he went to check on Priest Yun Guang¡¯s pulse.
The old imperial physician quickly reported to Empress Dowager Liu: ¡°Empress dowager, Priest Yun Guang¡¯s body is being attacked by some kind of poison, her liver and galldder is of a damp and hot state, which condensed into a scorching fire in her body, it is the signs of a zing fire toxin¡¡¡±
¡°Imperial physician, was she poisoned by the elixir?¡± Empress Wei interrupted the old imperial physician¡¯s words.
The old imperial physician hesitated for a while, and said: ¡°I¡¯m afraid so.¡± Priest Yun Guang is indeed poisoned, but she seemed to have also taken a small amount of Threewingnut Roots just now, but this dosage of Threewingnut Roots was not enough to kill a person. It didn¡¯t matter if he mentions it or not.
Upon hearing this, Priest Yun Guang was even more shocked. She didn¡¯t take the elixir at all, how could she be poisoned?!
When Empress Dowager Liu heard the imperial physician¡¯s words, he confirmed her guess that Priest Yun Guang¡¯s body was indeed attacked by poison because she had taken an inferior elixir.
Priest Yun Guang was actually an evil cultivator!!
Empress Dowager Liu was fuming with anger, her chest shook violently, and she said sternly: ¡°Take down this evil cultivator!¡±
Priest Yun Guang ignored the difort she felt in her body, knelt down and begged: ¡°Please forgive me, empress dowager!¡±
All this happened so fast that Qin Xin didn¡¯t dare to act rashly at all, she was also shocked by what was happening before her.
How could this happen!
Yun Guang was supposed to be doing well for the next few years, was she too careless, or was it because of Qin Jiu?
Qin Xin slowly looked at Qin Jiu, her eyes full with distress.
In addition to her distress, her gaze was also filled with anger.
Qin Jiu, this bitch is so caught on about seeking revenge on even the smallest matters. To put it bluntly, she is just jealous of her.
She wanted to stop her, she wanted to fight for the second prince, so that¡¯s why she is targeting Yun Guang!
Chapter 86 CFV Ch.86 Poisoned (2)
The Imperial Noble Consort Liu¡¯s eyebrows frowned slightly, Priest Yun Guang received quite some benefits from her. All because of her, in the past two years, the Empress Dowager was even more dissatisfied with the Empress! If Yun Guang copses now, wouldn¡¯t it be in the Empress¡¯s favour?!
Imperial Noble Consort Liu hurriedly said in a convincing tone: ¡°Empress Dowager, Priest Yun Guang is a priest with high cultivation skills, you can¡¯t just believe the thirddy¡¯s story and¡¡¡±
¡°How can this story be fake?¡± Empress Dowager Liu interrupted her directly, pointing to Priest Yun Guang and said in a cold voice, ¡°Her symptoms are exactly the same as those described by the old priest. The old priest is a true immortal. Yun Guang is clearly an imposter and is pretending to be a priest, she¡¯s actually an evil cultivator!¡±
Empress Dowager Liu got even more angry, as she continued on, the more she felt that the Imperial Noble Consort Liu was literally brainless, and scolded: ¡°Are you hoping for the worst for the emperor! You just want this evil cultivator to harm the emperor again?!¡±
This sentence was her deepest fear!
Imperial Noble Consort Liu: ¡°¡¡±
The Empress Dowager Liu has never scolded the Imperial Noble Consort Liu in front of so many people before.
¡°Hurry up and take her away!¡± Empress Dowager Liu said again, her face turned pale.
The pce maids did not dare to hesitate any further, they mped Priest Yun Guang down quickly and dragged her away.
Priest Yun Guang was still shouting unwillingly: ¡°Empress Dowager, you¡¯ve got it all wrong! Someone is framing me¡¡ Ah!¡±
Her mouth was stuffed with a rag to stop her from making any noise.
Empress Wei blinked at Qin Jiu, the corners of her lips curled up and she made sure that Empress Dowager Liu couldn¡¯t see her slight change in expression.
The two exchanged nces.
Priest Yung Guang was quickly dragged away and disappeared from their sight.
Empress Dowager Liu hadn¡¯t calmed down yet, her lips pressed tightly together.
She trusted Priest Yun Guang, who would¡¯ve known that she would turn out to be an evil cultivator!
This evil cultivator consumed the inferior elixirs she made, and even coaxed her to let the emperor take them as well¡¡ Oh right, the emperor!
Empress Dowager Liu¡¯s face turned pale, and she quickly summoned: ¡°Someone, find out where the emperor is now. If he is well, please ask him toe over and tell him that there is something important that I have to inform him about.¡±
A pce attendant in a green robe immediately responded.
Empress Dowager Liu felt frustrated because Yun Guang was so evil and wicked, but she was also relieved.
When she looked at Qin Jiu again, Empress Dowager Liu¡¯s gaze softened and she said, ¡°Good child, you are very kind.¡±
Qin Jiu bowed politely and said with a smile: ¡°It is Empress Dowager that is blessed.¡±
Her words were like candy to Empress Dowager Liu¡¯s ears
Empress Dowager Liu was very satisfied, and thought in her heart: Yes, it must be because of her devotion to religion that herte husband brought Qin Jiu to her side to enlighten her, so that she wouldn¡¯t be deceived by the evil cultivator and make such a grave mistake.
Qin Xin stared at Qin Jiu dazely, her heart was beating fast, she couldn¡¯t suppress her stubborn self any longer.
She still had so much to rely on Yun Guang to aplish, even if Yun Guang would have to fall sooner orter, it shouldn¡¯t be now!
Qin Xin¡¯s gaze was gloomy.
When she first saw Yun Guang, it was in her previous life. At that time, Yun Guang was exiled to Ling Nan, and they had met just once.
It was said that Yun Guang had scammed many in the capital, deceiving many women who wanted children in the name of birth charms.
One of them was the elderdy from the marquess¡¯s mansion. The elderdy hadn¡¯t been able to bear a child in the past for ten years. After begging for a birth charm from Yun Guang, she immediately got pregnant and gave birth to a baby boy.
Yun Guang¡¯s fame rose because of this.
Butter on, as the child grew, he didn¡¯t look like the marquess¡¯s eldest son. It would be slightly better if he was good looking, but he was ugly and timid, which became the talk of the town.
Only then they discovered that the birth charm was fake!
All the women who went to her in hopes for a child, Yun Guang would let them drink a cup of tea that she imed was submerged along with the charm, they would then slowly fall asleep. When theypletely lose their consciousness, they will be raped by men that Yun Guang brought along. Some of them will end up pregnant, and this made Yun Guang even more famous in town.
As soon as the news spread, it created quite an uproar.
The eldestdy hanged herself to death and the child was sent to a temple.
Yun Guang was exiled to Ling Nan.
Chapter 87 CFV Ch.87 Poisoned (3)
In herst life, Qin Xin had only heard of this incident as a mere tale, until she was reborn, she met Yun Guang again.
This should be Yun Guang¡¯s goriest moments, she was deeply favored by Empress Dowager Liu and was fairly reputable in the capital.
Qin Xin didn¡¯t act hastily. She waited until the marquess¡¯s elderdy gave birth to the child then she only went to look for Yun Guang¡¡
As she was holding onto Yun Guang¡¯s secret, Yun Guang naturally obeyed hermands.
But now¡¡
It was clear that Yun Guang would still do well for at least five years from now, how could this happen!
Qin Xin sat there gracefully, but she felt frustrated.
If Yun Guang was exposed, would it affect her?
Qin Xin felt uneasy and turned her anger towards Qin Jiu.
This was all Qin Jiu¡¯s fault!
In her previous life, because of Qin Jiu¡¯s return, she was driven out of the Marquess¡¯s Mansion. In this life, she¡¯s again meddling with her ns!
¡°Herees the Emperor!¡±
With the imperial servant¡¯s notice, the emperor walked in withrge strides. Everyone got up and bowed. Before the emperor bowed at Empress Dowager Liu, she hurriedly ushered him to sit down and instructed the imperial physician to look into the emperor¡¯s pulse.
The emperor followed Empress Dowager Liu¡¯s instructions obediently and sat down.
¡°Emperor,¡± Empress Wei exined what was happening to the emperor, and said, ¡°Thanks to the Empress Dowager¡¯s vignce, otherwise we would all be deceived by Yun Guang.¡±
Just the thought of it made Empress Dowager Liu shudder with fear.
Imperial Noble Consort Liu clenched her fists, as if a fire was burning in her heart.
When did the Empress be so treacherous, what did she mean by ¡°thanks to the Empress Dowager¡¯s vignce¡±, she can¡¯t fool her, it was clear that she was the one who nned this! She was now praising the Empress Dowager for her wise decisions, so that it was useless for her to even mention that something felt wrong about this whole incident.
Whoever spoke up for Yun Guang now would be against the Empress Dowager!
The imperial physician listened to the emperor¡¯s pulse for a while, and said: ¡°The emperor¡¯s pulse is weak, his blood cirction is too slow along with depleted Qi and excessive toxins in his body. I will prescribe a Coptis chinensis detox drink, take it for a few days and he will get better soon.¡±
In other words, the Emperor is also poisoned, but his condition wasn¡¯t as serious for the time being.
The Emperorforted Empress Dowager Liu and said, ¡°As long as I stop taking that elixir and drink the medicine for a few days, I will be fine.¡±
Empress Dowager Liu nodded, and hurriedly replied, ¡°Yun Guang is an evil cultivator. The elixir that she gave you must not be taken anymore. Imperial Noble Consort, you¡¡¡±
Empress Dowager Liu was about to tell Imperial Noble Consort Liu to pay more attention to this, to keep a close eye on the Emperor and stop him from taking the elixir, but after a second thought, Imperial Noble Consort Liu wanted to plead for the evil cultivator¡¯s forgiveness just now, this matter must not be handed over to her.
Empress Dowager Liu changed her words and said: ¡°Empress, you keep a close eye on the Emperor for me, those elixirs should be destroyed as soon as possible.¡±
Empress Wei responded gently.
Seeing that time was almost up, the Emperor invited Empress Dowager Liu to the banquet together, so everyone got up, followed behind them both, and went towards Bao He Hall.
As they walked, they listened to Empress Dowager Liu in front of them angrily telling the Emperor that he had to keep an eye on Jing Zhao Yin, and to make sure that the trial runs smoothly so that the evil cultivator, Yun Guang wasn¡¯t so easily left off the hook!
The emperor agreed to her requests calmly because of his good temper.
Empress Wei never hid secrets from him. The emperor knew that the Empress never wanted him to take the elixirs, and even quarreled with the Empress Dowager Liu because of this.
It was also to ease the conflict between the two that the Emperor agreed to take the elixir.
After knowing Empress Wei¡¯s n, he let her execute it as she had wished.
The Empress didn¡¯t mean to frame Yun Guang, she just pushed Yun Guang towards Empress Dowager Liu, she secretly added a few more doses of the elixir in Yun Guang¡¯s meal. If this elixir was poisonous, Yun Guang would bear the consequences herself.
It was written in the ancient medicine dictionary that these toxins were caused by long-term consumption of inferior elixirs, and the umtion of these toxins would lead to ulcers. If the skin is cracked and damaged, the effects of the toxin would be elerated, leading to an acute poisoning.
Therefore, these days, the elixirs were not only added into Yun Guang¡¯s daily meals, but also heaty food, which would make her mouth and tongue sore, so that the poison would invade her body even more easily.
Chapter 88 CFV Ch.88 Poisoned (4)
When Yun Guang showed symptoms, the little pce maid who served her reported to the Empress.
Which led to today¡¯s event.
The cup of tea that the pce maid gave Yun Guang just now was actually mixed with a hint of Threewingnut Roots.
A small dose of Threewingnut Roots wouldn¡¯t cost a person¡¯s life, but Yun Guang will show symptoms such as seizures and abdominal pain, and these symptom were simr to the symptoms of that Master Cheng had described in Qin Jiu¡¯s story, which will definitely raise the Empress Dowager Liu¡¯s suspicion upon hearing the story.
As long as the Empress Dowager Liu raised suspicion and ordered someone to check on her, Yun Guang that was poisoned would naturally be exposed.
If Yun Guang really was poisoned, how could the Emperor who was also taking the elixir made by Yun Guang be fine?
Everything will fall in ce naturally.
The Emperor listened patiently to Empress Dowager Liu¡¯s rambles, and asionally turned his head and smiled at Empress Wei. If it weren¡¯t for the current situation they were in, he really wanted to embrace Empress Wei andugh out loud.
No matter how the emperor assured her, Empress Dowager Liu was still very worried, but she still went to the Shou Kang Pce.
After all, it was her birthday banquet today, it wasn¡¯t worth it if her mood was ruined just because of an evil cultivator.
The others were silent all the way, all with different thoughts running in their minds.
After entering Shou Kang Pce, Qin Jiu and Qin Xin were separated from the Empress Dowager, the Empress and the others. They walked through the main entrance of the main pce and took a seat first.
A pce maid led her to the designated seats for the Qin family, Elder Lady Qin and Lady Su had already gotten in their seats.
Elder Lady Qin was fuming with anger as soon as she saw Qin Jiu, but before she could say anything, one of the imperial servants shouted in a sharp voice:
¡°Herees the Emperor, herees the Empress Dowager, herees the Empress!¡±
The people in the hall tensed up and started to bow, one after another.
When they sat down again, the birthday banquet had officially begun. The pce maids with dresses of the same colour brought out a variety of drinks and dishes, as the sound of silk bamboo sounded, a group of dancers started to dance as they swung their sleeves along with the music. They danced gracefully, singing and dancing at the same time.
Everyone talked andughed, the atmosphere was very lively.
Seeing that no one was paying attention to them, Elder Lady Qin couldn¡¯t hold herself back anymore, she said to Qin Jiu earnestly: ¡°Sister Jiu, you were way too harsh.¡±
¡°The Qin family is your pir of support. When you get married in the future, if you¡¯re not on good terms with your family, you won¡¯t be able to stand your ground in your husband¡¯s family. So, fighting with the Qin family, it will not do any good for you.¡±
¡°After the birthday banquet, go and tell the Empress that you¡¯ll be going back to the mansion with me.¡±
¡°What happened in the Sheng Hua Pavilion, I won¡¯t make a big deal out of it.¡±
Elder Lady Qin acted like she was generous, thinking that Qin Jiu grew up in an outskirt vige, and was very ignorant, she thought that with the Empress¡¯s support, she would have nothing to fear. How could things be so simple!
Qin Jiu bent the corners of her lips, and suddenly said, ¡°Grandma, Priest Yun Guang was taken down by the Empress Dowager just now.¡±
Elder Lady Qin: ¡°!!!¡±
Qin Jiu looked at Elder Lady Qin, the corners of her lips curled up, and said, ¡°Do you believe in me? Or¡¡¡±
She guided Elder Lady Qin¡¯s gaze to Qin Xin.
Qin Xin, on the side, was still deep in thought, afraid that Priest Yun Guang would affect her, but now, upon hearing Elder Lady Qin¡¯s conversation with Qin Jiu, her heart started to beat frantically.
¡°¡¡¡± Elder Lady Qin was confused, she wanted to ask how Priest Yun Guang was taken down by Empress Dowager Liu.
At this moment, a servant in green came over and said to Qin Jiu with a smile on his face: ¡°Third Lady Qin, the Empress Dowager asked for you.¡±
Elder Lady Qin and Lady Su were taken aback again.
Lady Su looked at Qin Jiu, then at Qin Xin, and she thought to herself: Doesn¡¯t the Empress Dowager like Qin Xin? Just now, she even let Qin Xin to stay back with her in the Ci Ning Pce. Why didn¡¯t she call for Qin Xin this time, but Qin Jiu instead?! Could it be that she had made a mistake?
Qin Jiu stood up and followed the servant to Empress Dowager Liu under the surprised gaze of the people around her.
Chapter 89 CFV Ch.89 Poisoned (5)
After Qin Jiu bowed politely, Empress Dowager Liu ordered someone to bring her a seat and she eagerly started talking to her: ¡°Jiu, tell me more about the old priest, what does he look like?¡±
Empress Dowager Liu followed the Emperor and called her Jiu.
Qin Jiu tilted her small face, like she was trying to recall, and said: ¡°The old priest had white eyebrows and a long beard, and he also had a childlike face. Although his head was covered with silver hair, there weren¡¯t any wrinkles on his face. He was wearing a gray robe and holding a silver-white whisk in his hand. He had a divine poise and sagelike aura.¡±
¡°Even if he was questioned by Master Cheng and the pilgrims around him, he still remained calm andposed.¡±
The more Empress Dowager Liu listened on, the more she felt that he was the true master of cultivation, she then asked: ¡°Jiu, do you know his cultivation name?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Qin Jiu shook her head.
Empress Dowager Liu was slightly disappointed, and murmured: ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can find him¡¡¡±
Qin Jiu said with a smile: ¡°You can send more people on the lookout for him. If you can find him, it means that you two are tied by the fate of the gods; if you can¡¯t find him, it¡¯s just not the right time yet.¡±
Empress Dowager Liu felt that Qin Jiu was right, she nodded slightly and thought to herself: Yes, the Emperor is tied by the fate of the gods, even if she couldn¡¯t find him now, it just wasn¡¯t the right time for their paths to cross yet.
¡°It is so hard to track this immortal down!¡± Empress Dowager Liu sighed, ¡°This old priest has true immortal powers. Not everyone is fated to cross paths with him!¡±
¡°You¡¯re right!¡± Qin Jiu nodded in agreement, ¡°Now that I¡¯ve given it some thought, I realised that his advice was very enlightening.¡±
¡°The old priest said that there are plenty of people in the world, they don¡¯t even possess the true skills as a cultivator, but they still had the nerve to use their skills to deceive the people, so a real spirit elixir is rare toe by. Not only would an inferior elixir poison a person, it would also destroy their reputation!¡±
¡°Well said!¡± Empress Dowager Liu was distracted, she felt that Qin Jiu was her confidant, and she connected well with her, ¡°There are too many people out there who deceive the innocent.¡±
She was suddenly reminded of the deceitful Yun Guang, Empress Dowager Liu furrowed her brows.
Even Yun Guang, a priest who had built a strong reputation in the capital was a fake. It can be seen howplicated the world is now, it¡¯s indeed ¡°rare toe by.¡±
If there were more reputable cultivators who offered inferior elixirs to the emperor, wouldn¡¯t it mean that they used her to indirectly harm the emperor?!
The more Empress Dowager Liu thought about it, the more afraid she was as she murmured: ¡°I have to find the old priest¡¡¡±
That¡¯s right, she will send someone to Yu province and Jiang Nan tomorrow to look for him!
Before she finds the old priest, she will never fall in anyone¡¯s trap again!
Qin Jiu naturally overheard the Empress Dowager Liu¡¯s whisper, she smiled slightly and she thought to herself: So now, the Empress Dowager will not let the Emperor take any strange elixirs again.
As for whether she can find the ¡°old priest¡±, it just wasn¡¯t the right time for their paths to cross yet.
Empress Dowager Liu looked at Qin Jiu, thinking to herself how good this little girl before her was, and everything she said to her was like candy to her ears.
The Empress Dowager Liu smiled even more pleasantly, then she sent Qin Jiu back to her seat with the Qin family.
After Qin Jiu bowed to Empress Dowager Liu, she backed away.
Empress Dowager Liu looked at Qin Jiu¡¯s slender figure from the back and sighed: ¡°The jewelleries on this little girl are so dull and in, what¡¯s wrong with the Empress, she doesn¡¯t even know how to make her some jewelry sets.¡±
The Mama hurriedly agreed with the Empress Dowager Liu in response.
Empress Dowager Liu felt that she was more caring than the Empress, and ordered: ¡°Mama Feng, bring my peony-patterned jewellery box to me.¡±
Mother Feng immediately did what she was told.
After a while, Qin Jiu, who had just returned to her seat, received a jewelry box under everyone¡¯s envious gaze.
¡°Third Lady Qin,¡± Mama Feng said with a smile, ¡°These are the jewellery that the Empress Dowager had used when she was young. Her highness said that it was most suitable for girls of your age.¡±
¡°Mama Feng, please thank the Empress Dowager for me.¡± Qin Jiu epted it cheerfully.
After today¡¯s incident, she suddenly realised that the Empress Dowager Liu who had always sided the second prince and was such a nuisance in the original story was actually not so difficult to deal with after all.
Empress Dowager Liu was more like a child, all she had to do was please her.
Chapter 90 CFV Ch.90 Poisoned (6)
Both Elder Lady Qin and Lady Su looked at her in shock as they couldn¡¯t believe their eyes.
Especially Lady Su, the astonishment stered on her face was hard to miss: Qin Jiu was just a small girl from a vige, how could she be favoured by the Empress Dowager!!
¡°¡¡¡± Qin Xin stared at Qin Jiu intensely, her gaze was focused and deep in her own thoughts.
Elder Lady Qin had just listened to Qin Xin talk about Priest Yun Guang, but she couldn¡¯t quite believe it. She tentatively asked Qin Jiu what the Empress Dowager Liu had said to her and why she would suddenly gift her with these jewelry.
However, no matter what Elder Lady Qin asked her, Qin Jiu only smiled politely in response. Not long after, she simply walked out of the main hall to change her outfit.
The hall was filled with the smell of food, mixed with hints of cosmetics, incense.
Aspared to the stuffy atmosphere inside, the air outside the hall felt refreshing, the cool autumn breeze brought along the fragrances of flowers and nts.
Qin Jiu was the not only one who came out from the birthday banquet for a breather, but a few otherdies who attended the banquet, they all walked out for a breath of fresh air, all using the same excuse as hers.
Qin Jiu looked at the pond not too far away from her, there was no one there so she started walking towards it.
The closer she got to the pond, the stronger the wind blew at her, her gown flew up like a butterfly along with it.
Qin Jiu pressed down on her tossed skirt, the handkerchief in her hand identally slipped out and was blown away by the wind, it happened tond on the branch of a willow tree by theke.
When the wind blew, the branches of the willow tree started swaying back and forth¡¡
Qin Jiu strode forward, and wanted to get back her handkerchief, but she didn¡¯t notice that Qin Xin was looking at her from the rocks not far behind from her.
Qin Xin stared intensely at Qin Jiu. Since Qin Jiu had returned to the capital, her ns were all ruined. First, she was exposed by Qin Jiu in the Sheng Hua Pavilion in front of everyone, and now even Priest Yun Guang was taken down¡¡
If this continues on, will she be reced by Qin Jiu as the second prince¡¯s wife, she¡¯ll then walk down the old path like what had happened in her previous life again, expelled from the capital, and die in a foreignnd?!
No, she will not let the same things happen again!
If only Qin Jiu never showed up!
Qin Xin¡¯s gaze was focused, she quietly approached Qin Jiu, step by step, even if the two were still far apart, but she was so driven by the hatred in her heart, she subconsciously stretched out her arm.
In front, Qin Jiu, who was by theke, was reaching out to grab the handkerchief on the willow tree. The wind blew, the branches swayed, and the handkerchief was not too far away from her.
As she lifted up her gown, Qin Jiu stepped on a rock next to her, and shifted closer towards the direction of theke¡¡
¡°Little girl!¡±
Suddenly, a clear and gentle male voice came from behind her, the familiar voice that sounded cheerful frightened Qin Jiu.
She turned her head and saw that a few steps away, Gu Ze Zhi was slowly walking towards her and a slight smile shed on his face.
The sun softly outlined his handsome face, his ck hair that resembled the colour of a crow¡¯s feather gleamed under the golden shimmer of the sun.
¡°Big Brother.¡± Qin Jiu smiled at him fakely, and thought in her heart: Is he following me!
Her right foot was still ced on the rock, and her left foot was dangling off the ground in midair.
¡°What are you doing?¡± Gu Ze Zhi twitched the corner of his mouth and smiled slightly.
Qin Jiu said in a serious tone: ¡°Big brother, the view from here is pretty good, so I climbed higher to take in the view of theke¡¡¡±
Gu Ze Zhi raised his eyebrows, he didn¡¯t even say anything. However, his expression seemed like he was resisting the urge to smile, it was like he was saying to her, is it?
Looking into his bright eyes, Qin Jiu kept quiet and jumped off the rock.
Gu Ze Zhi took two steps forward, his left hand lingered around her waist, maintaining a slight distance, without touching her with the palm of his hand.
Qin Jiunded steadily on the ground.
She raised her finger and pointed at the square handkerchief that was hanging on the branch. This time, she honestly confessed: ¡°I dropped my handkerchief.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll help you.¡± Gu Ze Zhi took two steps forward. He was tall. With a casual raise of his hand, he got a hold of the lc-colored handkerchief.
Chapter 91 CFV Ch.91 Poisoned (7)
He held onto the handkerchief with his white and slender fingers, his nails were trimmed clean. When he raised his hand, the cuffs of his robe slipped down slightly, revealing his beautiful forearms.
The lc-colored handkerchief was delicate and soft, and the young man¡¯s fingers were firm and strong.
Exact opposites.
The breeze that blew past was apanied with a faint scent, subtle, the scent felt refreshing and elegant, like orchids, along with the scent of clear morning dew that lingered on the tip of Qin Jiu¡¯s nose.
Qin Jiu almost wanted to ask him what scent it was, but she changed her words abruptly: ¡°Thank you, big brother.¡±
Qin Jiu batted her hazel eyes, she smiled sweetly and obediently.
¡°You should head back in.¡± Gu Ze Zhi handed her the handkerchief, and calmly nced at a rock that was southeast from where they were at. His gaze was slightly cold, and the corner of his lips was still smiling.
She always listened to Gu Ze Zhi, and nodded hurriedly, ¡°Big brother, I¡¯ll head back to the birthday banquet now.¡±
Right after she finished speaking, she lifted her gown and left, her movements were agile.
When Qin Jiu returned to the banquet, Qin Xin had already gone back before her, she was sitting next to Lady Su, the hatred in her gaze grew stronger.
She almost seeded just now!
In the hall, a song just ended, followed by a row of dancers who entered the hall, they started dancing around gracefully, everyone was dazzled by their performance.
The birthday banquet was even more lively than before, the royal children were entertaining Empress Dowager Liu and sheughed along happily, the tense situation that Priest Yun Guang had created just now disappeared into thin air.
Two hourster, Empress Dowager Liu¡¯s birthday banquet ended, and Elder Lady Qin asked Qin Jiu to head back with them. However, Qin Jiu was called by a pce servant sent by Empress Wei.
Hence, the Qin family could only head back to the Marquess Mansion without her.
The next day, what had happened to Priest Yun Guang started to spread around town.
As Priest Yun Guang was sent to Jing Zhao Mansion by Empress Dowager Liu herself, Jing Zhao Yin didn¡¯t show mercy during the trial. Priest Yun Guang couldn¡¯t hold back during the interrogation and confessed to the evil things she had done over the years, including the incident about the birth charms.
This caused an uproar throughout the capital.
Even Elder Lady Qin had heard about it, she was dumbfounded, and muttered to herself: ¡°How is it possible¡¡It¡¯s not possible. Is this some sort of a mistake?¡±
¡°Elder Lady Qin, it¡¯s true.¡± Mama Cui too had a puzzled look on her face.¡± The An Ding Marquess family also knows about this, their grandson looks exactly like one of the workers in Xuan Qing Guan, a wide forehead, a fat nose and he too was cross-eyed¡¡¡±
Elder Lady Qin felt a hot steam rush to the top of her head, and she felt dizzy. Mama Cui quickly handed Elder Lady Qin a cup of tea.
Elder Lady Qin took a sip of the tea, she slowly calmed down and said, ¡°Yun Guang is such a wicked cultivator!¡±
Yesterday, when Qin Jiu said that Priest Yun Guang was taken down by Empress Dowager Liu, she was still doubtful,ter on she asked Qin Xin again. Qin Xin only said that Empress Dowager Liu suspected that the elixirs cultivated by the Priest Yun Guang were inferior elixirs.
Elder Lady Qin believed that the royal family was just overreacting, she still felt that Priest Yun Guang was wronged.
Priest Yun Guang was well-known in the capital. Not only did she make elixirs for the Emperor and the Empress Dowager, but she also studied physiognomy and Feng Shui. Also, her birth charms were extremely effective, everyone wanted to seek help from her, so that she could read their fortune, she never expected her to be an evil cultivator!
¡°Fortunately, our family never really had close ties with her.¡± Elder Lady Qin patted her chest in relief.
¡°Yes, mother.¡± Lady Su sighed, ¡°An Ding Marquess family is in deep trouble, I¡¯m afraid that they both would have to die.¡±
Lady Su sighed and thought to herself: The nobleman has plenty of concubines, none of them could give birth to a child. So, their only child was raised and treasured so preciously. Now, with this shocking news, not only the wife would have to die, even the crown prince would have to be executed along with her.
Sigh!
Priest Yun Guang really caused a lot of trouble.
This matter had nothing to do with the Zhong Yi Marquess family. After Elder Lady Qin had heard about it, all she could do was sigh.
However, a thought appeared in Lady Su¡¯s mind, she said hurriedly: ¡°Mother, Sister Jiu¡¡ On the day of the chanting event, Sister Jiu repeatedly questioned Yun Guang if she was an evil cultivator, and it was also because of this, Sister Jiu went into the pce to look for the Empress.¡±
Chapter 92 CFV Ch.92 Poisoned (8)
¡°Now that Yun Guang¡¯s scandal is known to the world, it¡¯s as if Sister Jiu¡¯s words were the truth. If we don¡¯t bring her back to the Hou Mansion, wouldn¡¯t the Empress Dowager think that we believe in Yun Guang and not in Sister Jiu??¡±
Elder Lady Qin¡¯s heart skipped a beat, her expression changed.
Yes, this is indeed true!
No wonder the Empress asked her yesterday if she knew what she had done wrong¡¡ it was because of this! Elder Lady Qin was being too paranoid
¡°Tomorrow.¡± Elder Lady Qin was anxious, ¡°Tomorrow I will head to the pce and bring back Sister Jiu!¡±
Later that night, Elder Lady Qin tossed and turned in bed, she had a hard time falling asleep and basically just stayed up all night.
The next morning, she handed over her identity card and walked into the pce.
This time, as soon as she saw Empress Wei, Elder Lady Qin immediately admitted to her mistake: ¡°Empress, I was wrong.¡±
Empress Wei slowly brushed away the tea foam with the lid, she nced at her slightly after hearing this, and said, ¡°You¡¯re wrong about?¡±
Elder Lady Qin hurriedly said: ¡°I shouldn¡¯t treat Sister Jiu unfairly.¡±
Sigh, who would have thought that Yun Guang was an evil cultivator that was deceiving the whole world!
¡°I shouldn¡¯t have proposed to send Sister Jiu to a faraway vige, nor should I have said that Sister Jiu was selfish, and forced her to kneel down and admit to her mistakes.¡±
¡°Sister Jiu didn¡¯t do anything wrong that day. Yun Guang said, in front of so many people, that Sister Jiu has the fate of a ¡®lonely and cursed star¡¯ and Sister Jiu naturally wouldn¡¯t agree to it.¡±
Elder Lady Qin looked pale. She couldn¡¯t sleepst night as she was deep in thought. If she listened to Qin Jiu at that time, then would Qin Jiu not choose to leave?
Why didn¡¯t she listen¡¡
At that moment, Qin Xin¡¯s figure shed by Elder Lady Qin¡¯s mind, she immediately shook her head, Qin Xin did not intend to me Qin Jiu, and she should not me her too.
However, Elder Lady Qin still felt slightly ufortable.
¡°Your highness,¡± Elder Lady Qin raised her head after realizing that Empress Wei did not speak for a long time, and said again, ¡°Let me take the child back. I will treat her fairly from now on.¡±
Elder Lady Qin swallowed her pride, she just wanted to take Qin Jiu back as soon as possible.
At this moment, a middle-aged servant came in, Empress Wei¡¯s personal maid, You Bai, went out with the servant for a few words, she returned and whispered in Empress Wei¡¯s ear. Empress Wei¡¯s eyebrows furrowed.
When You Bai finished, Elder Lady Qin continued, observing her words and expression: ¡°Your highness, we will enter the ancestral hall in five days time, it is time to record Sister Jiu in the genealogy.¡±
Empress Wei ced the tea cup in her hand down and said, ¡°Jiu is with the Empress Dowager. You may stay here first to wait for her return.¡±
Seeing as Empress Wei finally gave her words, Elder Lady Qin hurriedly answered in agreement, she felt relieved.
Not long after, Qin Jiu returned to Feng Luan Pce.
Qin Jiu was wearing a carmine red dress and a gorgeous gold cor around her neck. The cor was covered with intricate and exquisite patterns of lotuses and clouds, and a ruby
the size of a quail egg was embedded on it, it immediately attracted Elder Lady Qin¡¯s gaze.
The bright red ruby
gleamed, reflecting onto Qin Jiu¡¯s beautiful hazel eyes.
After Qin Jiu had paid her respect, Empress Wei smiled and said, ¡°Jiu, this golden cor was the Empress Dowager¡¯s favorite during her early years. It suits you perfectly.¡±
Elder Lady Qin was startled. This golden cor was a gift from the Empress Dowager Liu?
She couldn¡¯t help but remember the box of jewelry that Empress Dowager Liu had given Qin Jiu at the banquet yesterday.
Empress Wei nced at Elder Lady Qin that was next to her, she then continued: ¡°Your grandmother knows that she has falsely used you, and she admits to her mistake, Jiu, you can go back with her.¡±
Qin Jiu obediently agreed.
Elder Lady Qin was quite anxious at first, she was afraid that Qin Jiu would not be willing to go back with her, but now she feltpletely at ease.
Empress Wei ordered the maid to pack for Qin Jiu¡¯s stuff, she then took her hand and led her to the direction of her bedroom. As she walked, she said to Qin Jiu: ¡°Jiu, I have a head veil made out of rubies. It will go well with this gold cor. Follow me and we¡¯ll try it out.¡±
Empress Wei took Qin Jiu to her bedroom and asked her to sit in front of the dressing table, she personally put on the veil, a pair of earrings and a bracelet for her, and said: ¡°At first, I was nning to let you stay here for a while more and leave your grandmother hanging. However, the Emperor sent someone to inform me that Ye Lu Luan from Bei Yan asked you to be his wife.¡±
What?! Qin Jiu¡¯s eyes widened, she blinked over and over in disbelief.
Chapter 93 CFV Ch.93 Bribery (1)
¡°Jiu, you can go back now.¡± Empress Wei smirked, these barbarian from Bei Yan think too highly of themselves, they don¡¯t have the power to decide who they want to marry.
Afraid that she would have frightened the little girl, Empress Wei hurriedly added: ¡°The emperor and I would not agree upon the marriage just to make peace with them. Jiu, I will personally select your future partner for you, don¡¯t you worry.¡±
¡°¡¡¡± Qin Jiu thought to herself: Maybe it was because of thepound bow that Ye Lu Luan started to grow fond of to her?
¡°Du Ruo!¡±
Empress Wei summoned and an oval-faced pce maid who was dressed in a blue dress walked in, she politely greeted the empress.
¡°Jiu, this is Du Ruo, she will be under you from now on.¡± Empress Wei pulled on Jiu¡¯s hand, her lips drew into a meaningful smile.
Since Empress Wei allowed Du Ruo to serve Jiu, this meant that Du Ruo was no longer a pce maid, but Qin Jiu¡¯s follower.
Qin Jiu obediently agreed.
In no time, the pce maid had quickly packed all of Qin Jiu¡¯s belongings, Qin Jiu that was dressed in jewels and Lady Qin returned to Zhong Yi Residence, followed by Du Ruo that was gifted by Empress Wei to Jiu.
Along the way, when the carriage passed by An Ding Residence, there were white gs hanging from the front doors. Lady Qin sighed: ¡°I am afraid that his wife and the crown prince has been executed.¡±
When Yun Guang¡¯s scandal unfolded before the Empress Dowager, Qin Jiu was there at that time, and hence, she overheard about the ¡°Birth Charm¡± incident, and how this was tied to An Ding Residence.
The crown prince of An Ding had many wives, but none of them have given birth to any children. It was clear that the problem lies with the crown prince, yet even if his wife desperately seeked for doctors from all over for a cure, praying and begging to the gods, but when something goes wrong, thedy would be responsible for it and put to death.
In a split second, the carriage was far from An Ding Residence. After crossing another five streets, they arrived at the Zhong Yi Residence.
Mrs. Su of the Marquess family personally weed Lady Qin and Qin Jiu at the front door.
Her elegant face was smiling brightly, like nothing major had happened, and said: ¡°Jiu, your winter robe is ready, I¡¯ll instruct the mama to let you try it onter. If the measurements turn out wrong, I¡¯ll let the seamstress make the adjustments immediately.
Qin Jiu also pretended as if nothing had happened, she smiled and thanked her: ¡°Thank you, second aunt.¡±
Lady Qin was still smiling, ¡°You have a good rest today, you don¡¯t have toe over tonight¡¡¡±
The three of them stood together, the atmosphere seemed rather cheerful.
After that, Qin Jiu brought Du Ruo back to Guang Xiang courtyard.
She hadn¡¯t returned for around ten days, Guang Xiang courtyard looked the same as before, all the servants came up to her and bowed as a sign of respect.
Du Ruo skillfully instructed the servants to prepare a pot of tea, cakes and fruits for Qin Jiu.
After she served Qin Jiu with a cup of tea, she then looked around the courtyard and said as she walked:
¡°The quilt is still damp, immediately dry it outside and make sure that it smells good!¡±
¡°Why is the Curio Box in such a messy state?! Everything is just piled on it, do you think the Marquess Residence is of such low standards?
¡°How long has it been since the water in the vase was changed?¡±
¡°¡¡¡±
The servants in the yard were busy under Du Ruo¡¯s never endingmands. They all knew that Du Ruo was from the pce and was rewarded by Empress Wei to Qin Jiu. They didn¡¯t dare to refute her.
The yard was initially managed by a mama in charge and two first ss maids. Since Du Ruo¡¯s arrival, they all naturally let her take the lead.
Qin Jiu was leisurely sipping on her tea as she watched Du Ruo delegate tasks around the yard, the corner of her lips formed into a slight smile.
Hmm, the yard should always be this lively!
Qin Jiu sipped a mouthful of tea, and suddenly thought of someone, she casually asked: ¡°Where is Xia Lian?¡±
Another maid, Chun Xi bowed and replied: ¡°Miss, Xia Lian fell ill and is still resting.¡±
Qin Jiu ced the tea cup in her hand back down, raised her eyebrows and forced a smile before asking: ¡°She fell ill just from my aunt¡¯s p?¡±
Chapter 94 CFV Ch.94 Bribery (2)
Du Ruo also knew what had happened to Xia Lian, and it was precisely because the servants in the Yuan Xian courtyard were so restless that Empress Wei rewarded her to Jiu, so that the girl would not get angry and suffer from her ipetent servants.
Xia Lian thought too highly of herself, the incident happened 11 days ago. Even if she had lost a tooth, she should have recovered by now!
Xia Lian didn¡¯te in today, it was obvious she was intentionally trying to embarrass Jiu.
Du Ruo frowned and scolded: ¡°How dare she! If she was sick, she should just go home, what if she had infected the mistress!¡±
Chun Xi:¡±¡¡¡±
Du Ruo looked over to Qin Jiu: ¡°Mistress, since Xia Lian is severely ill, we should just let her go.¡±
¡°Kick her out then¡± Qin Jiu replied.
The pair worked well together.
Du Ruo¡¯s work style had always been clean and quick, she handled her affairs briskly and immediately instructed the servant : ¡°Immediately kick out Xia Lian!¡±
Chun Xi and the other servants exchanged nces, no one dared to move.
Even if Xia Lian was pped in public, the next day, the Marquess family rewarded her, which made them feel at ease. It didn¡¯t matter that they were pped, as they were given a reward!
Initially, they should have weed the third mistress today. However, Xia Lian wanted to prove her loyalty to Lady Su and pretended as if she had fallen ill.
Chun Xi and the others knew about this, but they hid the truth from Qin Jiu.
Qin Jiu looked around at the servants that froze in ce, she frowned and said:¡± The servants in Zhong Yi resident are indeed unruly!¡±
¡°If no one wants to obey my instructions, everyone should be kicked out.¡± Qin Jiu said in a casual tone, ¡°Later, I will ask the Empress to send over a few more servants like Du Ruo, I feel more at ease with them.¡±
Du Ruo was happy, her smile was as bright as a flower, she bowed and said: ¡°Mistress, it¡¯s my pleasure to serve you.¡±
¡°¡¡¡±
¡°¡¡¡±
¡°¡¡¡±
Chun Xi and the other servants frowned.
They all knew if Empress Wei took up the issue, they would definitely be kicked out. Once they were chased out, thedy would not use them anymore.
Du Ruo did not hold high hopes on them, she walked out by herself and strided proudly ahead.
After a while, only then Chun Xi and the others realised what Du Ruo was going to do and hurriedly catch up.
Du Ruo went out of the room and simply asked one of the maids in the yard, : ¡°May I know which room does Xia Lian live in?¡±
The woman was startled by Du Ruo¡¯s abrupt question, she then pointed in a direction: ¡°The first room in the back house.¡±
Du Ruo went straight to the back house where the servants lived, she kicked open the door to the first room.
¡°Pong!¡±
Du Ruo rushed in.
Xia Lian, who was hugging onto the quilt, was still pretending to be ill. She sat up subconsciously, and looked at Du Ruo in confusion.
Du Ruo harshly flipped away her quilt and said: ¡°The mistress will not use a sick servant! Shoo Shoo Shoo!¡±
Xia Lian furrowed her brows: ¡° Who are you¡¡¡± How dare she have the audacity to kick her out!
While she was speaking, Chun Xi entered the room.
She was afraid that Xia Lian and Du Ruo would fight so she quickly grabbed Xia Lian¡¯s arm and said: ¡° Xia Lian, this is Du Ruo, she was sent here by the Empress.¡±
Chun Xi lowered her voice and whispered into Xia Lian¡¯s ears: ¡° You should look for Mrs Su first, don¡¯t go head on against her.¡±
To defeat a person, one should always look for their master. If she hit Du Ruo, she would be disrespecting the Empress!
Xia Lian was reluctant to do so and her face looked pale. Chun Xi quickly dragged her away before she could do anything.
Du Ruo then calmly walked out from the back house, a bunch of servants had gathered outside, all looking at Du Ruo with intense expressions.
Du Ruo coldly ces her hands on her waist, with one finger pointing right at them: ¡°Why are all of you here, there is still plenty of undone work!¡±
At this moment, the seamstress came by to hand over the new robe.
The mama in charge saw as Xia Lian was rushed out embarrassedly, and that Du Ruo was arrogantly lecturing the others, her expression darkened.
The mama acted as if nothing had happened and greeted Du Ruo, she then followed her back inside.
Chapter 95 CFV Ch.95 Bribery (3)
¡°Thirddy¡± The mama bowed at Qin Jiu and said: ¡°ording to the rules in the residence, each season there will be four sets of outfits and one set of head essories prepared for you. You returned not long ago, hence the eight sets are all prepared, all these are gifts from thedy.¡±
The eight servants that she brought over stood in two lines, each of them holding a set of clothing.
Qin Jiu nced over at the clothes.
Moon white, olive green, light yellow, bright yellow, lc, snow green, amber and pine green. The eight colors were very simple yet elegant, the workmanship and embroidery skills were very delicate as well.
She only stayed in the pce for ten days, it wasn¡¯t easy to try all the eight sets of clothes in such a short timeframe.
Qin Jiu pursed her lips, and randomly picked out a moon white set, she immediately noticed that they were changes made to the hem of the skirt.
Du Ruo squinted her eyes, as she had been in the pce for a long time, she had witnessed all kinds of dirty tricks. At a nce, she immediately knew what was wrong. In order to deal with Qin Jiu, Mrs Su merely instructed the seamstress to make minor changes to dresses that the other girls hadn¡¯t worn in the past.
It looks like Mrs Su had prepared eight sets of winter clothes for her niece, and was generous enough that no one would dare say that she was mistreating Qin Jiu. However, secretly, she was trying to make things difficult for Qin Jiu.
Du Ruoughed in a mocking manner, she said to Qin Jiu: ¡°Mistress, is the Marquess residence mourning in remembrance of a certain someone? The Empress never mentioned anything about it.¡±
¡°Hahaha.¡± Qin Jiu burst outughing.
The mama¡¯s expression turned awkward.
Qin Jiu suppressed herughter and said solemnly: ¡° No one is mourning.¡±
Du Ruo continued: ¡°Then the person in charge must have been scammed and brought back obsolete pieces from the fabric store. Look at the flower patterns and the eight auspicious and tangled pomegranate flowers on it, they¡¯re so not in trend.
¡°¡¡¡± The mama kept quiet.
Du Ruo sighed, ¡°Fortunately, the Empress made some clothes for you. Otherwise, if you wore these pieces out, outsiders might think that something happened in the Marquess residence and that you¡¯re mourning.¡±
Qin Jiu felt that what she said was right, and didn¡¯t even try the clothes on, she instructed the mama to ce the pieces down somewhere and sent her away.
Du Ruo quickly instructed the servants to ce the clothes in the storeroom. Next time, the mistress could give these away as rewards.
She didn¡¯t stop there as she started to arrange Qin Jiu¡¯s belongings that she had brought from the pce, she then took out the book that Qin Jiu was reading in Feng Luan pce and proceeded to arrange the fruit and snack tes.
The items from the pce, from its tes, saucers, cabs and snacks, each one looked exquisite and delicate.
Qin Jiu casually sat by the window, she read her book as she enjoyed some snacks rxedly.
At times like these, as long as she had someone capable with her, her life would be so much easier!
Life before modernization was so simple, it would be even more perfect if the female lead stopped messing with her again!
Qin Jiu thought to herself happily while she read her book and munched on some snacks.
In the evening, the second ss maids served dinner, and ced the dishes all nicely on the table.
Everydy in the residence had four dishes and one bowl of soup for dinner. Today¡¯s dinner was boiled vegetables, fermented eggnts, roasted carp with watercress and green onion, braised cabbage with shrimp, mushroom and wolfberry chicken soup. Four dishes and one bowl of soup, a bnced diet, and each dish looked delicious.
Du Ruo personally served the dishes to Qin Jiu, after having a few bites, she noticed something off.
The boiled vegetables were too salty.
The fermented eggnts were undercooked
The roasted fish wasn¡¯t meaty and there were too many bones in it.
Qin Jiu put down her chopsticks and furrowed her brows, she knew that it was Mrs Su¡¯s idea because she chased away Xia Lian.
Du Ruo looked at her and immediately knew what was wrong, she quickly picked up a pair of clean chopsticks and tried the dishes, she didn¡¯t even swallow the food in her mouth and had already spit them in an empty bowl.
Du Ruo put down her chopsticks with a loud thump, her ck eyes were raging with anger, and said: ¡°I¡¯ll return to the pce toin tomorrow morning.¡±
The head maid, Chun Xi and the other servants heard this, their pupils shrunk as they stared at the tip of their shoes in silence.
Chapter 96 CFV Ch.96 Bribery (4)
Qin Jiu waved her hands and said, ¡° It¡¯s okay. There is no need to tell my aunt about such a small matter.¡±
Later, Qin Jiu asked someone to clean up after her, she only ate the snacks that she had brought from the pce for dinner.
The two little maids in the corner winked at each other and exchanged weird nces.
Just like pebbles thrown inside ake, there were ripples forming in Guan Xiang courtyard. Not only did their servants know about the dinner incident, the servants from the other yards also heard about it.
During breakfast the next morning, Qin Jiu didn¡¯t allow the servants to serve her. She just took a breakfast box from her stash and asked Du Ruo to follow along as she headed out.
They went out from Guang Xiang courtyard, headed east, passed by a few small alleyways and trails, until they arrived at a small bamboo forest.
They looked at each other and smiled, Qin Jiu carried the breakfast box and hid behind a fake stone, Du Ruo, on the other side, stood in the middle of the path.
Momentster, a servant dressed in green carried a food basket and walked towards them.
The servant in green instantly saw Du Ruo.
Of course she knew who Du Ruo was, everyone in the residence knew that this hot tempered servant was awarded to the third mistress as a reward by the Empress. As soon as Dou Ruo arrived at the Marquess Residence yesterday, she already kicked Xia Lian out from Guang Xiang courtyard.
The servant carefully walked forward, she knew that Du Ruo wasn¡¯t someone easy to deal with.
Seeing as she walked to the side of the fake stone, Du Ruo rushed forward and blocked the servant¡¯s way, she sternly said: ¡° Is everyone in Marquess residence pigs?!¡±
¡°If this was so, I¡¯m curious as to what Mrs Su eats, is she intentionally trying to embarass my mistress!¡± Du Ruo reached out and tried to snatched her foodbox.
The servant in green was shocked, she stepped back and finally came to a realisation: Du Ruo is here to cause trouble!
A disdainful expression was stered on her face.
It was just normal food, Mrs Su didn¡¯t lessen the third mistress¡¯s food portion. The cooks would sometimes make mistakes. No matter how she tried to justify, Mrs Su would be in the right, the third mistress had nothingpared to her.
However she didn¡¯t dare to say these thoughts out loud to Du Ruo. If Du Ruo destroys the food box, Mrs Su can¡¯t punish Du Ruo and she¡¯ll naturally be the unlucky one.
The servant begged Du Ruo: ¡°Dear sister, let¡¯s talk it out¡¡.¡±
Du Ruo didn¡¯t budge and tried to snatch away the food box in her hand. The servant was afraid that the food in the basket would spill and quickly put it aside on a stone pier. After, she grabbed Du Ruo¡¯s arm and walked to another direction so that they were away from the food box.
¡°Sister, your wish is mymand, is there a problem with the third mistress¡¯ meal? The servant smiled apologetically, ¡°This is a minor issue, I will mention it to Mrs Su and she¡¯ll punish the cooks!¡±
¡°Don¡¯t be angry, it¡¯s bad for your health.¡±
The servant was busy coaxing Du Ruo, and had no idea that Qin Jiu was hiding behind the fake stones, she quickly switched the two food boxes, and hid back behind the rocks.
Du Ruo saw as Qin Jiu hadpleted her mission, her gaze shed, she continued to murmur angrily: ¡°Not a single cook in the Marquess Residence can make good food, what a shame!¡±
At this moment, ten feet away from them, came a short and fat woman, she shouted: ¡°Ying¡¯Er! Why are you so slow! Mrs Su is already awake!¡±
¡°I¡¯ming!¡± Ying Er quickly replied.
She quickly turned over and picked up the food box, she didn¡¯t notice that the foodbox was lighter, and rushed away.
After Ying¡¯Er and the plump woman went inside the yard, Qin Jiu walked out with a new food box.
Du Ruo smiled and thought to herself: No wonder the Empress is so fond of her!
Du Ruo took over the food box in Qin Jiu¡¯s hand, and the both hurried off to another direction, they walked to a deserted ce, only then, they opened the food box.
Mrs Su¡¯s breakfast was scrumptious, there was a snow white pau, a bowl of wontons, a te of sweet and soft golden jujube cakes, and also a bowl of fragrant egg porridge, that goes with a small te of pickles. The food smelled amazing.
Qin Jiu was satisfied, and went back to Guang Xiang with Du Ruo.
Chapter 97 CFV Ch.97 Bribery (5)
On the other side, Ying¡¯Er was carrying Qin Jiu¡¯s food box into Mrs Su¡¯s room. Immediately, a servant took over the food box and was about to ce it out for Mrs Su.
Once Mrs Su sat down, she grabbed a pau with her chopsticks, on the first bite..¡.
¡°Ka-Ta!¡±
Her expression instantly changed, her teeth were sore as she bit on a hard object.
She didn¡¯t care about her etiquette and quickly spit out the pau that was in her mouth.
In addition to the doughy skin and the minced meat from the pau, there were also grain-sized rocks and a small piece of her fractured teeth.
The servants that were standing beside turned pale as they all noticed that a small piece of Mrs Su¡¯s teeth had fell off.
¡°Pa!¡±
Mrs Su pped the table hard, the bowls and tes on the table trembled, even some of the egg porridge spilled.
Her expression was dark, she used her pair of chopsticks to check the rest of the dishes, the egg porridge was mixed with the seeds of red dates and the jujube was undercooked¡..
Ying¡¯Er¡¯s eyes widened, in shock, she hurriedly knelt down and said with a trembling voice: ¡° Mistress, I have no idea why¡¡¡± She suddenly thought of Du Ruo, and corrected herself: ¡° I know now! It must be the third mistress! I am sure it is her !¡±
Ying¡¯Er then quickly talked about the incident just now¡ªafter telling her part of the story, she added: ¡° It must be Du Ruo that switched the food box when I wasn¡¯t paying attention!¡±
Mrs Su felt angry and annoyed, she threw the chopsticks on the table, one of them fell from the table, ¡° Pa¡± and dropped on the floor.
Mrs Su was pissed, she scolded: ¡°Qin Jiu, this bitch, that grew up in a small vige. She is indeed evil, unruly and uncultured.¡±
The servants kept quiet, Mama Zhaoforted her: ¡°Mistress, the third mistress is already 14 years old, she is a grown up now, it would be the best to find her a partner, so she can get married soon. You just have to tolerate her for a year or two.¡±
Mrs Su could feel as if her chest was on fire, she angrily mmed the table again: ¡°Someone needs to punish her!¡±
Madam Zhao could only agree with her, she signalled the servant beside her to serve her a cup of tea, and changed the subject: ¡°Mrs Su, the second mistress requested for a carriage, she mentioned that she¡¯ll head outter.¡±
Mrs Su frowned and said: ¡°Everyone is just being such a nuisance!¡±
Qing Xi is going to be the second prince¡¯s future concubine, mama Zhao didn¡¯t dare to answer and could only smile apologetically.
Qing Xin went to Jing Zhao prison early in the morning.
She dressed differently from her usual, she wore a gray coat, a white and blue head scarf that dropped down, covering half of her looks.
She spoke to the guard with a low voice, bribed them with a pound of silver, and sessfully entered Jing Zhao prison.
The guard brought her to one of the prison cells, and said in a rude and hoarse voice: ¡°Be quick.¡± The guard then walked out.
The person in the prison cell was priest Yun Guang.
Her hair was messy, her gaze empty, her green gown was covered with blood stains, she lookedpletely different than her previous glorious self.
When she saw the embroidered shoes stop in front of the cell door, she looked up, and smiled, hardly making a sound: ¡°Second Mistress Qin¡¡¡±
Her voice sounded hoarse, yet with a strange smile, she said ¡° You¡¯re finally here!¡±
Qing Xi¡¯s expression changed.
Since Yun Guang¡¯s scandal was known to the world, Qing Xi was scared that Yun Guang would rat her out as well. Since Yun Guang had nothing more to lose right now.
She finally had the chance to meet Yun Guang.
¡°Priest Yun Guang,¡± Qing Xi tried to stay calm, and said in a direct manner: ¡° You will most probably be exiled. As long as you don¡¯t rat me out, I will reward you with a desirable amount of money, you¡¯ll be able to live afortable life.¡±
Yun Guang looked at her in disbelief.
Qing Xi took a deep breath, and continued: ¡°Priest Yun Guang, you clearly know that, even if you expose me, I can still let the Empress Dowager say a few nice words for me. What you have done is unforgivable, you can¡¯t just walk out of here, you have to be exiled, why bother!¡±
Of course, Yun Guang knew about this.
That¡¯s why even if she was being tortured by the Jing Zhao¡¯s officers, she only confessed about the birth charm, she didn¡¯t mention Qing Xi at all.
She knew from the start, Qing Xi would be worried and eventually visit her one day.
Yun Guang chuckled, ¡°Second mistress Qin, if this was known to the world, I would still have to be punished, but you would not be able to be the second prince¡¯s concubine anymore.
Chapter 98 CFV Ch.98 Robbery (1)
If it weren¡¯t for this, how could she be this fearless! Qin Xin squeezed her fist, her eyes darkened, as she gritted her teeth, ¡°One thousand taels of silver.¡±
Yun Guang coughed hoarsely, then raised her hand and wiped the blood stains from the corner of her mouth with her sleeves, and said mockingly: ¡°Second mistress Qin, your position as the second prince¡¯s concubine is only worth one thousand taels?¡±
Qin Xin bit her lip as she raised her hand to say ¡°three¡±, ¡°three thousand taels.¡±
¡°Ten thousand taels!¡± Yun Guang said in a demanding tone.
¡°Ten thousand?!¡± Qin Xin blurted out in shock, ¡°Where am I going to get so much silver from!¡±
Her monthly allowance was only twenty taels, even if she pawned some of her jewelry and antiques that were not of much use anymore, it could only make up to around three thousand taels. It¡¯s daylight robbery!
Yun Guang was reluctant to negotiate further, she leaned back andid against the wallzily, coughing from time to time.
Qin Xin became even more anxious seeing her remain silent, her face sank, ¡°Priest Yunguang, I really can¡¯t get ten thousand taels of silver, even if you force me, it¡¯s still impossible.¡±
¡°Ten thousand taels.¡± Yun Guang insisted, with a creepy sneer on her pale face, ¡°You can easily borrow ten thousand taels by using your identity as the second prince¡¯s concubine. Without ten thousand taels, I won¡¯t cooperate.¡±
Yun Guang red at Qin Xin, she hated Qin Xin from the bottom of her heart. If it wasn¡¯t because Qin Xin held something against her and forced her to humiliate Qin Jiu in the Shenghua Pavilion, she wouldn¡¯t have offended Qin Jiu and of course wouldn¡¯t be locked up in prison along with her reputation that went down the drain.
Qin Xin: ¡°¡¡¡±
Qin Xin stared directly at Yun Guang, with a dark look in her eyes. Yun Guang looked right back at her, she had no intention to back down.
¡°Okay!¡± In the end, Qin Xin gritted her teeth and epted, ¡°Ten thousand it is.¡±
¡°Second mistress Qin, even though I¡¯m in this state, I do still have a few good friends around.¡± Yun Guang said slowly.
Her words meant that if Qin Xin dared to y any tricks, or try to kill her, someone will naturally expose the matter, and Qin Xin won¡¯t be any better off.
Qin Xin clenched her fist tightly and squeezed her voice out from the gap between her teeth: ¡°Since I agreed to your terms, I¡¯ll keep to my words. Give me five days!
Yun Guang also didn¡¯t want to force her too much, it¡¯s better than if everyone loses out, and she wouldn¡¯t get anything out of this, she nodded in response: ¡°If you¡¯ve sessfully gathered all the silver, go to Xuan Qing Guan and pass it to¡¡¡±
Yun Guang uttered a name, and Qin Xin took note of it.
She didn¡¯t want to stay here any longer. If it weren¡¯t because she felt anxious about the demands that Yunguang would ask for, she wouldn¡¯t havee in person, she was scared that this matter would be leaked out if the message was reported to her.
Now that the talk was finally over, Qin Xin left in a hurry after saying ¡°keep your promise¡±, not forgetting to tighten the cloth wrapped around her head.
She walked out of the jail in Jingzhao Manor, she bribed the head of the jail with some silver and then walked into a remote alley.
In the alley, a carriage was waiting silently in a corner. In front of the carriage, the maid, Shu Xiang, was anxiously looking around. When she saw her, she quickly stepped forward and helped her into the carriage.
¡°Back to the Hou Mansion.¡±
Qin Xinmanded, and the carriage left the alley.
On the carriage, Shu Xiang served Qin Xin to change into another outfit, and tidied her hair along with some emerald beads and earrings. Soon, Qin Xin turned into her normaldy-like self, she looked like apletely different person.
Qin Xin¡¯s heart was heavy, she only had five days, where is she going to get ten thousand silvers from!
It¡¯s all Qin Jiu¡¯s fault, if Qin Jiu didn¡¯t appear, she wouldn¡¯t be stuck in such a tough position now!
Qin Xin was in a daze, she was annoyed and confused, Shu Xiang could tell that her master was in a bad mood, so she just quietly sat aside.
¡°Shu Xiang, head home tomorrow.¡± After a while, Qin Xin slightly calmed down, and ordered, ¡°I have three deeds, one is for the viges in Shunping town, and the other is for the shops on Dabu Street, and also the 100 acres ofnd in JingXi along with some jewelry, let your father sell them off for me.¡±
¡°Okay.¡± Shu Xiang replied, and then hesitated, ¡°Miss, do you really want to sell them all? If the mistress knows about this¡¡¡±
Chapter 99 CFV Ch.99 Robbery (2)
¡°I have no other way but to do so!¡± Qin Xin said impatiently, ¡°About this, let your parents not spread this out, don¡¯t mention about this to anyone.¡±
Those viges,nd and shops were all given to her by Mrs. Qin, they¡¯re worth a few thousand taels, but this time, she¡¯s in a hurry to sell them off, so it was hard to say how much she could sell them off for.
Her whole family was born and raised in the Qin family, and she was also the dowry that Mrs. Qin Tai carefully selected for Qin Xin. The deed to her life has long been in Qin Xin¡¯s hands, so she was naturally loyal to her.
Upon hearing this, Shu Xiang hurriedly said: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my father will do a good job.¡±
Even so, she¡¯s still far from the ten thousand taels of silver! Qin Xin was still in a bad mood.
As they talked, the carriage arrived at the Marquess¡¯s Mansion and stopped outside the front gate.
After Qin Xin got off the carriage, she walked directly to Ronghe Hall, she was thinking of ways to get the few more thousand taels of silver that she still needed as she walked.
What she didn¡¯t expect was that Qin Jiu was also at Ronghe Hall, not only Qin Jiu, but also Mrs Su. Mrs Su smiled fakely, ¡°¡¡Sister Jiu, are youining about my servant?¡±
Mrs Su actually wanted to question her about the matter where she secretly switched their breakfasts, but she had eaten the breakfast that originally belonged to Qin Jiu and had fractured her teeth, if sheined about this, wouldn¡¯t this be admitting that she ordered someone to tamper with Qin Jiu¡¯s meal?
In this mansion, even if everyone knew what had happened, blurting it all out would only bring shame to herself!
Mrs Su could only hold onto the point where she chased away her people, to force her to bow down.
However, Qin Jiu answered confidently, ¡°Yes.¡±
Mrs Su: ¡°¡¡¡± She has never met such an annoying person!
¡°Okay, okay.¡± Lady Qin was having a terrible headache, she felt that Mrs Su was being too over.
Qin Jiu just came back yesterday and the maids in the yard dared to disrespect her, how could she not chase her away, how could she just let her be, what¡¯s the big fuss about this!
Upon seeing Qin Xin walk in, Lady Qin hurriedly said: ¡°Sister Xin, you¡¯re back.¡±
¡°Grandmother, mother.¡± Qin Xin gracefully blessed the two of them, and then sat down on the armchair that she usually sits on.
She lowered her head and kept quiet. Lady Qin could tell that she had something on her mind because of her abnormal behavior.
Lady Qin wanted to ask, but taking into ount that Qin Jiu was still here and the two of them never got along, so she resisted the urge to, she was thinking to ask Qin Xinter when they were left alone.
Lady Qin was absent-minded, and soon dismissed Mrs Su and Qin Jiu, leaving only Qin Xin.
Mrs Su was still fuming with anger, shepletely ignored Qin Jiu. She wanted to leave as soon as she walked out, but was stopped by Qin Jiu: ¡°Second aunt.¡±
Qin Jiu raised her hand and gestured at Du Ruo.
Du Ruo immediately took a few steps forward, walked to Mrs Su, she bowed and blessed her, and then gave a life deed to Mama Zhao, who was next to Mrs Su.
¡°¡¡¡± Mrs Su was confused.
Qin Jiao said thoughtfully: ¡°This is Xia Lian¡¯s life deed, I¡¯m returning this to you.¡±
¡°Du Ruo, how much does it cost to buy a maid now?¡± Qin Jiu turned to ask Du Ruo.
Du Ruo sternly said: ¡°At most ten taels of silver.¡±
Qin Jiu generously said again: ¡°We¡¯re a family, I¡¯ll make it cheaper. You just have to pay me five taels of silver.¡±
Mrs Su: ¡°!!!¡±
Qin Jiao asked innocently, ¡°Don¡¯t you like her?¡±
¡°¡¡¡± Mrs Su¡¯s expression didn¡¯t look too good.
She just asked Qin Jiu if she thought that Xia Lian was a bad servant, and now Qin Jiu threw the question back at her.
If she said that she didn¡¯t like her, she would be saying that she herself gave such a weak maid to be Qin Jiu¡¯s head maid, she would be shaming herself; if she said that she liked her, then now as Qin Jiu was willing to sell her to herself, how could she say no?
Mrs Su signalled at Mama Zhao, and Mama Zhao took out five taels of silver from her purse and gave it to Du Ruo.
Qin Jiu bowed and walked away with Du Ruo.
Mrs Su heard Qin Jiu say to Du Ruo as they walked away: ¡°You keep these five taels of silver. Get yourself some dried apricots tomorrow, it¡¯s my reward to you!¡±
Chapter 100 CFV Ch.100 Robbery (3)
Her words echoed into Mrs Su¡¯s ears and her broken left canine teeth started to twitch in pain.
Qin Jiu was indirectly praising that Du Ruo had done a good job!
Mrs Su heaved a few breaths, she felt as if something was stuck in her chest, she gritted her teeth and said: ¡°I have to quickly arrange for her marriage, and marry her off soon!¡± A troublemaker like her should be married off and bring chaos to another family.
Mama Zhao hurriedly tried to calm Mrs Su down, she persuaded: ¡°Madam, an ignorantdy like her, when she gets married, she¡¯ll for sure suffer!¡±
Mrs Su thought about this, and her expression slightly rxed.
A woman¡¯s life, in the end, depends on the person she marries, a countryside girl like her who was raised by themon folk, won¡¯t marry to a good family, if a low level minister was ever willing to marry her, she should thank God for this blessing!
No matter how powerful the Empress Dowager is, can she possibly force the Marquess Manor to take in Qin Jiu?!
Just wait until she chooses a family that ¡°looks harmonious on the outside, but in reality, terrible¡± for her, her inws would naturally help her teach this rude brat a lesson!
Just by thinking about this, the corners of Mrs Su¡¯s lips curled up slightly, she forced down her anger, and said to herself, that day wille.
The fact that Qin Jiu had embarrassed Mrs Su, naturally couldn¡¯t hide from the eyes of the maids and servants in the manor.
When they all thought of the fact that even Mrs Su had no way to deal with Qin Jiu, she even broke her tooth and bled because of her, all of the servants naturally didn¡¯t dare to provoke Qin Jiu again, not only did they provide her with three meals a day with the right portions, the flowers, incense, and her bath towels were all taken extra care of, no one dared to y any tricks anymore.
Qin Jiu¡¯s ¡°notoriety¡± spread across the whole Marquess Mansion, even her cousins
in the mansion stayed away from her.
Qin Jiu didn¡¯t care, her life was so rxed, she could do whatever she wanted.
She was too busy practicing calligraphy every day and buried herself in books. Although she knew quite a few traditional chinese characters, however, writing it out was a problem, she was just like a semiliterate person.
On October 27, the day the ancestral hall opened, a skinny young man stormed into Rong He Hall.
¡°Fifth Young Master.¡± A maid chased after the young man into the east room, and then backed out upon Mama Ning¡¯s orders.
Qin Jiu looked over to the direction the sound wasing from, and saw a boy that was about twelve or thirteen years old, wearing a sapphire blue robe that was embroidered with cranes and bamboos, a ck belt was tied around his waist, along with sharp facial features and cherry red lips. His handsome facial features slightly resembled Qin Zening, just that their temperament waspletely different.
Qin Zening¡¯s temperament was chic and rxed, along with a slight yfulness in him, and this young man felt like firecrackers that would instantly ignite in mes.
The boy¡¯s eyebrows were furrowed, his thin lips tightly pressed together, and when he looked at Qin Jiu, he was slowly taking her in, and more so, he looked at her with a strong sense of hostility.
Qin Zening frowned and said, ¡°Yu, why are you back?¡±
He was the second eldest son of the first wife, he studied at the Songfeng Academy.
Qin Zeyu coldly looked at Qin Jiu from the corner of his eyes, then looked away, and looked at Lady Qin on the arhat bed, ¡°Grandma, my sister is the second sister, not any stranger can be my sister! ¡°
¡°Grandma, I don¡¯t want my second sister to be adopted by the second wife!¡± Qin Zeyu said with a dissatisfied tone.
Qin Zening¡¯s expression worsened, and interrupted him, ¡°Qin, Ze, Yu, your sister is Jiu!¡±
Qin Zeyu stubbornly snorted, he pointed at Qin Jiu with his chin and shed a disdainful smile as he said disgustingly: ¡°Such a hillbilly, I won¡¯t ept her!¡±
In Qin Zeyu¡¯s eyes, Qin Xin, who grew up with him and taught him to read and write with her own two hands, was his sister. Qin Jiu was just a hillbilly who popped out of nowhere!
Why should Qin Xin give in for Qin Jiu?!
Qin Zening¡¯s expression sank even more.
Mrs Qin hurriedly coaxed Qin Zeyu and said, ¡°Brother Yu, you¡¯re a good boy, the ancestral hall¡¯s opening is set today, and everyone in the n has arrived.¡±
Qin Zeyu clenched his fist and walked towards Qin Xin who was sitting on the right side of Lady Qin, he held onto her sleeve with one hand, his expression even more serious.
Chapter 101 CFV Ch.101 Robbery (4)
Check out the New Novel:
¡°She¡¯s my only sister!¡± He emphasized.
Qin Xin looked up and smiled at Qin Zeyu, then looked at Qin Jiu on the right, with nted eyebrows and a provocative expression, as if she was saying that it wasn¡¯t easy to take over her ce.
Qin Jiu smiled but said nothing.
When the time came, everyone from the Qin family went to the ancestral hall located in the northeast corner of the Marquess Mansion.
The ancestral hall opened, Qin Jiu¡¯s name was recorded in the genealogy, and Qin Xin¡¯s name was written again under the second wife¡¯s name.
The ritual was somewhatplicated, but also simple at the same time, they had to repeatedly kneel and kowtow to the memorial tablets of the ancestors of the Qin family, Qin Jiu¡¯s knees felt numb from all the kneeling.
Next, Qin Jiu and Qin Xin had to formally meet with the patriarch and the other n members to acknowledge them as part of the family.
The two went to the wing room to change.
When they walked out, Qin Xin, who was walking in front of Qin Jiu, suddenly stopped in her steps, she turned around and said softly: ¡°Don¡¯t ever think that you can change a thing by having the Empress Dowager supporting you. I won¡¯t let you have the second prince.¡±
Qin Jiu twitched her brows and said with a serious face: ¡°There¡¯s no need for that, I¡¯m not interested in other people¡¯s ¡®things¡¯.¡±
Empress Wei once told Qin Jiu that she should just let Qin Xin and the second prince, Gu Jing¡¯s marriage contract go on. It isn¡¯t a bad thing. Even if Empress Dowager Liu had the thought of calling off the marriage contract after Yunguang¡¯s incident, Empress Wei said that she would deter the Empress Dowager to give up on the idea. After Yunguang¡¯s incident, Empress Wei discovered how to ¡°get along¡± with Empress Dowager Liu.
Qin Jiu frankly agreed to it, it won¡¯t be easy to break the male and female protagonist apart, and Qin Jiu didn¡¯t even intend to break them apart!
Qin Xin pursed her lips and looked at Qin Jiu as she stood up straight.
She didn¡¯t believe Qin Jiu, Qin Jiu was lying, she was jealous of her, after all, in this life, she would rece her and be the second prince¡¯s concubine, no, she would be even better than Qin Jiu in her previous life.
¡°Second mistress, third mistress, it¡¯s time!¡± A maid shouted eagerly from outside.
Qin Xin turned around again, she lifted her skirt to cross the doorsill and walked over.
Qin Jiu also followed.
When the two walked to the front hall of the Qin¡¯s ancestral hall, the patriarch and a group of old nmates were already waiting in the hall, everyone¡¯s gaze fell on Qin Jiu and Qin Xin outside the hall, who walked side by side as they approached.
It should be said that their gaze fell more on Qin Jiu
This is their first time seeing the legendary Qin Jiu.
All the rtives couldn¡¯t hide the excitement on their faces. They didn¡¯t expect that the third mistress Qin, who was rumored to be even worse than the maids in the Qin family, would look like this.
Today, both of Qin Jiu¡¯s outfits that were worn during the genealogy ceremony and the recognition of rtives ritual, were all tailored by Empress Wei from the Needlework Bureau. At the moment, she was wearing a purple dress with delicate butterflies and orchids embroidered on it.
In the Great Qi Dynasty, purple was a noble color, the ordinary civilians couldn¡¯t not wear the color purple. Only royal family members, noble priests, and officials of grade 3 or above could wear this color.
Purple is a very tricky colour. If one¡¯s skin tone is more of a dark yellowish tone, purple will make that person look rather gloomy, and the bright purple worn by Qin Jiu is one of the trickiest shades of purple. The shade is as bright as a purple iris. If the person¡¯s temperament can¡¯t hold it down, the dress would outshine the person who wears that shade.
Coincidentally, Qin Xin was wearing a purple dress that was simr to that color today.
Qin Xin¡¯s appearance is sweet and delicate, she was taken very good care of as she grew up in the Qin family ever since she was a child. She mastered chess, calligraphy and painting, even if she didn¡¯t speak, her strides still gave off a graceful, sophisticated and smart aura, but when she stood next to Qin Jiu, she was slightly outshined.
Qin Jiu¡¯s facial features are more refined, her skin looks fairer, and is even brighter than the snow. The sun coated her with a light shade of radiance, and her pure apricot colored eyes were bright and clear, shining brightly with energy.
Her steps were elegant and light, she was naturally born with gleaming confidence, just like a shining pearl, which attracted everyone¡¯s gaze.
Chapter 102 CFV Ch.102 Robbery (5)
Check out the New Webtoon: ¡°Every Rose Has A Deathg
All the Qin members that were there had met the Wei n before, they couldn¡¯t help but sigh: A jewel forever remains a jewel, even if she falls to live amongst themon folk, it¡¯s still hard to cover up her glow.
Soon, Qin Jiu and Qin Xin met and greeted their rtives and the patriarch one by one, under the guidance of Mama Ning.
An hourter, everyone slowly started to leave, Qin Zhun and the Su family personally sent each other off.
Everything was settled.
Qin Jiu was about to leave the front hall when she heard Qin Zening¡¯s angry questioning from behind: ¡°¡¡what is going on with you, you dropped out of the Songfeng Academy?!¡±
Qin Zening originally thought that Qin Zeyu had rushed back because of the news, but it turns out it was because he decided to drop out of school by himself.
¡°I never wanted to go!¡± Qin Zeyu said rebelliously.
Qin Jiu stopped in her way, walked over, and asked, ¡°Brother, what¡¯s the matter?¡±
As soon as her words fell, Qin Zeyu pushed her shoulders back roughly, ¡°It has nothing to do with you.¡±
He walked away in big strides.
Qin Zening: This kid needs to be teached a lesson!
When his gaze met with Qin Jiu¡¯s, Qin Zening¡¯s expression slightly softened, and said, ¡°Little sister, he¡¯s a spoiled brat. I don¡¯t have time to look after him at all, so I looked for Songfeng Academy for him, I was hoping that it would help with his temper, but this kid actually dropped out of school by himself.¡±
Qin Zening was afraid that Qin Jiu would be sad, and said: ¡°This is his personality. If he dares to speak with you using this tone in the future, just tell me and I¡¯ll discipline him.¡±
Qin Jiu didn¡¯t care about Qin Zeyu¡¯s attitude. In the novel, her younger brother¡¯s attitude towards the original character was even worse than this, until¡¡
Qin Jiu pursed her lips and smiled: ¡°It¡¯s okay. He¡¯s just a kid, just coax himter.¡±
Qin Zening sighed to himself: My little sister is so sweet. Unlike Qin Zeyu, that brat¡¡
¡¡
On the same day, Qin Zening informed Lady Qin that he was nning to take his siblings to the Huangjue Temple to pray and visit their parents.
Early the next morning, after Qin Jiu met with the Qin Zening and his brother at the front gate, she got on the carriage and the two brothers rode on horses towards the Huangjue Temple together.
The carriage stopped at the foot of Hun Mountain, to show their piety, they had to walk up the mountain from here.
Along the way, Qin Zeyu ignored Qin Jiu and walked alone at the back, his handsome face looked grim, he wasn¡¯t friendly towards Qin Jiu at all.
Qin Jiu didn¡¯t seem to notice his unpleasant expression. She smiled and talked to Qin Zening about horses, Gu Yu, and Empress Wei. As she talked, she suddenly mentioned: ¡°Big brother, aunt said you¡¯re very good at horse riding and also archery. When I was in the pce, I made a bow for cousin Yu, it¡¯s very interesting. I¡¯ll look for a craftsman to make one for you in a few days.¡±
After the emperor took thepound bow, Qin Jiu thought about making another one for Gu Yu. Before she exited the pce, she asked Empress Wei for a royal pass and was nning to head to look for the two craftsmen at the Ministry of Works.
Qin Zening¡¯s eyes lit up and said excitedly: ¡°Is it the emperor¡¯s newpound bow?¡±
¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Qin Jiu smiled and nodded, ¡°You know about it too, big brother?¡±
¡°The emperor asked me to try it out once.¡± Qin Zening said happily, ¡°It¡¯s just a stone bow, but it can shoot up to a range of 400 steps, and it doesn¡¯t take much effort to draw the bow, even young teenagers could easily draw it.¡±
Qin Zeyu, who was at the back, pricked up his ears and listened, he was intrigued. He was originally ten steps behind them. Now, he couldn¡¯t help but speed up and was three steps behind them.
He looked at Qin Zening suspiciously, and said to himself: That¡¯s pure nonsense. He did think about this, but his attention was still attracted to them unconsciously.
¡°The shot is sturdy. Even after travelling four hundred steps, the arrow could still plunge three inches deep into the target!¡± Qin Zening eximed.
¡°Impossible!¡± Qin Zeyu blurted, ¡°Don¡¯t brag, how could there be such a bow! Qin Jiu, don¡¯t think of lying to me!¡±
Qin Jiu ignored Qin Zeyu and continued to say to Qin Zening: ¡°That bow is only a prototype. It¡¯ll be even better until the craftsmen refine it. Then, I¡¯ll make one for you.¡±
At this moment, Qin Zening was reminded of him, his eyes shed, and he subtly nced at Qin Zeyu, who was fuming with anger behind him.
Chapter 103 CFV Ch.103 Spoiled (1)
Check out the New Webtoon: ¡°Every Rose Has A Deathg
Qin Zening continued on after Qin Jiu¡¯s words and said: ¡°Good. That bow is the emperor¡¯s treasure, he only let me try it once, then I wasn¡¯t allowed to touch it again!¡±
Upon seeing that the two of them ignored him, Qin Zeyu wasn¡¯t happy about it, he quickened his pace, walked to Qin Jiu¡¯s side and asked: ¡°Hey, can this bow really shoot 400 steps far? And could even plunge three inches into the target?¡±
Qin Jiu still ignored him.
Qin Zeyu got even more upset, and shouted, ¡°Hey! Qin Jiu, I¡¯m talking to you!¡±
As Qin Jiu still ignored him, Qin Zeyu stepped forward again, he was standing on the step above hers. He looked down at her condescendingly as he said impatiently, ¡°I¡¯m talking to you!¡±
Qin Jiu looked at him with a smile and asked, ¡°Who am I?¡±
Qin Zeyu: ¡°¡¡¡±
Qin Jiu raised her hand and patted him on the arm as she said with a smile: ¡°After you¡¯ve thought this through, then you cane talk to me.¡±
As she went on, she walked around him, and continued to move forward along the stone steps. Qin Zening followed Qin Jiu¡¯s steps towards the top of the mountain.
Qin Zeyu stood there in a daze, he stared at Qin Jiu¡¯s figure from the back, and was frozen still for quite some time.
It wasn¡¯t until Qin Jiu and Qin Zening walked quite the distance that he realised that he had been left behind, he then chased after them in low spirits, and followed behind his brother and sister gloomily.
A young novice in a grey robe came to wee Qin Jiu and the others, he then took them to the Daxiong Hall to pray with a big smile on his face.
Qin Jiu and the two offered some money, and then went to the Dizang Hall to pay respect at their parent¡¯s memorial tablets. After that, the young novice brought them around the temple, and then went to the temple¡¯s west wing room to have a vegetarian meal.
After the meal, the three of them left Huangjue Temple and went down the mountain path where they had juste up from.
On the way down the mountain, Qin Jiu only talked to Qin Zening as before, and Qin Zeyu was left behind them.
When they got to the foot of the mountain and she was about to enter the carriage, Qin Zeyu couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore, and shouted unhappily, ¡°Qin Jiu!¡±
Qin Jiu just pretended to not hear him, and stepped into the carriage with her skirt lifted. Qin Zeyu stomped angrily. On the way back, he rode on his horse and galloped away without saying another word.
The carriage stopped at the Marquess Mansion¡¯s front gate. After Qin Jiu and Qin Zening greeted each other, they both entered the inner courtyard.
Before she left, she heard Qin Zeyu¡¯s screaming voice from behind: ¡°Big brother, what on earth is going on in your mind, what¡¯s so good about Qin Jiu, that she could make you turn your back against second sister for her.¡±
Qin Zeyu got even pissed, his face flushed with anger, ¡°You don¡¯t know how sad second sister was when she saw me yesterday, how devastated she felt as she bawled, she didn¡¯t dare to cry in front of you, as she was afraid that you would take it out on her again!¡±
¡°How pitiful!¡±
A cold sneer appeared on Qin Zening¡¯s face, ¡°That¡¯s what Qin Xin said?¡±
¡°She didn¡¯t say it out loud.¡± Qin Zeyu denied, ¡°But I have a pair of eyes, I can tell!¡±
The second sister didn¡¯te to him. He was the one who watched her being left all alone as she kept looking at big brother so he took the initiative and went over.
She even smiled and asked him to get along well with Qin Jiu, and that he shouldn¡¯t fight with Qin Jiu because of her.
However, he saw that when second sister turned around, she quietly wiped away her tears with her handkerchief.
This is all Qin Jiu¡¯s fault, if Qin Jiu didn¡¯t return, she wouldn¡¯t be so upset!
Chapter 104 CFV Ch.104 Spoiled (2)
Next >
¡°You have a pair of eyes?¡± Qin Zening said with a sneer, ¡°Qin Zeyu, I think you¡¯re blind!¡±
¡°Your biological sister is Qin Jiu!¡± Qin Zening stared right at Qin Zeyu and said word by word, ¡°Not that woman who is full of lies and is trying to rece your real sister!¡±
¡°Big Brother!?¡± Qin Zeyu looked at Qin Zening in disbelief.
Qin Zening continued: ¡°She is pathetic. Do you know what your real sister¡¯s life has been like in the past ten years?¡±
¡°¡¡¡± Qin Zeyu was left speechless for a while.
¡°When your sister was being abused by Qin Xin¡¯s biological parents over the years, and was beaten all over and starved, Qin Xin just had to y the piano and read, she didn¡¯t need to worry about anything and was living the most blissful life!¡±
¡°Who is the pitiful one now?!¡± Qin Zening said slowly and nearly blurted word by word, ¡°Since you think that Jiu¡¯s sufferings over the years are nothing, very well, how about I look for a poor and terrible family and give you to them for 14 years, I¡¯lle pick you up after 14 years?!¡±
Qin Zeyu pursed his lips and was speechless, he still looked angry and dissatisfied.
However, he couldn¡¯t lie through his teeth that Qin Xin was more pitiful than Qin Jiu.
Qin Zening also noticed Qin Zeyu¡¯s dissatisfaction, and said in a deep voice: ¡°After two days, when it¡¯s my rest day, I¡¯ll send you back to Songfeng Academy.¡± Someone still has to teach this kid, so that he can make the right judgments in the future.
¡°I¡¯m not going!¡± Qin Zeyu said persistently, ¡°I won¡¯t go no matter what!¡±
Qin Zening: ¡°You don¡¯t have a choice!¡±
Qin Zeyu red at Qin Zening, and after a few breaths of silence, he thrusted the whip in his hand fiercely, and the whip flew up in the air.
He looked up and left without looking back.
Qin Zeyu didn¡¯t return even after nightfall.
Qin Jiu only realised this until the next day.
Qin Zeyu didn¡¯t appear when they went to greet the elderlies. So, after leaving Ronghe Hall, she secretly asked Qin Zening.
Qin Zening said with a tired look: ¡°That kid didn¡¯t return all night.¡±
Last night, he looked for Qin Zeyu all around the capital for the whole night. If it weren¡¯t for his wide social connections, he might have already been arrested in the Jingzhao prison for viting the capital¡¯s curfew.
Qin Zening sneered and said, ¡°Only you noticed this.¡±
The people in this mansion, excluding himself and Qin Jiu, no one realized that Qin Zeyu didn¡¯te homest night.
Qin Zeyu was only twelve years old!
But still, that little idiot still thought that the whole family loved him very much!
His grandmother treated Qin Zeyu pretty well, but he was not her only grandson, she had seven or eight grandchildren, how could she look after each and every one of them!
Qin Zening rubbed his eyebrows tiredly, ¡°I just heard the news. Yu went to Deshun theatre to watch the y with some of his good friends, none of the boys went homest night.¡±
Qin Jiu: ¡°¡¡¡± The theatre?
How should she put this, it¡¯s fine as long as he didn¡¯t get himself lost or in any trouble, and of course, didn¡¯t go to the brothel!
Qin Zening continued: ¡°I¡¯m going there to take a look now.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Qin Jiu walked towards the gate with him.
Qin Jiu bluntly said: ¡°Big brother, was Yu raised in the wrong way¡..¡± This twelve-year-old kid was so ignorant.
Qin Zening was annoyed when he thought of this, and said, ¡°I me myself for that. I didn¡¯t raise him well. Our parents left you and Yu to me. I didn¡¯t take care of you, nor did I raise him well¡¡¡±
When he was exiled to the Min province, Qin Zeyu was still young and had no memory of it at all, but Qin Zening had suffered hardships back then.
Chapter 105 CFV Ch.105 Spoiled (3)
Next >
He was only six or seven years old. He had to plough the wastnd and build city walls at dawn every day. If he was too slow, he would be beaten. All he ate every day was just cold steamed buns. At that time, having to eat meat was nearly impossible, if he was even able to dig some vegetables from the field or capture a hare, the family would be overjoyed.
Those three years in Min province were very tough!
Later, the Qin family was rehabilitated. After returning to the capital, he worked hard to learn martial arts as he wanted to earn himself a bright future, to be a dependable big brother for his younger siblings, so that they wouldn¡¯t need to suffer any more.
Later, he went to Xi Shan Camp.
At that time, Qin Zeyu was still very young, however, in the Marquess Mansion, there was Qin Xin, his ¡°biological sister¡± and his grandmother, so he was not too worried about it.
As he continued on, he snapped his fingers and criticized: ¡°Skipping sses, fighting, hitting his teacher, and spending moneyvishly¡¡ I can still ept all of this, but he¡¯s so unreasonable! Look at him, after listening to Qin Xin¡¯s words, he¡¯s totally on her side¡¡¡±
He looked slightly helpless, and also distressed, ¡°Yu¡¯s future will really be ruined if he keeps on acting like this, so I asked someone to send him off to Songfeng Academy so that he could learn to control his temper. In the end, only after a few months, he dropped out of school!¡±
Qin Jiu said, ¡°Are the second elder brother and third younger brother in the mansion as spoiled as him too?¡±
The Qin¡¯s second and third young masters were both Lady Su¡¯s sons. Now they were both studying in the Imperial College, everyone always praised them when they were mentioned.
Qin Zeyu was purposely spoiled.
Qin Zening was silent. He had suspected this before, but he thought about Qin Xin, a ¡°real sister¡± who was watching over him in the Marquess Mansion, Qin Zhun and Lady Su wouldn¡¯t simply raise Qin Zeyu the wrong way, but now¡¡
There was a difference between pouring your heart into raising him and not.
Qin Zening smiled mockingly.
Qin Jiu didn¡¯t say much about this, and hurriedly got into the carriage, Qin Zening rode away on a horse, one after another, they left the mansion.
Deshun theatre was located on Changsheng Street at the west of the capital. It was the busiest street there and was always crowded. There were many people walking around that street and vendors upied both sides of the street.
She ordered the coachman to stop the carriage at the front of the street. Qin Jiu got out of the carriage and walked along Changsheng Street with Qin Zening.
Deshun theatre was one of the three major theaters in the capital. The most popr female cast at the time was there. The entire theater was veryrge, with a stage at the front, the dining area in the middle, and a huge garden at the back.
When they heard that Qin Zening and the others were here to look for someone, the boss quickly weed them in, and said politely: ¡°Those young masters came herest night, they booked the whole theatre and kept drinking till dawn¡¡¡±
As soon as he stepped into the dining area behind the stage, a strong wave of alcohol rushed right into his face.
Qin Jiu frowned.
A few teenagers of the same age were either sprawled on the table, or lying on the ground. The wine jars, jugs, and sses were messily thrown on the ground, god knows how much they drank.
Qin Zening¡¯s face suddenly was stern, he strode in, grabbed Qin Zeyu¡¯s arm among the bunch of drunk kids, and roughly dragged him up from the ground.
Qin Zeyu was half awake as he looked up in a daze, as if he recognized Qin Zening, he tried to get away from him, but Qin Zening was much more stronger than him, so he dragged him along by the cor. After leaving the ce, he threw him into the carriage, and told the owner of the theater: ¡°Send someone to Zhang Mansion, Shun Ning Marquess Mansion, Jing Yong Bo Liao¡¡¡±
Next >
Chapter 106 CFV Ch.106 Spoiled (4)
Qin Zening mentioned a series of mansions, ¡°Inform them toe by and pick up their young masters.¡±
The boss agreed to it.
Qin Zening didn¡¯t bother to care for those boys anymore, and returned to the mansion with his younger siblings.
Qin Jiu also sat in the carriage, she looked at Qin Zeyu, who was drunk, an indescribable feeling surged in her heart, it made her feel stuffy and ufortable, perhaps it was because he was tied by blood with the original character.
In the novel, the original character¡¯s three siblings were all cannon fodders.
Qin Zeyu always stood by Qin Xin¡¯s side after the original character returned, he refused to ept her, even after knowing that Qin Xin was not rted to him by blood. He developed some kind of yearning for her, but at that time, Qin Xin was already the second prince¡¯s concubine, so he could only bury this longing in his heart and silently protect Qin Xin in his own way.
Qin Xin¡¯s enemy was his enemy, and Qin Xin¡¯s nemesis was also his nemesis, including Qin Jiu.
After the original character was kicked out of Qin¡¯s family, he pped his hands and cheered, right until he was told about the news of the original character¡¯s death.
Qin Zeyu started to spend his days aimlessly and was addicted to alcohol.
In the novel, his ending was only briefly talked about by the others, it was said that he ran to question Qin Xin while he was drunk and asked her whether she had anything to do with Qin Jiu¡¯s death, he was then chased away by the guards. Qin Xin didn¡¯t embarrass Qin Zeyu. On that very day, Qin Zeyu identally fell from his horse as he was riding around the capital¡¡
Qin Zeyu was sixteen years old when he died, but now, he was still just a kid who just turned twelve years old.
If this brat was being too naugty, they have to punish him!
When they returned to the Marquess Mansion, Qin Zening dragged the brat towards his own outer courtyard, and Qin Jiu followed along.
During the Qi dynasty, there were not as many strict rules towards women. With Qin Zening¡¯s support and Empress Wei behind her back, no one would dare to say that Qin Jiu wasn¡¯t following the rules by going into Qin Zeyu¡¯s courtyard.
Qin Zeyu¡¯s Yi Jia courtyard and Qin Zening¡¯s courtyard were just right beside each other. As soon as they entered, two maids in blue came and greeted them. They were also about thirteen or fourteen years old, slender, one of them gave off a charming and lovely aura, while the other looked pure and lively.
¡°Fifth Master, what¡¯s wrong with you?!¡±
As soon as the two maids saw Qin Zeyu all drunk, they felt anxious and ran forward to carry Qin Zeyu.
Qin Jiu frowned, before she spoke, Qin Zening said impatiently: ¡°Go away.¡±
Qin Zening carried him into the house by himself, and Qin Zening¡¯s servant red at the two maids and scolded, ¡°Are you two still not going to leave.¡±
The two maids looked at each other hesitantly. Upon seeing that Qin Zening remained silent, they obediently retreated.
Qin Jiu gently instructed the young servant: ¡°Go get a basin of water, and then¡¡ pour it on him.¡±
The servant hesitated, Qin Zening immediately said, ¡°Listen to her.¡±
Soon, a basin of cold water was poured on Qin Zeyu.
It waste autumn, with such a basin of cold water being poured on him, Qin Zeyu immediately shot up from the cold and he wasn¡¯t as drunk anymore.
He raised his hand to shake the water off his face, opened his eyes, and at a nce, he saw Qin Jiu standing in front of him with her arms wrapped around her, a fire grew in him.
¡°Qin Jiu, what are you doing?!¡±
Qin Zeyu asked furiously. However, his hair and face were now wet, and his hair was still dripping with water. He felt very embarrassed and his anger didn¡¯te to effect at all.
Qin Jiu asked slowly: ¡°What did you call me?¡±
¡°Qin Jiu!¡±
¡°Qin Jiu!¡±
¡°Qin Jiu!¡±
Chapter 107 CFV Ch.107 Spoiled (5)
Qin Zeyu yelled three times in a row, as if he was deliberately trying to piss her off, he was arrogant, with a ¡°what can you do about me then?¡± look stered on his face.
Qin Jiu smiled, she wasn¡¯t angry, and a pair of shallow dimples appeared on her cheeks. She casually took over Qin Zening¡¯s sword that was ced on his waist.
Qin Zening: ¡°?¡±
Qin Zening: ¡°Sister, easy! Be careful, you might hurt yourself.¡±
As he spoke, Qin Zening saw his gentle, cute and obedient sister moving diligently with the sword in her hands.
Qin Zeyu pursed his lips mockingly, ¡°Yes, Qin Jiu, don¡¯t chop off your fingers and put the me on me!¡± A girl using a sword, she¡¯s thinking too highly of herself!
Qin Jiu ced the hilt of the sword back into Qin Zening¡¯s hand, then held up the ebony sheath and weighted it herself, she smiled satisfactorily.
Well, it¡¯s just the right size.
She grabbed one end of the sheath and swung it heavily towards Qin Zeyu¡¯s body.
¡°Pow!¡±
The sheath hit his thigh mercilessly.
Qin Zeyu was in so much pain that he jumped up from the chair, all he could feel was the burn and paining from his right thigh.
Qin Zening¡¯s eyes widened as he blinked slowly.
His thoughts were jumbled, and only one thought kept resurfacing in his mind: Where did his gentle, cute and obedient sister go?
¡°Qin Jiu, how dare you hit me!¡± Qin Zeyu¡¯s eyes were widened as he yelled at Qin Jiu. Qin Jiu didn¡¯t care about what he said, and drew her sheath again.
Qin Jiu smiled weakly.
¡°How dare you get drunk at such a young age, you deserve to be punished!¡±
¡°How dare you run away and stay out all night, you deserve to be punished!¡±
¡°How dare you learn from the others and look for thedies, you totally deserve to be beaten!¡±
The sheath swung towards Qin Zeyu repeatedly, each fling harder than thest.
Qin Zeyu had learned how to ride and shoot. If he was in his usual condition, he wouldn¡¯t get beaten up like this, but he was hungover, and his mind was still blurry, hence, his reactions were much slower.
Qin Jiu didn¡¯t show any mercy when she punished him, so she beated Qin Zeyu until he frantically tried to escape.
¡°Big brother! Do something about Qin Jiu!¡±
Qin Zeyu, who was drenched in water, looked even more miserable, a few strands of his wet hair fell over his cheeks.
He was the youngest son of the first wife, his parents died young. Lady Qin and Qin Zening were both much more soft-hearted towards him. No one has ever punished him all this while.
Qin Zeyu ran towards Qin Zening and tried to hide behind him, only to see his big brother silently move aside.
In the next instant, the ebony sheath that had a few sapphires and four sacred beast patterns embedded on its copper body, was flung towards him again, and this time, it hit his back.
The sapphires on the sheath hit on his flesh painfully like sharp nails.
Even his big brother wasn¡¯t willing to help him! Qin Zeyu nced at Qin Zening sadly. He covered his face and was about to run outside. However, his dear big brother not only refused to help him but he also stopped him in his way, and his arms were hit a few more times.
¡°Fifth master!¡±
At this very moment, someone knocked on the door loudly, and a maid¡¯s voice sounded: ¡°What¡¯s the matter, fifth master!¡±
Qin Zening frowned and scolded impatiently: ¡°Go away!¡±
The two maids outside the door looked at each other, and one of the maids with a heart-shaped face said, ¡°Qiao Er, do we need to report to the Lady?¡±
¡°You go ahead.¡± Qiao Er said, ¡°I¡¯ll wait here.¡±
The maid with a heart-shaped face nced at the closed door hesitantly, and then ran along hastily.
Chapter 108 CFV Ch.108 Hurt (1)
The maid went straight to Lady Su¡¯s Qiong Zhi courtyard and anxiously reported: ¡°Madam, the eldest master and the third mistress just came back with the fifth master. The fifth master was drunk, and the third mistress is now beating the fifth master.¡±
Lady Su was rmed, she put down the tea cup in her hand, and asked: ¡°What¡¯s going on, be more clear!¡±
The two maids, Qiao Er and Ling Er, were specially gifted by Lady Su after Qin Zeyu returned to the mansion this time.
Lady Su was more than delighted for Qin Zeyu and Qin Jiu to fight, the messier the better.
Ling Er hurriedly exined what had happened just now, and said: ¡°Qiao Er and I were shut out by the eldest master. The fifth master was bawling inside from the pain. The third mistress also said that she must punish him until he behaves today.¡±
Lady Su smiled, she stroked her sleeves, stood up and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go take a look.¡±
Lady Su was secretly delighted, the three siblings of the first wife weren¡¯t getting along and that made matters even more.
After the death of the old marquess, her lord took over the title. Naturally her son should be given the title as the crown prince. However, he appealed to the emperor several times but was still held down by the emperor.
He didn¡¯t understand the emperor¡¯s rationale behind this, he was constantly worried that the emperor would want to pass the title to Qin Zening or Qin Zeyu.
Even if this wasn¡¯t ording to the rules, but what if¡¡
In any case, Lady Su absolutely wouldn¡¯t allow such a situation to happen, she wouldn¡¯t even allow the slightest possibility of it happening, the title can only belong to his own son!
A light shed past Lady Su¡¯s eyes, and she hurried to the front yard.
When Lady Su arrived, the maid, Qiao Er, was pondering anxiously outside the room. When Lady Su came, she hurriedly stepped forward and said, ¡°Madam, the eldest master and the third mistress will not let me in, I¡¡¡±
¡°Ouch!¡±
A scream in the room interrupted Qiao Er.
The voice belonged to Qin Zeyu. Lady Su slightly smirked as she raised her voice, ¡°Open the door quickly!¡±
Mama Zhao hurriedly stepped forward and banged on the door vigorously, she then shouted, ¡°Eldest master, third mistress, open the door, madam is here.¡±
On the other side of the door, Qin Zeyu, who was getting beaten up, found his savior. He threw himself at the door excitedly and shouted, ¡°Second aunt!¡±
¡°Tsk.¡± Qin Jiu gently patted the sheath with her right palm, and sneered, ¡°Qin Zeyu, I thought you¡¯re very tough? But you¡¯re just a spoiled brat, who tell tales.¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t!¡± Qin Zeyu wiped his face with the back of his hand, ¡°Do you really think I can¡¯t defeat you?¡±
Pain is the fastest way to sober up. At this moment, Qin Zeyu hadpletely sobered up, and his rebellious ck eyes were clear and full of energy.
Qin Jiu raised her hand, pointed at him with the sheath and said, ¡°Are you thinking of fighting back?¡±
¡°If you dare to fight back, I¡¯ll beat you up so bad that your brother won¡¯t even recognize you!¡± Qin Jiu said arrogantly, she has Qin Zening support anyways. With Qin Zening¡¯s skills, it would be a piece of cake for him to press him down for her to beat Qin Zeyu up.
Qin Zeyu pursed his lips stubbornly and said nothing.
Qin Zeyu¡¯s messy hair and face were still dripping with water, and half of his robe was soaked wet, it stuck to his wet body which stinked with the smell of alcohol, he looked just like those miserable drunkards.
He was spoiled ever since he was a child, and when he acted all arrogant, he showed a ¡°no one can ever stop him¡± kind of look. It was the first time he looked so pitiful.
¡°Boom boom boom!¡±
Check out the New Webtoon: ¡°Every Rose Has A Deathg
Chapter 109 CFV Ch.109 Hurt (2)
Mama Zhao continued to m on the door and called out for them, Lady Su cried out from outside: ¡°Brother Ning, open the door, we can always talk it out. Brother Yu is still young, even if he did something wrong, just teach him patiently, don¡¯t hit him.¡±
¡°Brother Yu is your biological brother. Ever since he was a child, Lady Qin and the old marquess didn¡¯t even dare toy a finger on him, how could you bear to let anyone beat him.¡±
¡°Open the door!¡±
Upon hearing this, Qin Zeyu felt even more aggrieved, but when he looked up, he saw Qin Jiu smirk. He snorted and turned his face away, he didn¡¯t want Qin Jiu tough at him!
Qin Zening walked towards the door and opened the door. He ced one hand on the door frame and said, ¡°Second aunt, please leave.¡±
¡°Brother Yu¡¡¡± Lady Su looked into the room and tried to push him inside. However, Qin Zening didn¡¯t even budge, as if he was nailed to the ground, Lady Su couldn¡¯t push him away at all.
¡°Second aunt, I¡¯m trying to discipline my younger brother.¡± Qin Zening said softly, ¡°You should take the time to look after your own son if you¡¯re that free. For example, you could arrange a few beautiful maids for the second and third brothers.¡±
¡°As for the affairs of the elder branch, my parents may have passed, but I¡¯m still there!¡±
¡°The eldest son acts as the father, so you have no right to criticize our affairs.¡±
Qin Zeyu had just returned to the capital, and he was having trouble with Qin Zening. Qin Zening had never entered Yi Jia courtyard before. Unexpectedly, there were two more maids here!
Where did these two maidse from? What were their intentions? Did she really think that he wasn¡¯t wary of this?!
Last year, the second aunt persuaded his grandmother to arrange a wife for him, but he refused. Now it was obvious that she wanted to fulfill this idea of hers on his younger brother?! She wanted to take advantage of his younger brother¡¯s young age, first by arranging two maids by his side. After a few years, his young brother would then naturally marry them? What a joke!
¡°The affairs of the elder branch, I have the right to deal with it by myself, you don¡¯t have to worry about us.¡±
¡°When you leave, remember to take these two maids along with you, otherwise, don¡¯t me me for sending them to your son¡¯s yard!¡±
With that said, Qin Zening didn¡¯t wait for Lady Su to react and closed the door with a ¡°bang¡±.
The door almost hit Lady Su¡¯s nose.
Her expression turned pale, she angrily raised her arm and banged on the door twice.
However, Qin Zening no longer paid any attention to her, Qin Zeyu couldn¡¯t help but nce towards the direction of the door, but he didn¡¯t want to be weak in front of Qin Jiu. He pursed his lips, but still didn¡¯t say a word.
Qin Jiu walked up to him and asked, ¡°Does it hurt?¡±
Qin Zeyu turned his head away, his eyes were red as he felt wronged.
How could it not hurt? He was in so much pain that he was on the verge of crying!
Men shouldn¡¯t shed their tears easily, he was already twelve years old, if he cries, he¡¯ll definitely beughed at!
Qin Jiu rolled up her sleeves, and on her fair and slender arms, scars covered the whole of her arm and the mere sight was shocking to see.
She smiled and asked, ¡°Was I in pain?¡±
Qin Zeyu was stunned, his eyes widened slightly, he looked at her scarred arms and her face again, his mouth gasped in shock as he couldn¡¯t muster a word for quite some time.
¡°For as long as I could remember, I was beaten every other day. After being beaten, even if I couldn¡¯t get up from the pain, I still had to clean the house, chop the firewoods, cook meals, and wash the clothes¡¡¡±
Chapter 110 CFV Ch.110 Hurt (3)
¡°I beated you because I¡¯m your sister, but I was beaten just because I wasn¡¯t the Li family¡¯s biological daughter.¡±
¡°I hit you today. Not only will I beat you today, if you ever dare to note home for the night or do any bad things at such a young age, I will beat you just like today!¡±
Qin Jiu looked directly at Qin Zeyu, her apricot colored eyes were bright and clear, they resembled a clear fountain, and also the stars that shimmered brightly in the dark night sky.
Her eyes were beautiful, clear and pure, they gave off a bright radiant just like the sun.
At this moment, Qin Zeyu didn¡¯t dare to look directly into her eyes for some reason.
His whole body hurt everywhere, but Qin Zeyu no longer shouted ¡°pain¡± at this moment.
After all the beating and scolding, Qin Jiu went back. If Qin Zeyu misbehaved again, she would beat him again.
Spoiled ¡°bear¡± brats, if they don¡¯t behave after one punishment, just punish them again.
When Qin Jiu went out, Lady Su had already left, and the two maids, Qiao Er and Ling Er, were also taken along. It seemed that they were really afraid that Qin Zening would really throw the maids to her sons.
Qin Zening instructed his servant to bring the medicated oil and apply it on Qin Zeyu.
The oil was applied on his bruises, Qin Zeyu clenched his teeth and yelled, ¡°Big brother, be more gentle!¡±
Qin Zening pped him on the back, and said, ¡°How dare you scream for pain. Your sister had gone easy on you. She didn¡¯t hurt your muscles or bones. A man like you yelling in pain! What a shame!¡±
¡°It¡¯s painful!¡± Qin Zeyu¡¯s face was all wrinkled together.
Qin Zening suddenly understood how Qin Jiu had felt. His younger brother deserved it.
Qin Zening raised an eyebrow along with his right hand, ¡°Do you want to get beaten again?¡±
Qin Zeyu was startled, and subconsciously covered his head and hid away. Qin Zening hit him on the shoulder with a strong and affectionate p, and then seated him on the chair. He poured the medicine ointment on his body swiftly, and nagged: ¡°Your sister lived her life like this ever since she was a child. You have the time to sympathize with Qin Xin, why can¡¯t you do the same for your sister!¡±
¡°If our parents saw you acting this way, they would for sure p you to death!¡±
¡°You¡¯re even bawling like a baby, do you think you¡¯re still a three year old?¡±
In the meantime, Qin Zening vigorously helped Qin Zeyu to rub the medicinal oil in evenly.
Qin Jiu is a girl. Although she had been doing rough work since she was a child and was slightly strongerpared to other average girls, her strength was still limited, and she did go easy on him. Qin Zeyu only had a few bruises on his body.
¡°¡¡¡± Qin Zeyu didn¡¯t speak anymore, and also stopped screaming in pain, he fell silent with his lips pressed tight.
Before this, he had also heard from his elder brother that Qin Jiu had been abused and beaten by the Li family for many years. At that time, he didn¡¯t feel anything about this at all, as if he was listening to a story and the person in the story had nothing to do with him.
But just now, when he saw the shocking scars on Qin Jiu¡¯s arms, he suddenly understood.
He was only beaten by Qin Jiu with a sheath, and he was almost about to burst into tears. What about Qin Jiu, how did she survive those years?
¡°Even so¡¡¡± Qin Zeyu still wasn¡¯t satisfied, he braced himself and said, ¡°Second sister didn¡¯t do anything wrong, it¡¯s those wicked ves that are in wrong! Her past doesn¡¯t matter, what does those wicked ves have to do with the second sister? Big brother, you¡¯re venting your anger on her!¡±
He didn¡¯t get to finish and he was pped again on the back. This time, his face looked slightly distorted from the huge force.
Chapter 111 CFV Ch.111 Hurt (4)
Qin Zening said angrily: ¡°It seems like Jiu was too easy on you!¡±
Qin Zeyu: ¡°¡¡¡±
Qin Zening applied more medicated ointment onto Qin Zeyu casually, and said: ¡°Also, you¡¯re not allowed to use maids here anymore! Do you hear me!!¡±
¡°It wasn¡¯t my idea.¡± Qin Zeyu muttered.
He came back in a hurry, and his servants were all still at the Songfeng Academy.
There were already two more maids in his yard when he returned, it wasn¡¯t his fault.
He didn¡¯t even remember what they looked like!
¡°Whether or not you were aware about this, if I see a maid here again, I¡¯ll beat you.¡± Qin Zening said without a doubt, ¡°I was too lenient towards you before!¡±
His younger sister said that if a ¡°bear¡± brat wasn¡¯t being obedient, punish the kid, and if one time isn¡¯t enough, do it again! But¡¡ why is he referred to as a ¡°bear¡± brat?
Qin Zening didn¡¯t understand why, he decided to just let it be. Anyway, what his sister said was right.
Qin Zening continued: ¡°Tomorrow, you and I will go to the Jian An Bo Mansion.¡±
Songfeng Academy¡¯s teaching style was very strict and had many requirements prior to epting a student. Qin Zening originally wanted to send his younger brother there to help with his temper, so he asked for Jian An Bo¡¯s help. Now that his younger brother had dropped out of school only after a few months in the academy, he had to drop by and apologize in person.
¡°Big brother!¡± Qin Zeyu wanted to say that he didn¡¯t want to go, but Qin Zening red at him and he kept quiet obediently as he was scared of being beaten again.
Upon seeing his younger brother being afraid, the more Qin Zening felt that his younger sister was right. He should¡¯ve punished him more in the past!
After applying the medicine, Qin Zeyu changed into ake-blue colored robe with auspicious cloud patterns on it, hebed his hair, and tidied himself. He looked fresh and turned back into the handsome and tall young man again.
It was this young man who so easily screamed in pain.
¡°I¡¯ll be on duty today.¡± Qin Zening warned, ¡°Stay at home and don¡¯t run around.¡±
Qin Zeyu gloomily responded, he was suddenly reminded of something, and said: ¡°By the way, big brother, when I went to the Fu Lai pawn shop yesterday¡¡¡±
¡°Why did you go to the pawnshop?¡± Qin Zening frowned.
¡°Listen to me first!¡± Qin Zeyu said quickly, afraid that he would ask more on this, ¡°I saw a gold-iid jade bracelet at the pawnshop, it looked like mother¡¯s!¡±
Qin Zening¡¯s expression condensed, ¡°Are you sure?¡±
¡°I¡¯m sure!¡± Qin Zeyu patted his chest and assured him, ¡°I¡¯ve seen it on mother¡¯s portrait before, it¡¯s exactly the same.¡±
Qin Zening looked at him suspiciously. Qin Zeyu once again assured him that he did take a clear look at it. He almost swore to the gods, and he started to misbehave again, as if all that he went through just now were thrown out his mind.
¡°Really! Big brother, do you think it¡¯s Qin Jiu¡¡¡± Qin Zeyu gulped, his tongue turned awkwardly, ¡°Ahem, did the third sister pawn it?¡±
Qin Zening red at him, and said, ¡°Jiu just returned, she doesn¡¯t even know where our mother¡¯s dowry is. Look at yourself, and you say that you¡¯re smart, only one word can be used to describe you- stupid!
Qin Zeyu: ¡°¡¡¡±
¡°Tomorrow.¡± Qin Zening said, ¡°Tomorrow I¡¯ll head to the pawnshop with you.¡±
So, early the next morning, Qin Zeyu brought Qin Zening to the Fu Lai pawnshop, which was at the west side of the capital, and Qin Jiu was also with them.
Qin Zeyu was punished by Qin Jiu yesterday and he still felt awkward around her. He didn¡¯t want to bring Qin Jiu along at all, but Qin Zening said, ¡°This is our mother¡¯s dowry, and Jiu is our mother¡¯s daughter!¡±
Qin Zeyu gave in.
Check out the New Webtoon: ¡°Every Rose Has A Deathg
Chapter 112 CFV Ch.112 Hurt (5)
<< Prev
¡°Shopkeeper Li, take out yesterday¡¯s gold-iid jade bracelet!¡± As soon as Qin Zeyu entered the pawnshop, he mmed his palm heavily on the counter, he couldn¡¯t wait to prove that he was right.
Shopkeeper Li sensed Qin Zeyu¡¯s strong aura, so he didn¡¯t dare to be slow about it, he hurriedly took out the gold-iid jade bracelet.
Qin Zening looked at the bracelet carefully. The white mutton-fat jade and the red gold ring sp that had a carp carved onto it, greatlyplemented each other, there was also a mark of the Jiang Nan Yi Pin workshop printed on the red gold ring sp.
He remembered that when his mother was still alive, she adored this gold-iid jade bracelet and often wore it.
Qin Zening was sure that this was indeed their mother, Lady Wei¡¯s dowry.
Beforeing, he wondered if his brother had seen wrong¡¡
Qin Zening raised his gaze to look at shopkeeper Li and asked, ¡°Who pawned this?¡± His brows furrowed and his expression was stern.
Qin Zeyu raised his chin up proudly as he knew what his brother meant by that. Like he said, it¡¯s his mother¡¯s dowry!
Qin Zeyu also nced sideways at Qin Jiu triumphantly, trying to regain some of his pride that he had lost yesterday, but Qin Jiu didn¡¯t look at him at all, her gaze looked down as she took the gold-iid jade bracelet from Qin Zening¡¯s hand and started to y with it.
Qin Zeyu looked away unamusingly.
Shopkeeper Li was slightly embarrassed, ¡°Lord, there are rules in our line of business¡¡¡±
The rule is that they have to keep the identity of the seller a secret. After all, those sellers have their pride to keep too, and those who were there to sell off their stolen goods were even more afraid of people knowing about their identities. If this tarnished his reputation, his business will go downhill in the future.
Qin Zening was not one who gave up so easily, he smiled and sat down on the armchair next to him with his legs crossed.
¡°So you¡¯re refusing to answer my question? Then I¡¯ll call my troop from the Wu Cheng Security Bureau to stop by everyday to look for you and have a chat!¡± Qin Zening said casually.
Shopkeeper Li: ¡°¡¡¡±
Everyone in the capital knew that all the men from the Wu Cheng Security Bureau were all just dandies from the noble families, and were naturally unreasonable.
Shopkeeper Li had been in the pawnshop business for decades and was particrly sharp, of course he could tell that Qin Zening and the two of them were the sons and daughters of a highly positioned family, but he didn¡¯t expect Qin Zening to know the people from the Wu Cheng Security Bureau.
If the people from the Wu Cheng Security Bureau came by here to cause trouble every day, who would even dare to step in his pawnshop to buy and pawn stuff? His business would be ruined!
Whichever is the lesser evil, shopkeeper Li hesitated and finally confessed: ¡°Lord, a man in his thirties and his wife pawned it. The man was of a darker skin tone, a long-shaped face and slender eyes, he had on coarse clothes. He spoke in a rather befitting manner, the couple said that they wanted to pawn away this bracelet for good.¡±
Qin Zening: ¡°Continue.¡±
Shopkeeper Li racked his brain as he tried to recall, his face was squished together as he tried hard. Suddenly, he pped his hands together excitedly: ¡°I remember now, the couple seemed to be in urgent need of money. The man asked me if I epted other stuff such as vases, decorations and other items, but before he could finish, he was dragged away by his wife.¡±
¡°I also overheard them as they walked out, the wife said to the man that they should head to a few more stores to not draw attention to themselves.¡±
¡°That¡¯s it. Lord, I¡¯ve told you everything that I could think of!¡± Shopkeeper Li looked at Qin Zening with an apologetic grin.
Qin Zening nodded, he knew who was behind this.
He asked Qin Jiu and Qin Zeyu to leave after he asked for the price that the shopkeeper had offered for the bracelet, he then left a silver certificate to pay for the bracelet and nned to head to another pawnshop.
Check out the New Webtoon: ¡°Every Rose Has A Deathg
<< Prev
Chapter 113 CFV Ch.113 Barbarian! (1)
After the three of them walked out of Li¡¯s pawnshop, they heard a giggly male voiceing from behind them: ¡°Zening, did youe to pawn something because you¡¯re in need of money? You can alwayse to me if you need money.¡±
Qin Jiu turned towards the direction where the voice came from, and saw that a few feet away, a near seventeen to eighteen-year-old man, who was wearing a stone green four-w python robe, galloped over on a ck horse, and got off a few steps away from them.
The man was handsome and tall, as he walked, he flung the whip in his hand, he gave off an unruly temperament.
The people on the street knew with just a nce that this was the eldest brother of the Wu Cheng Security Bureau, everyone immediately scurried away.
Qin Zening raised his right eyebrow and said rudely: ¡°Pei Qi, you yourself don¡¯t even have enough money to spend every month! Can you even help?¡±
Pei Qi touched his nose: ¡°¡¡¡±
The ck horse also neighed at the same time, as if it was also agreeing to him.
Qin Zening: ¡°You came just at the right time, follow me to a few ces.¡±
Pei Qi: ¡°Where?¡±
Qin Zening: ¡°Pawnshops.¡±
Pei Qi: ¡°How short of money can you be¡¡¡± As he spoke, he touched his money bag that was on his waist.
¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Qin Zening draped his arms over his shoulders boldly and dragged him along.
Qin Jiu and Qin Zeyu couldn¡¯t catch a word of theirs at all, and followed along silently.
Pei Qi nced briefly at Qin Jiu with the corner of his eyes, then stopped, and said with a very diligent smile: ¡°Zening, is this your sister?¡±
¡°Little sister, I¡¯m very good friends with your elder brother, we grew up wearing the same pair of underwear. You can call me seven brother from now on ¡¡¡±
Before he could finish, Qin Zening already ruthlessly dragged him away.
Qin Zening brought Qin Jiu and the others to a few pawnshops, and found another three items, a high-quality 100 year old ginseng, a painting of a plum blossom that was drawn by the former painting master, Li Shuizhi, and a jade bowl along with a gold cover and tray from 300 years ago.
Pei Qi made the situation much easier. With him standing by their side, Qin Zening didn¡¯t even have to talk much, the shopkeepers of these pawnshops already blurted the truth, all they wanted was to send these troublemakers away.
¡°¡¡I remember that the couple also said that they wanted to sell a shop on Dade Street.¡±
Just as the fat shopkeeper at thest pawnshop was sending them out, he added, and went back in.
Qin Zening sneered and said, ¡°It really is Qin Xin.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t believe you.¡± Qin Zeyu said without hesitation, his gaze flickered.
Qin Zening said: ¡°Grandmother once gifted Qin Xin with a shop in private, and the shop is on Dade Street.¡±
Qin Zeyu gritted his teeth firmly and said: ¡°Her evil servants must be doing something behind their masters back! It must be so.¡±
Qin Zening ignored him. Some things are better for Qin Zeyu to see with his own eyes rather than trying to exin to him hundreds of times.
¡°I don¡¯t care what she wants to do with her own things, but how dare she sell our mother¡¯s dowry¡¡¡± Qin Zening¡¯s voice sounded even colder than before, and his gaze turned to Qin Jiu.
In Qin Zening¡¯s point of view, Lady Wei¡¯s dowry was for his younger siblings.
Qin Zening pulled Pei Qi aside, ¡°Brother, do me a favor, you appear on my behalf and buy that shop for me.¡±
Pei Qi kept grinning and didn¡¯t ask any further. After all, living in such a big family, he has heard tons of messy schemes and secrets.
He pped on his chest frankly and said: ¡°You can count on me. After it¡¯s done, you have to buy me a drink!¡±
Qin Zening responded with a smile.
Pei Qi waved to them casually and left. Qin Zening brought his siblings to a restaurant for lunch.
Qin Zening skillfully ordered some food and sent the waiter away. He then poured some tea for Qin Jiu, nced at Qin Zeyu, who pushed the teacup in front of him, and said disgustingly: ¡°Do it yourself.¡±
Qin Zeyu: ¡°¡¡¡±
¡°Jiu, our mother¡¯s dowry is now with our grandmother.¡± A few days after Qin Jiu returned to the Marquess Mansion, Qin Zening hadn¡¯t had a chance to tell her this until now.
When the Qin family was ransacked and exiled back then, all the family¡¯s properties, including the elderdy and several daughters-inws¡¯s dowry, were confiscated. When the Qin family was in exile, they had nothing.
Later, after the Qin family rehabilitated and returned to the capital, the emperor returned it to them.
Chapter 114 CFV Ch.114 Barbarian! (2)
At that time, Lady Wei from the eldest branch had just passed. Qin Zening just turned eight and Qin Zeyu was only two years old. As they were still too young, Lady Wei¡¯s dowry was sealed and kept by Elder Lady Qin.
ording to the rules, this dowry would be divided into three and equally given to Lady Wei¡¯s children.
However, Qin Zening said at the time, that half of his mother¡¯s dowry would be given to his younger sister and the other half to his younger brother. He was the eldest brother, he didn¡¯t need it.
At the end of each year, Elder Lady Qin would ask the steward to show them the ount books to these properties.
Later, Qin Xin said that she wanted Elder Lady Qin to teach her how to understand the ounts, so Qin Zening never took care of this matter again.
Elder Lady Qin¡¯s private assets were quite plentiful, and she didn¡¯t need her daughter-inw¡¯s dowry. Therefore, when Qin Zening saw the gold-iid jade bracelet at the Fi pawnshop, he was quite sure that this was Qin Xin¡¯s doings.
He didn¡¯t hide this from Qin Jiu, and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t think much about it at the time¡.. Who knew I would be indirectly helping to raise a tiger!¡±
Qin Zening¡¯s voice sounded slightly annoyed. He never doubted Qin Xin¡¯s background before, and hepletely believed her, and assuredly handed Lady Wei¡¯s dowry to Qin Xin.
Qin Zening was never a person who would be caught up by the past. He drank the cup of tea in one sip, calmed down, and said: ¡°Since grandmother can¡¯t care for our mother¡¯s dowry, then we should retrieve it and take matters to our own hands.¡±
¡°After some time, we¡¯ll wait for the right timing to break up the family between the eldest branch and the Marquess Mansion, we¡¯ll live on our own.¡±
Qin Zening believed that he could bring honour to the eldest branch¡¯s family name, but their grandmother was still alive. If he insisted on splitting the family, let¡¯s not even talk about the second uncle, the n wouldn¡¯t even agree.
That¡¯s why he must wait for the right time!
Qin Zening spoke, Qin Jiu listened, and poured more tea for Qin Zening.
Qin Zeyu was cracking some sunflower seeds as he listened. When he heard Qin Zening mention ¡°splitting the family¡±, he subconsciously wanted to interrupt him and his thin lips were ajar, but in the end, he swallowed back his words.
¡°Crack!¡±
He vented his anger onto another sunflower seed.
Qin Jiu nced at Qin Zeyu, and thought to herself: Well, this brat is actually behaving after that punishment!
Qin Jiu¡¯s scrutinizing gaze made Qin Zeyu quiver. He quickly sat up with his back straight, his ugly and improper sitting position beforepletely disappeared. Qin Zening couldn¡¯t help butugh out loud.
Qin Zeyu¡¯s ears turned bright red, and he felt that his pride as the Fifth Lord Qin might not be restored anytime soon.
Soon, the waiter served their hot meals.
The lunch went by rather peacefully.
After finishing their lunch, Qin Zening settled the bill and said, ¡°Jiu, I¡¯ll send you back first. I have to bring this kid to visit the Jian Ning Bo Mansion.¡±
They were going to apologize to them, but he couldn¡¯t let his younger sister bow down to someone for Qin Zeyu, this brat.
¡°Big brother, don¡¯t send me back. I want to walk around the capital.¡± Qin Jiu had been in the capital for so many days, but she didn¡¯t get the chance to even walk around. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll head back after a while.¡±
Qin Zening hesitated for a while, the capital was quite safe, no one would dare to cause trouble, so he didn¡¯t object.
¡°You should head back early, or not, four hourster, you can wait for us in this restaurant, and we¡¯ll head home together.¡± Qin Zening said as he stuffed all the silvers he had to Qin Jiu, ¡°Just spend, if it¡¯s not enough, just credit it under my name.¡±
Qin Jiu took the money with a smile, and watched Qin Zening drag the unwilling Qin Zeyu away.
Qin Jiu walked aimlessly along the street towards another direction.
It was a prosperous capital. On both sides of Huachang Street where she was at, there were many shops and restaurants, and bustling sounds of vendors shouting, people talking and walking, the scene was very lively and she was dazzled by it.
It was the end of October, even if the weather was cold, the sun was shining bright today. Walking under the glistening sun, her whole body felt warm and cosy.
Everything was new to Qin Jiu. She carried a small basket and bought straw grasshoppers, purses, sachets and many more. She then bought a mini windmill from a stall and Qin Jiu started to blow at it, and the windmill started to spin along¡¡
Check out the New Webtoon: ¡°Every Rose Has A Deathg
Chapter 115 CFV Ch.115 Barbarian! (3)
Qin Jiu pouted slightly, and was about to blow at it again, it was then she noticed two familiar teenagers walking out together from a restaurant on the street.
¡°Third Lady Qin.¡±
One of them was a young man with blue eyes that was from a different tribe, he smiled and called out at Qin Jiu, his voice mixed with a slight foreign ent among his standard capital dialect.
It was Yelu Luan, the second prince of Beiyan, and Gu Jing, the second prince, was with him.
Although she has only seen Yelu Luan once in the pce, his profound facial features were too eye-catching among the group of Central in people. Also, he wanted her to marry him, Qin Jiu certainly wouldn¡¯t forget him.
¡°Second Young Master Gu, Young Master Yelu.¡± Qin Jiu greeted softly, ¡°If there¡¯s nothing more to this, please excuse me.¡±
¡°Third Lady Qin, please wait.¡± Yelu Luan left Gu Jing behind, and strode forward to stop her.
His facial features were prominent and he was very good looking, his pair of eyes were as blue and deep as the sea, he stared right at Qin Jiu, as if she was the only one in his eyes, ¡°Third Lady Qin, I¡¯m fond of you.¡±
Qin Jiu: ¡°?¡±
It was the first time that someone rushed to her in public and said that he was ¡°fond¡± of her, but she didn¡¯t feel even the slightest joy. Instead, a thought flew past her mind¨C
He must be up to something!
Yelu Luan continued: ¡°In Beiyan, whenever someone meets a girl he likes, he must confess as soon as possible, otherwise, other warriors might snatch her away.¡±
He gave off a sense of free, wild and unruly aura that were different from those of the Central ins, but because of his hearty smile, no one found it unpleasant.
At this moment, Gu Jing also walked over, and heard Yelu Luan¡¯s words, there was clear disdain in his eyes.
No wonder he¡¯s a barbarian!
The corners of Gu Jing¡¯s lips curved up slightly. The barbarian and the hillbilly would be a perfect match!
He remained calm, and stopped three steps away from them, he didn¡¯t move forward anymore.
Yelu Luan looked at Qin Jiu and said, ¡°Third Lady Qin, how do you feel about this?¡±
Qin Jiu: ¡°¡¡¡±
On the street, some passersby also noticed the situation. A few women all looked towards Yelu Luan and Qin Jiu as they pointed and gossiped about them.
Yelu Luan stared at Qin Jiu¡¯s small face intensely, his expression was so focused and affectionate.
He found it very hard to get ustomed to the Central ins¡¯s strict customs. But now, he feels that if he utilizes the customs well, he was already near sess!
He couldn¡¯t help but take another step towards Qin Jiu. At this moment, a hand-held fan fell right from the window of the restaurant¡¯s second floor¡¡
A few people on the street saw this scene and eximed in shock.
All this happened so quickly that Yelu Luan had no time to react. The hand-held fan had fallen on his head and then bounced off¡¡
Qin Jiu subconsciously tried to catch the hand-held fan, she then looked up, and saw a familiar face looking out from the second floor¡¯s window.
¡°Big Brother!¡± It was as if Qin Jiu saw her close family, she waved the hand-held fan which had a few lush green bamboos drawn on it, at Gu Zezhi, who was on the second floor.
Yelu Luan and Gu Jing also saw Gu Zezhi, they both had different expressions on their faces, one looked surprised and the other looked unhappy.
It¡¯s Gu Zezhi again! Gu Jing tightened his fist, his gaze flickered.
After a while, Gu Zezhi walked out from the restaurant¡¯s door, with a gentle smile on his face. The warm winter sun glistened on his purple robe and he gave off a graceful aura.
Qin Jiu rushed to her savior and handed him the hand-held fan in her hand.
¡°Big brother, your fan, luckily no one broke it!¡± She meant that fortunately, she caught the fan with her hands, she was trying to impress him.
¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Gu Zezhi took the fan and casually said to Qin Jiu.
Qin Jiu obediently followed after him, leaving Yelu Luan and Gu Jing behind.
But Qin Jiu didn¡¯t feel so good, as if she was holding herself back.
She wasn¡¯t dumb, and of course she knew that Yelu Luan purposely ¡°confessed¡± to her in public to create a big scene.
This is the Great Qi Dynasty, it has its own customs and rules. Ady can¡¯t simply say whether she is ¡°fond or not¡± towards a person in public. No matter how she answers, she is at fault.
With Yelu Luan¡¯s identity, if it was made a big issue, even if the empress disagreed, the courtiers would still force her into the marriage.
It was undoubtedly the best choice for them not to interact further in public.
Check out the New Webtoon: ¡°Every Rose Has A Deathg
Chapter 116 CFV Ch.116 Barbarian! (4)
Even so, Qin Jiu still felt frustrated by it.
¡°You feel frustrated?¡± Gu Zezhi asked.
Qin Jiu nodded and said angrily: ¡°I really want to shove him in a sack and beat him up!¡±
The corner of Gu Zezhi¡¯s lips raised as he couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, a gentle smile was stered on his face.
Qin Jiu: ¡°Unfortunately, I can¡¯t¡¡¡± Even if she wanted to, she couldn¡¯t beat him!
Gu Zezhi turned around and said, ¡°Little girl, let¡¯s go get a cup of tea.¡± He gestured casually, and a guard behind him quietly stepped back.
Tea?! Qin Jiu felt a numbing sensation run through her scalp at the thought of brewing the tea. Isn¡¯t it just a cup of tea? Why do they have to be so particr about the brewing process!
Her gaze flickered, she then saw the theater in front of her, and immediately cut off his words: ¡°Big brother, let¡¯s not drink tea, let¡¯s go¡¡ to the theater! Yes, to the theater!¡±
She was scared that he would disagree, so Qin Jiu left first, and emphasized, ¡°It¡¯s on me!¡±
So Gu Zezhi followed Qin Jiu to the theater, with a seemingly good mood.
The theater ¡°Daya ss¡± was very happening, seats were almost full, and it was filled withughter and chatter.
In fact, Qin Jiu didn¡¯t understand ancient ys at all. Those actors performed at a very slow pace. The only ones that were fast paced were the ones who yed with spears and did somersaults when they got on stage, she got excited at the scene of them. During the rest of the show, she was either eating, munching on some sunflower seeds or some snacks, drinking tea, or peeling the walnuts.
The walnuts on the nut tter were cracked open slightly before they were served to the guests, so it would be easier for them to crack open, but the walnuts were quite hard, and Qin Jiu¡¯s face wrinkled slightly after she tried quite some time to crack it open.
She wasn¡¯t nning on giving up on the walnut in her hand, right then, she saw a big slender hand suddenly stretched out in front of her, his palm facing upwards, ¡°Give it to me.¡±
Qin Jiu gave him the walnuts without much thought.
Gu Zezhi casually took another walnut from the nut tter, he then held the two walnuts in the palm of his right hand, and gently pinched¡¡
His pale fist clenched tightly, the muscle tones from his fingers, the back of his hand to his arm tightened, he was like a snow leopard ready to pounce, sharp andpelling, calm and powerful.
¡°Crack.¡±
Gu Zezhi loosened his right hand, and a few cobweb-like cracks appeared on the two walnuts in his palm. A chill ran down Qin Jiu¡¯s neck.
Gu Zezhi: ¡°Here.¡±
Qin Jiu was about to p for him. Her saviour is sopetent, his hands were even more useful than those nutcrackers!
Halfway through the snow, a tall and average looking guard, who was in green, appeared and said to Gu Zezhi, ¡°Third master, the person is almost here.¡±
Gu Zezhi smiled gently: ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±
Qin Jiu was taking a bite of a sweet chestnut crisp and casually asked, ¡°Where are we going?¡±
Gu Zezhi didn¡¯t answer, and with a deeper smile on his face, he signalled Qin Jiu to follow along with his finger.
¡°¡¡¡± Qin Jiu swallowed the chestnut crisp in a few bites and got up obediently.
She¡¯ll go wherever his saviour asks, he won¡¯t sell her off anyways!
The three of them left the Daya ss and then turned into a small alley next to it. The guards walked in the front to lead the way, followed by Gu Zezhi and Qin Jiu.
The small alleyways in the capital had many twists and turns. At first, Qin Jiu tried to remember the way, but she gave up after a while.
The three of them turned into an alley that was only wide enough for two people to stand beside each other. Qin Jiu followed Gu Zezhi¡¯s gaze and looked forward. On the other side of the alleyway, the sign of ¡°Siyi Pavilion¡± was in sight.
Qin Jiu blinked, her pair of clear apricot coloured eyes looked at Gu Zezhi.
Gu Zezhi made a silent gesture to her, he smiled through his narrow phoenix eyes, they resembled a pool of clear spring water.
There was another guard waiting at the entrance of the alley. He took a look outside and turned his head to say, ¡°He¡¯s here.¡±
Gu Zezhi kept the hand-held fan with a smile, and the two guards immediately understood what he meant.
After a while, Yelu Luan¡¯s slender figure appeared at the entrance of the alleyway.
Apart from him, there was no one else. The people from Beiyan never liked to be restrained, they craved for freedom, and they didn¡¯t like to be ordered around.
Chapter 117 CFV Ch.117 Barbarian! (5)
The two guards acted very swiftly. When Yelu Luan walked through the alley, they suddenly took action and attacked him from behind. One of them stuffed the sack onto him, the other pressed his legs down. Yelu Luan was dragged into the alley in an instance.
Yelu Luan, who was stuffed in the sack, was both angry and startled, he shouted, ¡°Who¡¯s behind this?¡± His voice sounded distant through the sack.
One of the guards responded with a kick, he kicked him in the abdomen with his foot. Yelu Luan snorted and wanted to scream. The other guard kicked his back. He rolled on the ground twice in the sack.
On the side, the corners of Gu Zezhi¡¯s lips lifted slightly, his smile was as warm as the sun during spring time.
Qin Jiu¡¯s eyes brightened.
She wasn¡¯t being serious about it, but her saviour actually ordered his people to go on and trap Yelu Luan in a sack?
It was just casual talk, she didn¡¯t really want to hit him¡¡of course she wanted to! She was very excited now.
She blinked at her saviour in admiration, she then shoved the small basket into his hand, walked towards Yelu Luan in a few strides, and kicked the sack roughly.
Yelu Luan snorted again, he twisted around and struggled in the sack, even the sack wriggled along with him, it was utterly embarrassing.
He gritted his teeth and asked angrily: ¡°Who is it? Do you know who I am¡¡¡±
Qin Jiu interrupted him and kicked again. Of course she knew who he was, it was because she knew him that she kicked him!
Qin Jiu strenuously kicked Yelu Luan¡¯s abdomen a few more times.
When Qin Jiu beat Qin Zeyu, she did hold herself back, but she didn¡¯t need to do so for the others.
She kicked and kicked, each kick harder than thest.
Yelu Luan, who was in the sack, snorted repeatedly and hugged his head to protect himself.
If it was under normal circumstances, a small girl like Qin Jiu, who was all show and no go, was naturally not Yelu Luan¡¯s opponent, but now that he was trapped in a sack, he couldn¡¯t escape or hide, and had no power to fight back, he could only embarrassedly curl up in the sack.
Kicking him was not enough for Qin Jiu, she added two more punches. All the kicking and punching made it feel like she was punching a sandbag. She felt that the breath of air she had held down just now was relieved at once.
Gu Zezhi looked at her from some distance, with a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth that shined as bright as the sun during spring in March.
This little girl is so interesting.
He waved his hand, and the two guards went to the entrance of the alleyway to keep guard. They waited until Qin Jiu kicked enough, she then walked over and looked at him with a sweet expression, as if she wasn¡¯t the one who beat the guy up.
Gu Zezhi smiled and gestured to her, he meant, let¡¯s go.
Qin Jiu followed along obediently, her steps were light and she felt overjoyed, her face flushed red from the excitement as if it was tainted by the red sky.
After beating him up, she was content as she no longer felt suffocated. She felt refreshed and every step she took felt like she was being carried by the wind.
After turning around the corner, Qin Jiu asked in a low voice: ¡°Big brother, can these two guards be trusted?¡±
Qin Jiu knew that these two guards were gifted by the emperor after Gu Zezhi came to the capital.
They rampantly beat up Yelu Luan, Yelu Luan would definitely not be silent about this, he would for sure blurt it out! If the emperor knew that Gu Zezhi trapped him in the sack for her, would he be in trouble?
Gu Zezhi didn¡¯t say a word, he only shed a mysterious smile.
¡°¡¡¡± He made Qin Jiu feel as if a feather was tickling her heart, it made her curious.
Gu Zezhi took out a moon-white handkerchief from his sleeve and handed it to Qin Jiu. He pointed at her right cheek, ¡°Wipe it away.¡±
Just now, Qin Jiu casually brushed a few strands of her hair away from her cheeks to the back of her ears, but had identally stained some dust on her cheek.
Qin Jiu took the handkerchief and swiftly cleaned her cheek.
Song Jiang¡¯s muslin fabric was so soft and delicate, it was very nice to touch, and had a slight warmth to it¡¡
Song Jiang¡¯s muslin fabric was really quite nice, she should ask her maids to get her some handkerchiefs that were made of this fabric for her. Qin Jiu was absent-minded as she thought of this.
Seeing that she didn¡¯t manage to clean the right spot for quite a while, Gu Zezhi took the handkerchief from her hand and said casually: ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡±
Qin Jiu didn¡¯t move at all, she lowered her right hand and looked right at him.
Gu Zezhi gently wiped away the dust from the corner of her lips, and her jade-like cheeks were clean once again, it was as if theyer of dust that covered a pearl was wiped away.
Chapter 118 CFV Ch.118 Outsider (1)
Gu Zezhi stuffed the handkerchief back into her hand and rightfully instructed, ¡°Wipe your hands too.¡±
Following his gaze, Qin Gui realized that her fingers were also covered in the dust from the sack.
Behavingly, she wiped her hands too and did it carefully this time for fear that her mysophobic golden thigh would nag her again.
After wiping, she casually shoved the handkerchief into her sleeve and said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ll gift you one in return next time.¡±
¡°¡¡± Gu Zezhi¡¯s brows moved slightly and an indiscernible look shed past his eyes.
He nodded and smiled lightly, ¡°All right.¡±
The two of them walked all the way to Qingming Teahouse¡¯s entrance. Fearing that he would mention tea again, Qin Gui hurriedly waved goodbye to him ¡°I still have an appointment with my brothers.¡±
Gu Zezhi smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯ll see you in a few days then.¡±
Qin Gui thought he wanted his handkerchief back, so she readily agreed.
And so, Gu Zezhi left.
He went straight to the pce and went to the imperial study to seek an audience with the emperor.
The emperor had just learned of Yelu Luan being beaten when Gu Zezhi arrived. Seeing him, he offered him a seat and casually brought up the matter. ¡°Just now, Northern Yan¡¯s ambassadors came toin. He asked me to investigate the culprit and even demanded I give him an answer on this matter.¡± Those Northern Yan people really are troublesome!
Gu Zezhi lifted his robe and sat down by the window, looking elegant yet calm and rxed. Smiling, he said, ¡°Your Majesty, it was I who beat him.¡±
The emperor was stunned and could not help but reveal an astonished expression.
Gu Zezhi, ¡°Just now in Huachang Street, Yelu Luan told Third Young Mistress Qin in front of the public that he fancied her.¡±
Emperor, ¡°???¡±
The emperor was even more confused when he saw Gu Zezhi¡¯s expression and thought to himself, could it be that he was jealous?
But you can¡¯t beat someone up just because you¡¯re jealous, right?
He coulde to plead with him, he would have been able to get him Qin Gui¡¯s hand in marriage¡ But if they did get married, then how was family seniority going to be calcted in the future?
After thinking about it though, the emperor finally understood what Yelu Luan¡¯s intentions were.
It can be said that Yelu Luan didn¡¯t try to cover it up in the slightest!
The emperor turned the jade ring on his finger thoughtfully and said, ¡°We have already rejected Yelu Luan¡¯s request to marry Xiao Gui, so he ns to start with her¡Seems like thepound bow is quite attractive to Northern Yan.¡±
The winter sunlight passed through the branches outside the window and left mottled shades on Gu Zezhi¡¯s face. When the wind blew, the dappled shadows would sway along, leaving a more profound feeling of unpredictableness on his person.
¡°Northern Yan has always been extremely ambitious towards Great Qi. The only difference lies in whether they can beat us or not.¡± Gu Zezhi said slowly, voice gentle as usual.
The emperor looked at Gu Zezhi and he stopped turning the ring around his finger, saying, ¡°We¡¯ll leave the ambassadors from Northern Yan to you.¡±
¡°You¡¯ve been in the capital for a while, it¡¯s time you take on some errands.¡±
¡°Just don¡¯t let them bother Us about nothing.¡±
After a pause, the emperor added teasingly, ¡°If you do a good job, We¡¯ll let you marry her.¡±
Gu Zezhi raised his brows. ¡°Marry who?¡±
The emperor picked up his teacup in a good mood and asked, ¡°Who do you wish?¡±
Gu Zezhi smiled but he did not say anything.
The emperor took a sip of his hot tea to wet his lips and put the cup back down, asking, ¡°Did it shock Xiao Gui?¡±
Gu Zezhi said definitely, ¡°No.¡±
Not only that, but the girl was in great spirits when she was beating him! She was in such a good mood after that, and she even took his handkerchief away.
The emperor continued to ask with interest, ¡°Did you send the girl home? The capital is a messy ce, it wouldn¡¯t be good if a girl like her were to bump into any unscrupulous people.¡±
The emperor was torn. He was worried that in case the marriage bes a reality, he would have no idea how to address the seniority problem in the future, but he also thought the two were very well matched. He had no idea what he should do.
The emperor nned to ask around for some information first before he tells the empress.
Gu Zezhi was out of it, mind still on the handkerchief. He wondered, does that girl know what it meant for her to take his handkerchief?
Chapter 119 CFV Ch.119 Outsider (2)
Of course, Qin Gui had no idea. After shoving the handkerchief into her sleeve, she had also shoved it into the back of her mind.
She drank a cup of tea and finished a te of sunflower seeds at Qingming Teahouse before her brothers, Qin Zening and Qin Zeyu arrived. Only, Qin Zeyu appeared like a kicked puppy with its head down, looking quite listless.
Qin Gui raised a brow.
The moment Qin Zeyu saw Qin Gui, even his shoulders had copsed. From a long distance away, you could feel the sadness pouring out from his bones.
Qin Gui held herself back fromughing and ignored him on purpose, calling out to Qin Zening instead, ¡°Big Brother.¡±
Seeing this, Qin Zeyu pouted and his face was filled with a look of unhappiness.
When facing Qin Gui, Qin Zening¡¯s voice was very gentle. ¡°Little Sister, tired from ying? Still want to go shopping?¡±
Qin Gui shook her head. ¡°Let¡¯s head back, Big Brother.¡± Then, she pointed at Qin Zeyu, meaning to ask what was wrong with him.
Qin Zening read his sister¡¯s gestures and snorted coldly. ¡°This brat just got lectured by Uncle Jianning. Uncle Jianning told him to think clearly on his own whether he wants to return to the academy or not. If he does, Uncle Jianning will send a letter to the schr for him.¡±
Qin Zeyu, ¡°Big Brother! I don¡¯t want to go to Songfeng Academy!¡±
Qin Zening¡¯s eyebrows went up. ¡°Ah Yu!¡±
¡°If he doesn¡¯t want to go, then don¡¯t force him,¡± Qin Gui said.
Qin Zeyu couldn¡¯t believe his ears and looked at her suspiciously, as if shocked that Qin Gui would speak for him.
Qin Gui was probably trying to please him and make up with him¡ No, they¡¯ve never been well with each other, so how could they ¡°make up¡± with each other!
Anyway, he won¡¯t forgive her that easily!
Qin Zeyu let out a humph but he had already scooted a little closer towards Qin Gui, looking arrogant as if saying since Qin Gui has already admitted her mistakes, then he would also consider forgiving her!
But then, he heard his sister¡¯s cold and unfeeling voice in his ears, ¡°Songfeng Academy is too far away. Even if it¡¯s strict, it¡¯s not very convenient for us to discipline this naughty brat.¡±
Qin Zeyu, ¡°???¡±
Qin Gui went on, ¡°This kid just needs to be beaten. Before he¡¯s learned his lesson, it¡¯s better for him not to stay too far away from home.¡±
Staying in the capital¡¡± Qin Zening stroked his chin and thought about it, and thought about it again. His sister does have a point. If Qin Zeyu can escape from Songfeng Academy once, he can do it again, and again. He will go to Uncle Jianning¡¯s house again tomorrow and return the kindness.
With that thought, this matter was now settled. Qin Zening suddenly felt at ease and also had a more pleasant expression on his face.
In contrast, Qin Zeyu¡¯s expression had be ugly.
¡°Little Sister, I know of a face powder store not far ahead. That guy Cui Si had also visited to buy some for his madamst time. He praised it quite a lot. Big Brother will bring you there to buy some.¡± Qin Zening smiled.
¡°En.¡± Qin Gui responded and walked away with him cheerfully.
Qin Zeyu just watched as his brother and sister ignored him and went off on their own.
The young boy was a bit confused and a thought floated up his mind, had he lost favor?*
Thinking of this, Qin Zeyu felt a little panicked and couldn¡¯t help but speed up to catch up to them. He didn¡¯t even notice himself walking next to Qin Gui.
Qin Zening was very generous. With a big have of his hand, he packed up thetest items in the store and the three of them returned home with theirrge purchase.
When they returned home, they saw Madam Qin¡¯s Granny Cui waiting at the gate. Granny Cui said urgently, ¡°Young Master! Madam wants you to see her as soon as you return.¡±
Qin Zening smirked. ¡°Did Second Auntin to Grandmother?¡±
Granny Cui nodded anxiously and said, ¡°Madam went toin to the old madam this morning, saying that the Third Young Mistress had beaten the Fifth Young Master because he had ignored her. The old madam is very angry!¡±
Qin Zening nodded and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± Saying that, he red at the brat, Qin Zeyu.
Qin Zeyu felt very wronged by his re. He felt that his big brother really doesn¡¯t care about his siblings. He was clearly the one who got beaten!
¡°Big Brother, I¡¯ll go with you,¡± Qin Zening mumbled, ¡°lest Grandmother really thinks that Qin Gui beat me.¡±
¡°If other people think that I can¡¯t even fight a girl, then that would be too humiliating!¡±
Chapter 120 CFV Ch.120 Outsider (3)
Then, Qin Zeyu even lifted his chin to act tough and raised his voice a little. This girl, if he hadn¡¯t been going easy on her, then how could she be able to beat him!
¡°You¡¯ve grown some guts, you dare to even put a hand on a girl?¡± Qin Gui looked at him with a shallow smile. Raising her hand, she was just about to reach for the sword at Qin Zening¡¯s waist.
Qin Zeyu jumped in shock and hastened to hide behind his big brother. ¡°Third Sister,I was wrong!¡±
The way he admitted it so quickly was just like when Qin Gui was facing Gu Zezhi.
Granny Cui looked at Qin Zeyu, then at Qin Gui, looking stunned.
Even though the Fifth Young Master was clearly looking at the Third Young Mistress like an enemy when he just returned, how did the two of them get on such good terms now after just a few days?
It¡¯s as they say, blood really is thicker than water! Granny Cui sighed in her heart. It seems that saying was true!
¡°Enough fooling around, go back to your Yijia Court.¡± Qin Zening shook his head at the two of them with a smile.
After receiving word from his big brother, Qin Zeyu quickly ran off, as if worried that he would be receiving another beating from Qin Gui again if he dallied any longer.
Qin Gui watched his back as he slipped away and suggested, ¡°Big Brother, why don¡¯t you move in with him?¡±
Qin Zening nodded his head in agreement. He had to find a way to discipline that child!
After that, Qin Zening followed Granny Cui to Ronghe Hall.
Madam Qin was waiting anxiously in the eastern room. When she saw that it was Qin Zening, she asked, a little surprised, ¡°Where is Gui¡¯er?¡±
Qin Zening bowed and sat down next to her before responding, ¡°Xiao Gui went back with Ah Yu.¡±
¡°Grandmother, don¡¯t listen to Second Aunt¡¯s nonsense. Ah Yu is bing more and more unruly. Since I am the eldest brother, I have the qualifications to discipline him, don¡¯t I?¡±
¡°The eldest brother is like a father. When Grandfather was still alive, he never spoiled his grandchildren either. He would have beaten them as well.¡±
Qin Zening brought up the old marquis, blocking the words that Madam Qin had yet to even speak.
Qin Zening was quite naughty as a kid and often got into trouble. He did in fact get beaten by the old marquis quite a lot. So, Madam Qin could not say that it was wrong of the older brother to discipline his fellow brothers either, and her face was a little stiff.
Mrs. Qin cleared her throat and could only reluctantly say, ¡°Ning¡¯er, Yu¡¯er is still young¡¡±
¡°Yu is already twelve, he¡¯s not young anymore. I have already gone off to military camp at his age.¡± Qin Zening smiled. ¡°Or does Grandmother think that I will harm Ah Yu?¡±
Mrs. Qin was stuffed up by her grandson so much that she couldn¡¯t even speak.
This morning, when she heard Mrs. Su say that Qin Gui was beating Qin Zeyu, she felt both anxious and angry.
Qin Zeyu had lost his parents at since birth and so the elders would more or less spoil him a little. She herself and Xin had never even raised a finger at him, but Qin Gui actually dared to hit him as soon as she came back!!
But now, Madam Qin felt that Qin Zening had a point. They were brothers after all. Even if Qin Gui had been udylike to do that to him, Ning would not have just sat by and watched his little brother get beaten.
Qin Zening changed the topic around and said, ¡°Grandmother, Grandson wishes to discuss something with you.¡±
¡°What is it?¡± Madam Qin¡¯s attention had been led away.
¡°Since Little Sister has returned, she should take care of mother¡¯s dowry,¡± Qin Zening said, ¡°What do you think?¡±
Madam Qin said subconsciously, ¡°Xin¡¯er has been managing it quite well the past two years.¡±
Qin Xin was taught housekeeping by madam Qin herself, and she has been able to manage Mrs. Wei¡¯s dowry well.
Qin Zening smiled and said bluntly without mercy, ¡°How can I let outsiders take care of my mother¡¯s dowry? Who knows what sort of shameful things an outsider might do with it!¡±
¡°Ning! Don¡¯t talk nonsense!¡± Mrs. Qin was panicked and her brows furrowed deeply. ¡°How could Xin¡¯er do such a thing!¡± Qin Xin had been raised by her since she was young, so would she not know what her character was like?!
Chapter 121 CFV Ch.121 Oustider (4)
Qin Zening grabbed the gold and jade bracelet from his sleeve and said with a smile, ¡°Grandma, this is what Grandson ¡®purchased¡¯ from the pawn store today.¡±
Qin Zening had thought that Madam Qin would look shocked when he saw the bracelet. But instead, she looked a little¡guilty?
¡°Ning,¡± Madam Qin clutched the rosewood Buddhist beads around her wrist and said awkwardly, ¡°We have so many people in the household, and we¡¯ve been spending a lot of silver. Last year, Huaibei was hit by a great disaster and our household¡¯s ie was greatly reduced since much of our viges are from there. We have grown short on ie, so Xin¡¯er took the initiative to suggest pawning off a few things to subsidize it.¡±
Qin Zening, ¡°¡¡±
He originally thought that Qin Xin was taking it behind his grandmother¡¯s back to pawn it, but he didn¡¯t expect to hear such an answer.
Madam Qin looked a little guilty while talking about this matter too, but she was their senior. She couldn¡¯t just lower herself down to admit her fault in this matter.
She coughed lightly and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, when Gui¡¯er gets married in the future, I will make up for her share. I won¡¯t make let suffer a loss.¡±
A look shed past Qin Zening¡¯s eyes but his face remained calm and unruffled. He said, ¡°We¡¯ll talk about thister. For now, let Qin Xin hand over the ount books and the keys¡Grandmother, please hand the keys to Xiao Gui as well.¡±
The key to Mrs. Wei¡¯s dowry has always been kept in the hands of Mrs. Qin all these years, so Qin Zening had deliberately taken the matter of the dowry being stolen and pawned off to get Madam Qin to hand over the keys to the treasury as well.
Madam Qin felt guilty about pawning off her daughter-inw¡¯s dowry to begin with, so she easily agreed.
First, she ordered Granny Cui to call Qin Xin, Qin Gui, as well as Mrs. Su over before assuring him, ¡°Ning¡¯er, about this matter, Grandmother does not¡¡± But saying that, she sighed.
Mrs. Wei¡¯s dowry was supposed to be split between her three children and shared equally.
Supposedly, as the eldest daughter of the family, it was reasonable for Qin Xin to suggest taking out Mrs. Wei¡¯s dowry to supplement the spending of the household without iting back to bite her in the back.
But right now, the eldest of the main family is Qin Gui, so Qin Xin was overstepping her boundaries.
With that, using Mrs. Wei¡¯s dowry in such a way had be Madam Qin¡¯s neglect.
Ah!
Qin Xin had been managing Mrs. Wei¡¯s dowry for so many years that Madam Qin had forgotten their positions in the family.
Qin Zening did not speak either. Instead, he picked up his teacup and took a sip, quietly waiting.
So, Qin Gui who had just returned to Guan Xiang Court was the first to arrive at Ronghe Hall, followed by Qin Xin and Mrs. Su.
Madam Qin immediately told them Qin Zening¡¯s thoughts.
Qin Xin squeezed her handkerchief and her eyes flickered for a moment. In a voice as quiet as a mosquito¡¯s buzz, she said, ¡°Yes, grandmother. I will have someone bring the ount books to Third Sisterter.¡±
¡°Mother, this is not proper, is it?¡± Mrs. Su frowned in surprise and said, ¡°What does Gui¡¯er know? Can she read and write? Managing the ounts is not as simple as going to the market and buying two pounds of pork! If she loses all of the dowry, then Ning¡¯er and Yu¡¯er would suffer as well!¡±
Qin Gui spat out inughter and said, ¡°Second Aunt, don¡¯t you worry, I will suffer anything but I won¡¯t suffer a loss!¡± She said, grinning. Then, she picked up a snack from the te next to her and smiled meaningfully.
¡°¡¡± Mrs. Su clutched her handkerchief and felt as if her broken teeth were starting to hurt again. This girl really is unpleasant!
¡°All right.¡± Madam Qin nced at Mrs. Su from the corner of her eye and said, ¡°Your sister-inw¡¯s things should be returned to the siblings, so go get them if I tell you to.¡±
Mrs. Su looked at Qin Xin, but seeing her silent, she felt a little reluctant, but she had no ce to object. Reluctantly, she ordered the maids to get the ounts.
So, Qin Zening and Qin Gui took the keys and the ount books and left.
When they left Ronghe Hall, Qin Zening said seriously, ¡°Little Sister, I¡¯ll have to trouble you to look through the ounts, see if anything is missing, then we can go back and ask for it together.¡±
Qin Zening was very unhappy that his mother¡¯s dowry had been misappropriated in secret, and he had no way to figure out how much of it exactly was lost. So, it was useless to say more now, so he held himself back.
Chapter 122 CFV Ch.122 Oustider (5)
Qin Gui nodded but she almost wanted to cry inside.
Sigh, she¡¯s already left the pce so why is she still unable to escape from these dastardly ounts!
The thought of having to wrestle with these devils for a few days left Qin Gui hanging her head in despair.
At this time, in Ronghe Hall, Madam Qin was lovinglyforting Qin Xin. ¡°Xin¡¯er, don¡¯t you worry. Your big brother is not an unreasonable person. I¡¯ve already told him that it¡¯s to supplement the household spendings. He won¡¯t pursue the matter.¡±
¡°No, it was me who didn¡¯t consider things properly. I should have reminded you earlier and taken the initiative to hand the books back to Gui¡¯er.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t me Grandmother.¡± Qin Xin pursed her delicate lips and smiled, saying thoughtfully, ¡°It was my fault for not thinking about it. Grandmother, Granddaughter will go back and settle the ount books first.¡±
Madam Qin nodded, so Qin Xin and Mrs. Su left together.
They were silent on the way out of Ronghe Hall. After they were out, Mrs. Su said, ¡°There are no issues with the ounts on your side, right?¡±
Qin Xin was a little distracted and only smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, mother.¡±
The two of them walked along a bluestone path while Mrs. Su stared at Qin Xin¡¯s profile for a while, eyes flickering.
The old madam is probably the only one who thinks of Qin Xin as a weak woman, but in fact, Qin Xin is more calcting than anyone else.
She must have thought that they had misappropriated the dowry because the household money was not enough, but only Mrs. Su and Qin Xin knew that it was just an excuse.
Mrs. Su stroked her sleeve and remembered what happened three years ago.
At that time, she loaned out the family¡¯s money, but the person ended up running, causing them a huge loss. For a moment, they weren¡¯t able to fill up the hole.
In order to make up for the gap in funds, she first thought of using Mrs. Wei¡¯s dowry. She originally thought that once she gets the money back in hand, then she could quietly top it back up and nobody would have to know.
But who knew that Qin Xin would discover it.
During that time, Mrs. Su was panicking and begged Qin Xin not to tell anyone, and she agreed. She even said that if she wanted her help, then she wanted 60% of the money.
Having no other choices, Mrs. Su agreed.
After that, by Mrs. Su¡¯s initiative, she asked Madam Qin to let Qin Xin learn how to do handle the ounts and also asked for her to take care of Mrs. Wei¡¯s dowry.
She was naive back then. Mrs. Su thought that Qin Xin wanted to save money for herself so she would not have to share Mrs. Wei¡¯s dowry with Qin Zening and Qin Zeyu.
But now that she thought about it again, Mrs. Su really wanted to p herself.
Qin Xin knew about her own background, that is why she wanted to prepare a way out for herself as soon as possible and secretly saved amassed her own wealth.
Mrs. Su¡¯s eyes were deep and her lips were pursed into a line.
She felt even more regretful of taking Qin Xin under her own name.
Wasn¡¯t she raising a tiger in her own home?!
But she couldn¡¯t get out of this anymore! Both she and Qin Xin were now tied to the same rope.
Mrs. Su gulped and her throat felt so dry it was unbearable. In a quiet voice, she said, ¡°Xin¡¯er, it¡¯s better if you pay more attention to this matter. Don¡¯t let that bastard girl catch ahold of your weakness.¡±
Qin Xin answered without much care. It only felt like Mrs. Su was nagging her.
Back then, she was overjoyed when she got the money, but when this trouble dropped onto her head, Mrs. Su was riddled with trouble.
Qin Xin clutched her handkerchief. If they were not forced to the point of no return, then she wouldn¡¯t have sold off Mrs. Wei¡¯s dowry.
In those three years, she never dared to move any of the things in the dowry. At most, she would fiddle with the ount books and move parts of the dowry¡¯s assets out, then give 40% of it to Mrs. Su. Still, she didn¡¯t save up more than two thousand silvers.
If Yuan Guang hadn¡¯t asked for so much this time and asked her to fork out 10,000 taels of silver in just five days, things wouldn¡¯t have toe to this!
Since the key to the treasure is in Madam Qin¡¯s hands, Qin Xin can only join together with Mrs. Su to make false ims of subsidizing for the household so that Mrs. Qin can take out some of the assets, then she had Shu Xiang¡¯s parents pawn it off.
Chapter 123 CFV Ch.123 Embezzlement (1)
¡°Xin¡¯er!¡± Seeing Qin Xin¡¯s perfunctory attitude, Mrs. Su raised her voice with an unhappy expression. ¡°Don¡¯t take this lightly! If word gets out, then it won¡¯t look good on you either!¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry, mother.¡± Qin Xin stopped walking. Putting away the impatient look on her face, she reassured Mrs. Su with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s good enough if Qin Gui can recognize a few words, but do you think she knows how to read the ounts?¡±
Father and mother never said that Qin Gui could read or write.
Her smile was calm and collected as she stood upright under a wintersweet tree.
Thinking about it, it did make sense. Thus Mrs. Su put her mind at ease. That¡¯s right, what would a country bumpkin know about reading?*
¡°Mother, if there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll leave first.¡± Qin Xin bowed and went off.
When she returned to the courtyard, Qin Xin ordered the servants to send all the ount books for the past three years to Qin Gui.
Two boxes of books were carried to Qin Gui¡¯s Wanxiang Court by four stout maids who then excused themselves.
When Qin Gui saw the boxes of books, she felt her head throbbing.
She took one of the books out of the first box, and after turning a few pages, the numbers in the books were already spinning in her eyes, spinning so much that she was seeing stars.
She threw the book back and said, ¡°Du Ruo, go to Big Brother¡¯s ce and ask him if he has a list of mother¡¯s dowry from back then.¡±
Du Ruo bent her knees and answered her. Very soon, she brought back Mrs. Wei¡¯s dowry list.
So, Qin Gui took the dowry list and the key to the treasure list, intending to start from there.
It took a full day for Qin Gui topare the dowry list and another three days to read through the ounts.
Fortunately, she had help from the all-amazing Du Ruo. Otherwise, it would have taken more than twice the time for her to finish all of this.
After finishing the dowry list and the ount books, Qin Gui went to see Qin Zening.
¡°Big Brother, not a lot is missing from the dowry list. Only about ten items. But the ounts of the past years are not correct. There is a difference of more than three thousand taels.¡±
Three thousand taels was no small number.
Mrs. Wei is the first daughter of the Wei family and she had a rich dowry. The stores, farms, fields, and other properties would make more than two thousand taels of revenue in a good year.
From the time Qin Xin took charge of the ounts, the profits were disastrous every year. The annual earnings were only a few hundred taels.
But the ounts were done beautifully well. Having learned a few days of bookkeeping from Empress Wei alone, she couldn¡¯t see much out of it, but she can at least read the general ledgers!
It was normal to have a bad crop for one year, but three years in a row? Is she taking her for a fool?
Or perhaps, did Qin Xin think that nobody would check the ounts?
¡°The things missing from the treasury are a jade bowl with gold cover and dish, a Li Suizhi plum blossom painting, one upper-grade century ginseng, a jade paperweight, a jasper carved seal, an azure-zed flower goblet, a gold ne with eight iid gems, as well as a gold and jade bracelet. Seven items in total.¡±
Three days ago, they found four of them in those pawn stores near the capital, but since Qin Zening¡¯s silver was not enough, he was unable to buy all of them back.
Qin Zeyu was sitting on the side, silent with his stubborn mouth pursed tightly.
These days, Qin Zening and Qin Gui did not hide anything from him no matter what they were doing. Even though they wouldn¡¯t exin everything to him, they would bring him along to see and hear about it.
Before, Qin Zeyu always grumbling loudly that it was probably the servants and nothing to do with Qin Xin, but he was particrly silent today.
Qin Gui took a look at the kid and said, ¡°Big Brother, before this Qin Xin only embezzled part of the proceeds, but now she took things out of the treasury to pawn. Qin Xin wouldn¡¯t have encountered any urgent need for silver, would she?¡±
And that was why Qin Xin had gotten so panicked that she even did something as lowly as to steal Mrs. Wei¡¯s dowry to sell.
Could it be¡
Qin Gui¡¯s eyes lit up and she said, ¡°Daoist Master Yunguang!¡±
Qin Zening narrowed his eyes as if in thought. Only Qin Zeyu looked confused, looking back and forth at his brother and sister. ¡°What? What happened with Daoist Master Yunguang?¡±
Chapter 124 CFV Ch.124 Embezzlement (2)
Qin Zening briefly exined to him the context, but it only confused Qin Zeyu.
Qin Zening¡¯s eyes were lit up. He said, ¡°Xiao Gui, what you said is possible!¡±
¡°Perhaps that demon Yunguan managed to catch hold of something to threaten Qin Xin with and demanded money from her. Qin Xin couldn¡¯t get the amount together and in a panic, could only pawn off some things to get the money.¡±
Qin Gui nodded. That is what she thought.
Bam!*
Qin Zening pped the dowry list heavily onto the table and scoffed. ¡°If she has such a big appetite to swallow that down, then have her spit it all out!¡±
Qin Gui silently sipped her tea and pondered for a moment.
Since Madam Qin has already settled the matter of Qin Xin stealing the dowry on the excuse of subsidizing the family¡¯s expenses, even if they pursue the matter openly, it would still be difficult for them to pin anything on Qin Xin. So, they might as well¡
A stream of light shed past Qin Gui¡¯s eyes.
¡°Big Brother, do you know when Yunguang will be exiled?¡± Qin Gui looked at Qin Zening with her clear eyes which were dense with eager excitement.
Qin Zening really had no idea, however.
Since Yunguan ndered his sister as a star of cmity doomed to a lonely life. Qin Zening had deliberately asked for someone to keep an eye on the progress of this case and immediately replied, ¡°In five days.¡±
¡°Good!¡±
Qin Gui¡¯s eyes brightened even more as if they were the brightest stars in the sky.
¡°Big Brother, aren¡¯t you familiar with the people from the Wardens¡¯ Offices of the Five Wards?¡± Qin Xin beckoned to Qin Zening with a sly smile. ¡°Could you ask them for a favor?¡±
¡°Hey¡¡±
Qin Zeyu who had been silent for a while couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore. He said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you guys afraid I¡¯ll go and tell on you?¡±
As soon as he said these words, he was rewarded with a hefty p on the head.
¡°Who are you thinking of telling?¡± Qin Zening sneered.
¡°I was just saying it! Really!¡± Qin Zeyu rubbed his head pitifully. Ever since Qin Gui¡Ever since Third Sister came back, his Big Brother has been bing more and more violent! This is not good!
Qin Zeyu pursed his lips, looking wronged.
He wouldn¡¯t snitch on them. He just wanted to see whether Third Sister will pay any attention to him.
Big Brother said that Second Sister has known of her identity since long ago but hid it all this while, allowing Third Sister to suffer in the Li family instead.
Big Brother also said that Second Sister bribed Daoist Master Yunguang to nder his Third Sister, calling her a star of cmity. In order to hide the matter, she had to sell his mother¡¯s dowry in order to bribe Yunguang further to hide the secret.
Big Brother said that Second Sister is not right-minded and helped his Second Aunt in ruining him with over-ttery¡
Qin Zheyu clenched his fists subconsciously.
The Second Sister in his eyes is not like this!
Second Sister is the one who treats him the best since he was young. When he was being punished to copy books by the teacher, his Second Sister would quietly help him with it. When he was being scolded by Grandmother, the one who spoke for him was also his Second Sister. Second Sister gave him anything he wanted and would even plead with Second Aunt for him, telling the ountant to give him some silvers.
Third Sister, however, would only beat and be mean to him.
Even though he should be angry, he did not know why, but he felt very aggrieved when his Third Sister ignored him. He wanted Third Sister to coax him better.
Qin Zeyu felt bored lying at the window, watching his brother and sister muttering in discussion. Then, his Big Brother left to do something. Soon, Third Sister left as well.
Then he was left there, all alone.
Sigh!
The naughty child sighed in boredom.
He was scared of being beaten so he didn¡¯t dare to slip out and y. He could only wander around the house and run from the turf all away to the small garden¡Then, he met Qin Xin.
Wearing a red cloak lined with rabbit fur, Qin Xin walked along a cobblestone path like a red plum in winter, elegant and beautiful.
¡°Second Sister!¡±
Qin Zeyu was overjoyed and ran over towards Qin Xin.
As the distance between the two grew closer, for some reason, he subtly felt as if there was an invisible barrier separating the two which made it hard for him to act as close with Qin Xin as usual.
Qin Xin stopped three or four steps away and put on a reluctant smile. ¡°Ah Yu, do you not recognize me as your big sister anymore?¡±
Chapter 125 CFV Ch.125 Embezzlement (3)
¡°No, of course I do!¡± Qin Zeyu hastily denied it and eagerly took another step forward.
Hearing this, Qin Xin breathed a sigh of relief. A gentle smile reappeared on her delicate face.
¡°Big Brother had some misunderstandings about me, so I didn¡¯t dare to look for you either. The maid told me earlier that you would be here, so I rushed over. Ah Yu, I brought you the cream-filled rolls you love so much. Come and have some.¡±
Then, she lifted up her cloak and brought out a box of treats.
When the box was opened, a tantalizingly sweet smell wafted out into the wind. The gold and crisp cream-filled pastry rolls were very tempting.
¡°Thank you, Second Sister!¡± Qin Zeyu thanked her and took a piece from the box.
¡°Ah Yu, you wouldn¡¯t have been so polite with me before.¡± Qin Xin put on a forced smile, a lightyer of mist covering her eyes. It seemed like tears were going to fall soon.
Qin Zeyu hurriedly said, ¡°No, Second Sister, it¡¯s not what you think¡¡±
Qin Xin wiped her tears with her handkerchief and smiled thoughtfully. ¡°I know you had no choice, otherwise you would get hit by your Third Sister again. Third Sister is also worried about you. It¡¯s just¡Sigh, don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯lle and see you quietly in the future.¡±
Qin Xin smiled as warmly and gently as always.
But in Qin Zeyu¡¯s eyes and ears, there was constantly something off about it that he couldn¡¯t put his finger on. It also felt as if the pastry treat in his mouth isn¡¯t as sweet and fragrant anymore.
Qin Xin affectionally pulled Qin Zeyu over to sit down in the gazebo at the side, chatting as usual, ¡°By the way, Ah Yu. What have you been busy withtely?¡±
Without even thinking about it, Qin Zeyu answered naturally, ¡°Organizing Mother¡¯s dowry with Big Brother and Third Sister.¡±
¡°It must be hard.¡± Qin Xin sat elegantly on the pavilion¡¯s bench, smiling. ¡°But it¡¯s good to have it all sorted out.¡±
¡°Yeah.¡± Qin Zeyu nodded his head.
Qin Xin observed him and said with perfectposure, ¡°To be able to sort everything out so quickly, Third Sister really is capable.¡±
¡°Of course not, Second Sister¡¡± Speaking halfway, Qin Zeyu suddenly stopped.
Second Sister wouldn¡¯t be testing him, is she?
Qin Zeyu had always trusted Qin Xinpletely since he was young and never felt suspicious of her. However, after being lectured by Qin Zening, he started to feel as if something was wrong when he heard Qin Xin say this.
¡°Ah Yu, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Qin Xin smiled and asked him in a warm voice.
¡°How would Qin Gui know how to look at the books? But Big Brother is still praising her to the skies!¡± Qin Zeyu¡¯s eyes shed and he scoffed. ¡°From what I can see, whether or not Qin Gui even knows how to read the word ¡®ounts¡¯ is questionable.¡±
¡°Big Brother ist aking fish eyes for pearls!¡±
¡°The books have been under your control the past few years so they¡¯re definitely correct. It¡¯s the same whether they look through it or not.¡±
Qin Zeyu put on the appearance of a no do-gooder, slouching around eating the pastries given to him by Qin Xin.
Qin Xin breathed a sigh of relief and thought to herself, sure enough, Qin Gui didn¡¯t see anything wrong!
She didn¡¯t suspect that Qin Zeyu would lie to her. Qin Zeyu had been close with him since he was a child, and he would follow behind her all day. Even Qin Zening can¡¯tpare with her rtionship with him, so how could one little Qin Gui ruin it?
The thought of Qin Zeyu recognizing her as his sister and not Qin Gui gave her a feeling of aplishment, and the corners of her lips curled up slightly at an angle where Qin Zeyu could not see.
¡°Ah Yu, your Third Sister has a bad temper so just follow along with her as much as you can.¡± Qin Xin softened her voice and said with concern.
¡°I know, don¡¯t worry, Second Sister!¡± Qin Zeyu shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s this time already. I have to head back now, Second Sister! I haven¡¯t finished the homework Big Brother assigned me yet.¡±
He jumped up nimbly and said, ¡°I¡¯ll be going, then!¡±
Then, he waved his hand and slipped off.
Qin Xin watched him leave and breathed a sigh of relief.
Sigh.
Qin Zeyu had been spoiled since he was young. How could he endure doing homework?
Actually, she knew that Second Aunt was spoiling Qin Zeyu on purpose to ruin him, but it seems now that since the marquis mansion was inherited by Second Uncle, it was normal for Second Aunt to be wary towards Qin Zeyu. After all, you can¡¯t be too safe.
Chapter 126 CFV Ch.126 Embezzlement (4)
A gleam shed past Qin Xin¡¯s eyes.
She was going to be relying on the marquis household in the future, so she should make sure that Second Uncle and Second Aunt are at ease with the main house. Anyway, the household dabbles in a lot of business. She also won¡¯t be treating Qin Zeyu badly in the future, so why would he need to work hard to ruin her future? Isn¡¯t it nice being a free and happy boy like he was now?
If it wasn¡¯t for Qin Gui suddenly returning, then Qin Zeyu really wouldn¡¯t have to work so hard.
After easing her mood, Qin Xin returned back to her own courtyard. The next few days were calm and uneventful. Qin Zening and Qin Gui didn¡¯t give her any more trouble with the dowry either.
Qin Xin could finally put her heart at ease.
But on this day, after apanying Madam Qin to lunch and returning to her courtyard, Shu Xiang came over in a hurry and said anxiously, ¡°Miss, this ve¡¯s mother came to see her just now and said she recently heard some rumors in the capital¡¡±
Qin Xin was reading a poem book and asked without much care, ¡°What rumors?¡±
Shu Xiang gulped and nced cautiously at her, saying, ¡°They said¡They said there is actually another master behind Daoist Master Yunguang¡¯s back, and that she is stirring up trouble in the capital to make a name for her master.¡±
¡°They also said that Daoist Master Yunguang¡¯s master was of noble status, that she¡¯s the young mistress of a noble family that was going to be big in the future.¡±
¡°When this ve¡¯s mother heard about it, she asked around, but no one knows where this news came from,¡± Shu Xiang said worriedly.
Bang!
Qin Xin¡¯s eyes widened slightly and the book fell out of her hands,nding on the ground.
She looked incredulously at Shu Xiang and said, ¡°Say that again!¡±
Shu Xiang hurriedly repeated herself and said, ¡°Miss, this ve¡¯s mother rushed over as soon as she heard the rumors and asked this ve to tell you no matter what.¡±
Qin Xin had asked Shu Xiang¡¯s parents to pawn off those things, so they only vaguely guessed that Qin Xin was in a pit of trouble that was also rted to Yunguang. So, as soon as they heard the rumor, Shu Xiang¡¯s mother immediately rushed over and asked for the girl and told her everything.
The blood suddenly drained from Qin Xin¡¯s face. She could hardly believe her ears.
Even though the rumors outside did not explicitly say that Qin Xin is the master behind Daoist Master Yunguang, she can be described as ¡°noble¡± and a ¡°young mistress¡± who will one day be ¡°big¡±¡these could all definitely be associated with her!
She had clearly given Yunguan ten thousand taels of silver, and Yunguang promised to keep the secret!
Qin Xin¡¯s chest was heaving uncontrobly and she couldn¡¯t help but raise her voice, asking Shu Xiang, ¡°Did you give the silver to him or not?¡±
Ten thousand taels was no small amount of money. Qin Xin herself should have headed over to Xuanqing Temple herself.
But since the Yunguang incident, Xuanqing Temple had been pushed into the limelight. With so many eyes outside, it may lead to unnecessary trouble if people find out that she went there.
So, after raising the ten thousand taels of silver, she had SHu Xiang head to Xuanqing Temple to hand the money to the person Yunguang mentioned. Could it be that Shu Xiang took the money? But she doesn¡¯t have the guts to do so, does she?
¡°I gave it to him, miss!¡± Shu Xiang immediately went down to her knees, face white as a sheet. She quickly said, ¡°This is such a big matter, how would this ve dare to be reckless!¡±
¡°Miss, this ve has been with you for so many years, she would never do anything against her mistress!¡±
¡°You have to believe this ve! this ve¡¯s deed of sale is still in Mistress¡¯s hands!¡±
Shu Xiang was shaking. To put it badly, the lives of her entire family are in Qin Xin¡¯s hands.
Qin Xin stared at Shu Xiang quietly for a moment and said, ¡°Get up. Of course I believe you.¡±
Shu Xianges from a whole family of ves that served the marquis for generations. She had no reason to betray her. Taking ten thousand steps back, even if she was moved by the money, then she would have fled long ago if she took it. How would she dare toe back to the marquis¡¯s mansion!
Was it Yunguang?
Yun Guang was trying to squeeze more out of her? And that is why she spread these rumors to scare her and make her bow down again?!
That¡¯s right, people are always greedy. They¡¯re all greedy snakes!
Chapter 127 CFV Ch.127 Embezzlement (5)
Qin Xin clenched her fists tightly and blue veins could be faintly seen from the back of them.
Shu Xiang was kneeling there silently, not moving a muscle.
¡°Shu Xiang.¡± Qin Xin thought for a moment and said deeply, ¡°Head over to Xuanqing Temple for me and ask that person, ask them what they want from me!¡±
Shu Xiang answered her and quickly hurried off.
Shu Xiang left the marquis¡¯s mansion and headed straight to Xuanqing Temple, saying there for a long time beforeing out and rushing back to the marquis¡¯s mansion.
She did not notice that two figures had alsoe out from behind a parasol tree not far away after she stepped out of Xuanqing Mountain.
¡°Pei Qi, thank you.¡± Qin Zening patted Pei Qi¡¯s shoulder with a smile.
The Wardens¡¯ Offices of the Five Wards had many eyes and ears everywhere. It was only by entrusting Pei Qi to have his men keep an eye on Shu Xiang were they able to sessfully follow her to this ce and also learned that she hade here to meet a man named Wang Sankun, who stayed at Xuanqing Temple long-term.
¡°It¡¯s nothing big.¡± Pei Qi swung the horsewhip in his hand yfully. ¡°Remember to buy me a drink someday.¡±
Pei Qi did not ask for the reason, he just kept an eye on the girl, so it wasn¡¯t a big deal.
Qin Zening easily agreed. After saying goodbye to Pei Qi, he headed into Xuanqing Temple himself.
The next day, Daoist Master Yunguang who was waiting to be exiled received a visitor.
The person who came to see her was a man.
The man was in his thirties, wearing a ck cotton robe. He had a square face beaten ck and blue, and one eye so swollen it could only be opened to a slit. he was in a terrible state.
It was Wang Sankun of Xuanqing Mountain.
¡°The silver has been robbed!¡±
His first words startled Daoist Master Yunguang so much that she jumped from the ground. She hurriedly grabbed the cell bars and asked, ¡°What did you say?!¡±
Wang Sankun said indignantly, ¡°Yesterday, the girl from Second Young Master Qin came to Xuanqing Temple to look for me and questioned why Second Young Mistress Qin was pushed out into the light even though she¡¯d already paid the silvers to be made a joke out of in the capital. Is aid I didn¡¯t do it, of course I couldn¡¯t say I did it!¡±
¡°The girl said Second Young Master Qin wouldn¡¯t just stop at that and left after that. Not long after, she found someone to beat me up, and even took away the silvers!¡±
Daoist Master Yunguang felt both angry and anxious. The fingers that were gripping the bars were already growing white. ¡°She took away all ten thousand taels?¡±
¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Wang Sankun said while pointing at his face, ¡°They even beat me into this!¡±
Daoist Master Yunguang¡¯s face turned ugly and her temper red up at once.
This ten thousand tael bank ticket was enough to buy her glory and wealth in the capital.
But even if she had these ten thousand taels, what kind of life can she lead in Lingnan, that ce where birds wouldn¡¯t even go to shit? And she had to always be on guard in case her silvers were snatched away.
Now, Qin Xin had actually gone back on her word and cut off her final straw!
Since she was going to give her a hard time, then she wouldn¡¯t let Qin Xin rest easy either!
A fire lit up in Daoist Master Yunguang¡¯s eyes. She shouted at the top of her voice, ¡°Guards! This poor daoist wants to see the Lord Mayor!¡±
¡°This poor daoist was forced by the Second Young Mistress of the Zhongyi Marquis¡¯ household! It was Qin Xin!¡±
¡°It was Qin Xin who asked this poor Daoist to make a show in front of the Empress Dowager¡¡±
¡°¡¡±
Yunguang¡¯s case had long been decided by the lord mayor and the case file was sent to Dali Temple. The nails have already been hammered into the coffin.
But Yunguang suddenly changed her confession on the eve of the exile, saying that the one behind it all was the future second princess consort.
This was truly a shocking matter. The lord mayor had no way of making a decision, much less hiding it. He could only go personally into the pce to report to the emperor.
That same day, someone came from the pce. Empress Wei had instructed Qin Xin toe into the pce.
The eunuch who delivered her announcement looked at Mrs. Su with a smile on his face. ¡°Marquess, pleasee with us.¡±
In the past, the eunuchs from the pce had all been very polite with them, but they were all vaguely emitting an unkindly attitude when speaking to them today.
Qin Xin wasn¡¯t the only one who felt this, madam Qin and Mrs. Su felt it too and they were all feeling panicked.
Chapter 128 CFV Ch.128 Serious Accusation (1)
Madam Qin shot a look at Granny Cui.
Granny Cui immediately understood and quietly stuffed a red envelope to the eunuch. ¡°Eunuch Wang¡¡±
However, Eunuch Wang raised his hand and casually stroked the sleeve, not epting her red envelope. So, Granny Cui could only put the red envelope away again.
The feeling of foreboding in the hearts of Madam Qin and Qin Xin grew stronger.
Eunuch Wang looked at Qin Gui on the other side and smiled much more sincerely, saying, ¡°Second Young Mistress Qin, Her Majesty the Empress invites you toe to the pce to y sometime.¡±
Naturally, Mrs. Su and Qin Xin did not dare to defy the empress¡¯s orders and not go, so after packing up a little, they left with Eunuch Wang.
Madam Qin felt panicked and afraid like a fly without the head. When she saw Qin Gui standing there, she thought of something and quickly said, ¡°Gui¡¯er, Her Majesty the Empress asked for your Second Aunt and Second Sister, but I¡¯m not sure what for. Could you go into the pce and ask about it?¡±
Madam Qin¡¯s face was a little stiff, but she was still putting on the airs of a senior and couldn¡¯t bring herself down to plead for Qin Gui¡¯s help.
Qin Gui agreed happily. Worried that she would go back on her word, Madam Qin quickly ordered someone to prepare a carriage.
After an hour, Qin Gui arrived at the pce gates. After passing her token, she was soon summoned by Empress Wei and was personally picked up by Xiao Kouzi, the little eunuch of Fengluan Pce.
As soon as Xiao Kouzi saw her, he reminded, ¡°The Empress Dowager is also in Fengluan Pce.¡±
As soon as she went through the door with Xiao Kouzi to the east side of Fengluan Pce, she saw Mrs. Su and Qin Xin kneeling side by side on the ground. Qin Xin was hanging her head and her back looked stiff as if she were frozen.
Empress Dowager Liu was really there, upying the top seat. No hint of joy nor anger could be seen on her wrinkled face. Even without saying a single word, her entire body was covered in a high and mighty aura.
Empress Wei was sitting gracefully at the bottom with a smile on her lips.
¡°Xiao Gui,e and have a seat.¡±
When Empress Dowager Liu saw Qin Gui, a gentle and loving smile immediately emerged on her graceful face, calling her over to sit down.
Qin Xin who was kneeling on the ground took a quick nce at Empress Dowager Liu and the hand hidden in her sleeve tightened. Her face was pale and the light in her eyes was changing.
She used to be the one who got Empress Dowager Liu¡¯s attention, but now it turned into Qin Gui!
Mrs. Su¡¯s face was equally unpleasant. She looked ashamed, annoyed, and afraid as if she had just been pped in the face.
Qin Gui walked towards Empress Dowager Liu with light steps, and when she walked past the kneeling Qin Xin, she didn¡¯t even spare her a nce as if she didn¡¯t even exist.
Qin Xin raised her eyes to see Qin Xin walking unhurriedly and at ease.
From her angle, Qin Xin¡¯s chin was slightly raised and she could see her delicate chin extend down to her elegant swan neck. Fair, youthful, and wless like the elegant flower of a jade hairpin in full bloom.
Qin Xin¡¯spupils shrank and she couldn¡¯t help but think of herst life.
In herst life, she¡¯d seen Qin Gui once, and it was the day when she was taken back to the marquis¡¯s mansion.
That day was the turning point of both their fates. Qin Gui had risen to the top and she had fallen to the dust.
It was Qin Gui who snatched everything from her!
Qin Xin¡¯s chest tightened and she looked at Qin Gui without blinking.
In her previous life, she had resigned herself to her fate. Who asked her mother to make the mistake first? She only considered herself to be paying for her mother¡¯s debt.
But the Gods were merciful and she was given a chance to start over again. Like a phoenix in nirvana, she was reborn in a fire!
From the moment she was reborn, she vowed that she would not resign herself to fate in this life, and that she wouldn¡¯t be trampled on like she was in her previous life!
She will definitely be able to get through this crisis, just like thest time¡
Qin Gui bowed to Empress Dowager Liu and Empress Wei before exining graciously, ¡°Empress Dowager, Auntie, Grandmother is worried about Second Aunt and Second Sister, so she asked me toe plead for their sakes.¡±
Empress Dowager Liu offered Qin Gui a seat and swept her gaze lightly at Mrs. Su and Qin Xin, shooting a nce at Empress Wei as a signal for her to continue the trial.
Empress Wei understood the empress dowager¡¯s meaning, so she looked once more to Qin Xin and questioned, ¡°Qin Xin, what else do you have to say!¡±
Chapter 129 CFV Ch.129 Serious Accusation (2)
Qin Xin¡¯s nails sunk deep into her tender palm. Raising her small face, she looked aggrieved at Empress Wei and defended herself, ¡°Your Majesty, please know that it was Daoist Master Yunguang who was talking nonsense! In order to reduce her charges, she pushed this me onto me and wronged me on purpose!¡±
These words were repeated many times since she came here.
But don¡¯t mention Empress Wei, even the Empress Dowager did not believe her.
Things happened so quickly that Qin Xin¡¯s mind was still in a disarray right now. She had no idea where things went wrong.
Yesterday, she asked Shu Xiang to find the man at Xuanqing Temple, and the man swore to the heavens that he had not been talking nonsense outside. They just want silver, so it would be no good to them if things get out of hand too. Even though Qin Xin believed his vow, she had no way about it at the moment and could only take things one step at a time.
But she didn¡¯t expect things to turn out like this in just one night. That fluke of a daoist Yunguang had taken her ten thousand taels and bitten her in the back!
Empress Wei shook her head and said disappointingly, ¡°Qin Xin, you have let me down too much.¡±
¡°You even colluded with a heretic like that Yunguang!¡±
¡°And you even got her to boast about your name and deceived the Empress Dowager.¡±
The evidence is already conclusive, what else do you have to argue?!
¡°You, wrongly used? Then tell us, why would Yunguang wrongly use you?!¡±
Empress Wei pped her palm on the table next to her, her expression cold and aura oppressive.
Empress Dowager Liu¡¯s face was dark behind her. Whenever she thought of how much she pampered Qin Xin in the past, it would feel as if she had eaten a mouthful of spoiled rice.
Mrs. Su¡¯s body on the bottom trembled. She felt that she was suffering from undeserved disaster, and it was all that girl Qin Xin¡¯s fault!
This girl¡¯s courage was simply too great. How dare she even collude with a heretical practitioner. No wonder Yunguang kept on praising Qin Xin for having good fortune, it was because of this!
Qin Xin bit her lower lip and felt even more afraid now, but she could only grit her teeth and deny it. ¡°Your Majesty, Empress Dowager, it was Daoist Master Yunguang who wronged me!¡±
No matter what she said, she kept on going back to the same thing, yet she couldn¡¯t say why Yunguang would want to frame her. She couldn¡¯t just say she gave her too little hush money, right?
Empress Wei stroked her sleeves elegantly. ¡°Since you won¡¯t admit it, then you can confront Yunguang at the public hall and be tried by the Lord Mayor.¡±
Qin Xin¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°!!!¡±
Empress Wei looked at Qin Xin who was kneeling on the ground and there was only disgust in her eyes.
She wanted to treat Qin Xin as her own daughter but she just wasn¡¯t able to feel close with her. Gradually, she gave up and just wanted to take good care of her as repayment for the souls of her sister and brother-inw in heaven.
It wasn¡¯t until Qin Gui appeared that she realized that the connection between bloodlines was such an amazing thing.
The blood of Zhao Aman and her horrible spouse flowed through Qin Xin¡¯s veins, so it¡¯s no wonder why both her character and her actions were so simr to them. Her actions werepletely inexcusable!
Qi Xin and Gu Jing had a marriage contract set by the emperor. For the sake of the royal family¡¯s face, Empress Dowager Liu instructed Empress Wei to have the trial in private so the people would not have to see this royal joke.
And for Empress Wei, she also took into ount Qin Zening, Qin Gui, and Qin Zeyu, the three siblings.
They shared the samest name and were cousins with Qin Xin.
If Qin Xin¡¯s scandal spreads in the capital, it would ruin the reputation of the Zhongyi Marquis and negatively affect all three of the siblings.
They haven¡¯t even been married yet so they couldn¡¯t let this vile Qin Xin ruin their future.
Especially not Qin Gui.
Qin Gui had a difficult life to begin with. Since she grew up away from home, it was inevitable that she would be looked at differently in the capital.
If not for Qin Xin dragging down Qin Gui, then even if she has this empress as her backer and to lead her in the right path, she still won¡¯t be able to control whether or not her husband would favor her.
So, Empress Wei did not reject Empress Dowager Liu¡¯s idea and had mentioned the lord mayor just now just to scare Qin Xin.
Qin Xin really did believe her and she did get scared.
She knew that Empress Wei had been sick of her since Qin Gui returned, and she also believed that Empress Wei could do it.
Chapter 130 CFV Ch.130 Serious Accusation (3)
Qin Xin¡¯s heart was in turmoil right now. She cannot be sent to the lord mayor. If she goes to public court and getstched onto by that mad dog Yunguang, then she would be done for! What¡¯s more, she would be theughingstock of the capital. Would she still be able to retain her position as Second Princess Consort then?!
Can the royal family tolerate an imperial consort with ws?!
Qin Xin¡¯s eyes flickered.
After weighing the possibilities, Qin Xin could only say in an evasive manner, ¡°Your Majesty, I did beg Daoist Master Yunguang once, but I only wished to please the Empress Dowager, so I asked Daoist Master Yunguang to say a few good words for me¡¡±
She blinked and ayer of wetness appeared in her eyes, making her look charming and beautiful.
When she blinked again, crystal teardrops even stained her longshes, like a delicate flower in a storm.
Qin Xin bit her lower lip and turned her eyes down. Voice lightly trembling, she said, ¡°Because Third Sister was back, I was scared that¡that¡¡±
Her voice was slightly choked and she couldn¡¯t continue anymore.
Just then, a ck-robed eunuch came in and reported, ¡°Your Majesty the Empress, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, His Highness the Second Prince requests an audience.¡±
Empress Dowager Liu said, ¡°Let him in.¡±
Empress Wei lifted her brows and slowly took a sip of hot tea.
She was not surprised that the Second Prince woulde as she was the one who told someone to leak the news.
Good timing!
The kneeling Qin Xin also thought that Gu Jing came at the right time. Her eyes widened again, but this time in surprise.
When Qin Xin blinked again, her eyes had instantly turned red and her delicate shoulders were trembling lightly, crystalline tears slipping down from the corner of her eyes, making her fair and petite face look pitiful.
¡°Your Majesty, I was wrong! I was just too scared, that¡¯s why I was blinded and did the wrong thing.¡±
¡°I know that His Majesty the Emperor betrothed me to His Highness the Second Prince because I am your niece, but now I¡¯m not anymore¡¡±
¡°With Third Sister back, I got scared, very scared¡¡±
Qin Xin was over herself in tears and her delicate body trembled even more, kneeling on the ground.
Second Prince Gu Jing saw this scene as soon as he entered the east hall and the anger in his heart disappeared instantly.
Instead, he felt pained for her.
Originally, Gu Jing was absolutely furious when he heard that Qin Xin was involved in the Yunguang case, but reason told him that with Qin Xin¡¯s character, she wouldn¡¯t have done it for nothing.
His Xin¡¯er was just so kind.
He still vividly remembered the year before when he was out on a trip and identally fell into the water. He could swim, but his robe happened to get tangled in the weeds and Qin Xin who happened to pass by went into the water to save him.
Before going into the water, Qin Xin had no idea that the person who fell into the water was him, but she still threw everything aside to jump into the water. How many women out there could do the same?
Others won¡¯t understand Qin Xin, but he did!
Gu Jing was worried that Empress Wei would wrong her here so he hurried over, but he came just in time to hear these words and his heart was stirred.
His Xin¡¯er only had him in her heart!
Gu Jing also knew that the reason why his father set up the marriage was because Xin¡¯er is the empress¡¯s niece, but he didn¡¯t care about her birth.
The person he wants to marry Xin¡¯er, and only her!
¡°Imperial Grandmother, Mother.¡± Gu Jing bowed to Empress Dowager Liu and Empress Wei. ¡°It¡¯s all because of that heretical daoist Yunguang, making things up in front of Imperial Grandmother. Xin¡¯er was just being used, so please investigate clearly!¡±
Qin Xin raised her little face to look at him with her teary eyes, filled with love and trust. This look of hers caused a strong desire to protect to arise from Gu Jing¡¯s heart.
As a man, how could he just watch his beloved woman suffer!
¡°Second Prince,¡± Queen Wei said lightly, ¡°I have already discussed with the Emperor. Qin Xin really is not a good match for you so just void the marriage. What do you think, Mother?¡±
Empress Dowager Liu nodded her head with dark eyes. However much she favored Qin Xin in the past, however much she felt disgusted with her now.
Even if Qin Xin¡¯s status was not good enough, it was fine as long as Jing¡¯er liked her.
But not only was she of low status, but she even colluded with that heretic Yunguang to deceive them. This was not something she could tolerate!
Qin Xin hung her head down again and her longshes trembled faintly. A look of resentment shed past her eyes and she gritted her teeth. ¡°I will obey¡¡±
She seemed to have used up all of her strength to speak thest three words and her entire person went limp.
Want to read ahead?Join Kittyjiu¡¯s patreon for $3 to ess 63advanced chapters of various novels
Chapter 131 CFV Ch.131 Serious Accusation (4)
¡°But I am not willing!¡± Gu Jing hurriedly stepped forward and kneeled down, holding Qin Xin¡¯s delicate body. ¡°Father has already agreed to the marriage and issued a holy decree. The word of the Son of Heaven is worth more than gold.¡±
¡°Your Highness.¡± Qin Xin looked at Gu Jing with her teary eyes, leaning softly on him.
Empress Dowager Liu¡¯s brows furrowed even tighter and a deep frown surfaced on her forehead.
Empress Wei was watching this scene calmly, picking up her teacup and taking a sip with a shallow smile on her face.
After the Yunguang incident, Empress Dowager Liu began to have doubts about the fortune Yunguang told about Qin Xin. If she really did not have a fortune of ¡°prosperous husband and child¡±, then how could her lowly servant bloodline match up to a prince?!
When Empress Dowager Liu learned that it was Qin Xin who bought the telling from Yunguang, she was so furious that she called straight for the marriage to be canceled.
But their marriage was set by the emperor and Empress Dowager Liu did not want her son to break his promise. So, she came to discuss with Queen Wei and thought why not change the candidate instead. They could marry Qin Gui to Gu Jing.
Empress Dowager Liu said that the emperor had decreed the marriage to be between the first daughter of the Qin family who now happens to be Qin Gui. So, if they reced her with Qin Gui, that would be the best way to set things right.
However, in Empress Wei¡¯s opinion, this was a bad idea!
Gu Jing is a prince and has the blood of the Liu family running in his veins. Empress Dowager Liu had always been partial to him and sees Gu Jing as good in every way. Now, she also thinks that Qin Gui was not bad and wanted to bring them together.
However, Empress Wei did not think so. How could Gu Jing be worthy of Qin Gui!
Her Xiao Gui deserved a much better husband.
Qin Gui was sitting behavingly on a chair at the side, smiling at Empress Wei and revealing her light dimples.
Empress Wei felt soothed when she saw her niece, heart warming up at once and eyes turning sharp.
With a man like Gu Jing, it would be better to just leave him to Qin Xin!
Qin Gui could read the look in Empress Wei¡¯s eyes.
She got up and bowed before saying righteously, ¡°Empress Dowager, naturally, this great sin that Second Sister hasmitted makes her not fit to be a princess consort. So, why don¡¯t I go back and convince Grandmother to have Second Uncle ask the emperor to break off this marriage?¡±
The emperor¡¯s reputation can only be preserved by having the Qin family take the initiative to break off the marriage contract on the grounds that Qin Xin¡¯s status was not worthy.
Qin Gui may be raised in the countryside, but in the end, the bloodline of the Wei and Qin families flowed in her veins, so her noble temperament was still worthy to match up to Jing¡¯er.
Empress Dowager Liu looked between Qin Gui and Gu Jing. The more she looked at the two, the more they seemed to match. She thought to herself. If it was this way, then naturally nobody would privately discuss about the emperor going back on his word.
Empress Dowager Liu felt that her thinking was correct and nodded her head.
Qin Xin¡¯s fists which were hidden beneath her sleeves clenched tightly and her gaze deepened.
She knew it, Qin Gui was jealous of her!
Qin Gui wanted to rece her!!
¡°Your Highness.¡± Qin Gui lifted up her small face and tears began to flow down her fair cheeks once again. Sobbing, she said, ¡°I¡¡±
Gu Jing¡¯s heart felt like it was being grabbed hard by an invisible hand. The pain of it was unbearable.
He raised his eyes to nce at Qin Gui to the right, strong disgustced deep underneath his eyes.
¡°I only wish to marry Qin Xin! Begging Grandmother to allow this!¡± Gu Jing said with a firm expression to Empress Dowager Liu. Imperial Grandmother should not be deceived!¡±
Gu Jing did not beg Empress Wei since he felt that she was the one who nned all this. Empress Wei was trying to break them up on purpose and shove Qin Gui onto him!
And so he chose to plead with Empress Dowager Liu instead.
Gu Jing was trying to tell Empress Dowager Liu not to listen to Empress Wei, but in Empress Dowager Liu¡¯s ears, it sounded as if he was ming her.
¡°Jing¡¯er, think over this clearly! Not only did Qin Xin collude with Yunguang to spread her name in the capital, she even let Yunguang boast in front of me about her good fortune, that she would bring good luck to her husband and child. Such an ambitious woman has no right to marry into the royal family!¡±
Empress Dowager Liu looked at Gu Jing with a disappointed face.
She thought that she spoiled her grandson the most and treated her even better than Zhen¡¯er, but instead, he disobeyed her for a woman covered in lies!
Chapter 132 CFV Ch.132 Serious Accusation (5)
Gu Jing embraced the trembling woman in his arms and said without hesitation. ¡°Grandma, the only person Grandson wants to marry is Xin¡¯er.¡±
¡°Begging Imperial Grandmother to please fulfill this wish!¡±
He secretly sighed in his heart. Empress Wei must be sowing discord between them to have created such a deep prejudice in his Imperial Grandmother towards Xin¡¯er. After a few days, he will try and speak well of her to his Imperial Grandmother again and coax her better.
Empress Dowager Liu, ¡°¡¡±
Qin Gui was watching the show idly at the side. The only thing missing now was a te of sunflower seeds.
So, the deep feelings between the male and female leads are a match made in heaven and not something that just anyone can break up.
Empress Dowager Liu looked at Gu Jing and asked in disgust. ¡°Gu Jing, are you so enchanted by this lowly woman that you won¡¯t even listen to me anymore?¡±
Gu Jing touched his forehead to the ground and still repeated the same words. ¡°Begging Imperial Grandmother to please fulfill this wish!¡±
Gu Jing who was on the ground did not get to see the extreme disappointment in Empress Dowager Liu¡¯s eyes.
¡°Then make her your concubine.¡± The corners of Empress Dowager Liu¡¯s lips turned down and she made a final decision. ¡°After some days, just carry her directly to your pce.¡±
With that, Empress Dowager Liu stood up and sighed. ¡°I¡¯m tired. I will trouble the rest to the empress. The face of the royal family must not be lost.¡±
Empress Dowager Liu nced coldly at Gu JIng, then she left with a wave of her sleeves.
Since the Sixth Prince was still young and weak, Empress Dowager Liu had always preferred making Gu Jing the crown prince. But now Empress Dowager Liu felt that her decision was wrong. How could the future emperor of the great Qi dynasty be so brainless!
Empress Wei looked at Gu Jing and Qin Xin who were still kneeling on the ground and said, ¡°Since the Empress Dowager has spoken, then I will discuss this wish with the emperor.¡±
To be a concubine?! Qin Xin¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief and her body was shaking faintly.
Not because she was sad, but because she felt wronged.
She was clearly supposed to be the Second Prince Consort, but now, with just one simple sentence from Empress Dowager Liu, she had been demoted from consort to a lowly concubine!
In front of the royal family, her dignity was worth as little as an ant. Nobody cares whether she was willing to ept this or not!
Mrs. Su was even more shocked. Qin Xin had gone from being the primary consort to a concubine, and even one without a title! Wouldn¡¯t that mean that she wasn¡¯t even worth being a side consort?
¡°Your Majesty¡this is not in ordance with the rules.¡± Mrs. Su said with a trembling voice.
How could she be demoted into a concubine before she was even officially married?! Even after the marriage, you can¡¯t just casually demote the wife into a concubine¡How could the Qin family afford this!
Empress Wei put her cup down elegantly and ignored her. Smiling, she asked Gu Jing. ¡°What do you think, Second Prince?¡±
Qin Xin had alsoe back to her senses at this moment. She looked at Gu Jing with teary eyes and a soft expression, still holding to onest shred of hope.
However, Gu Jing only thought that Qin Xin was rejoicing over being able to stay with him and immediately responded with joy. ¡°Many thanks to Mother for fulfilling this wish!¡±
Qin Xin, ¡°¡¡±
Qin Xin¡¯s cherry blossom lips parted slightly as if she just heard her heart cracking.
Gu Jing lowered his head slightly and looked at Qin Xin in his arms filled with pity.
He knows that his Xin¡¯er loved him sincerely.
Xin¡¯er told him that she didn¡¯t care about anything else as long as they could be together. She could give up anything. So, Xin¡¯er wouldn¡¯t mind being a concubine.
Anyway, he only had her in his heart and that was enough!
Qin Xin, ¡°¡¡±
¡°Qin Xin.¡± Empress Wei did not even bother looking at them and went straight to the point. ¡°Yunguang confessed that you took out ten thousand taels of silver to seal her mouth. Where did you get this money from?!¡±
Qin Xin¡¯s already miserably pale face had turned even paler, forcing back the upset in her heart.
She still hadn¡¯t recovered from the fall of going from consort to a lowly concubine.
The difference between an imperial consort and a nameless concubine was like heaven and hell. Who would still pay her any heed in the future, and how could she face her friends in the capital?
¡°Auntie, I know this.¡± Qin Gui answered like a student answering the teacher¡¯s question in ss. ¡°Second Sister misappropriated Mother¡¯s dowry and there are ounts to prove it.¡±
The moment these words came out, Mrs. Su and Qin Xin turned their heads to stare at her at once, eyes widening.
Chapter 133 CFV Ch.133 Terrified (1)
First, Mrs. Su was shocked. Then, she was afraid.
She was shocked that Qin Gui was actually able to discover a problem with the ount books.
And, afraid because Qin Gui had told the empress about it!
She could feel a lump gather at her throat. This Qin Gui is still so irritating! Doesn¡¯t she know what it means to keep the family scandal to herself?!
¡°So that¡¯s how it is,¡± Empress Wei answered in an indifferent tone. ¡°But this is the Qin family¡¯s domestic affairs so I will not ask further.¡±
Mrs. Su breathed a sigh of relief.
Her heart had been going up and down today. It almost felt like she was going to have a heart attack. But before she could settle her heart down, she saw Empress Wei turning to look at her.
¡°Madam Marquess, your daughter¡¯s character iscking and it is your duty to right it. Go back and educate your daughter well.¡±
¡°If you can¡¯t do it properly, then you shouldn¡¯t be a marquess anymore.¡±
Mrs. Su¡¯s heart plummeted from Empress Wei¡¯s words and her pupils shrank. She was terrified.
When Empress Wei turned back to Qin Gui, she was all smiles again. ¡°Xiao Gui, your mother¡¯s dowry belongs to you and your two siblings. No one else can touch it. If the Qin family does not handle this matter fairly, then please don¡¯t me me if I make a move.¡±
¡°To dare touch even the dowry of a Wei family daughter, the Qin family really has got guts!¡±
The words were actually meant for Mrs. Su¡¯s ears, whose face became ugly again.
That¡¯s right, the Wei family. The legal daughter of the Wei family¡¯s main branch, sister of the empress!
This matter will not look good on them.
Empress Wei patted the back of Qin Gui¡¯s hand tenderly and said, ¡°Xiao Gui, you should head back first. Come back to the pce tomorrow.¡±
Mrs. Su was feeling even more panicked now. Empress Wei clearly meant that she was waiting for the results from the Qin family.
Mrs. Su tried to shoot a look at Qin Gui with her eyes to get her to stop, but Qin Gui didn¡¯t even look at her. She happily nodded to the empress and said meaningfully, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Auntie. Grandmother will definitely deal with the matter impartially.¡±
¡°¡¡± Qin Xin¡¯s heart was a mess and she could no longer think.
After that, Empress Wei sent them back.
Grief-stricken, Mrs. Su took Qin Gui and Qin Xin back to the marquis¡¯ mansion.
Madam Qin had been waiting anxiously in Ronghe Hall for a long time. Qin Zeyu was also there.
Seeing them return, Madam Qin hurriedly asked, ¡°How is it? What exactly happened?¡±
¡°Grandma!¡± Qin Xin shed tears before she evens poke. Aggrieved, she flung herself into Madam Qin¡¯s arms, which made Madam Qin feel heartbroken.
¡°What happened?¡± Madam Qin scolded Mrs. Su. ¡°Peiyao, really. As a mother, why didn¡¯t you protect this child?¡±
Other than the three years she suffered in exile, Mrs. Su lived a pampered life. After kneeling in Fengluan Pce for so long and being nagged by Madam Qin as soon as she was back, she felt a ball of fury rising up inside of her.
Mrs. Su said blurted impatiently, ¡°Mother, why don¡¯t you ask her what good things she¡¯s done? Qin Xin bribed Yunguang to boast about her good fortune in front of the Empress Dowager, and now that Yunguang has confessed, the Empress Dowager is furious and reduced her to a mere concubine!¡±
This was the first time Mrs. Su had called Qin Xin by her name, so the displeasure she felt was evident.
¡°She¡¯ll be no more than a lowly concubine from now on! Let her cry, see if she still has the nerves to cry!¡± Mrs. Su let it all out but she still didn¡¯t feel good at all. Instead, she felt even more stifled.
Right now, Qin Xin was recognized as her daughter, and she has be a nameless concubine. Would her own daughter be able to find a good marriage after this?!
Mrs. Qin was stunned and said in disbelief, ¡°How can this be! Xin¡¯er was named Second Princess Consort by holy decree! How can she be reduced to a concubine?¡±
Madam Qin waspletely dumbfounded. She couldn¡¯t believe her ears.
¡°Xin¡¯er, tell Grandmother. Is this true?¡±
Qin Xin¡¯s face turned red with shame, then annoyance and hatred. She hated that Mrs. Su wouldn¡¯t even give her any face. They haven¡¯t even sent out the servants in Ronghe Hall yet!
Now, everyone in the whole house will know that she was reduced to a lowly concubine! Once again, her dignity was trampled underfoot!
What will the servants think of her now?
What will the nobledies in the capital think of her in the future¡
Was she really going to be a lowly concubine in the future, kneeling down to the Second Prince¡¯s consort?
As soon as she thought of such a future, she felt overwhelmed and terrified.
Chapter 134 CFV Ch.134 Terrified (2)
Since being reborn, she has not been without setbacks. However, she was able to clear those obstacles each time and turn them into sesses.
It was only after Qin Gui appeared that everything went wrong for her. Qin Gui really was her star of cmity¡
She listened in a daze as Mrs. Su told Madam Qin everything about what happened in the pce, then watched as Madam Qin¡¯s gaze switched from heartache to disappointment.
¡°Grandmother,¡± Qin Xin got on her knees and knelt down beside Madam Qin, muttering, ¡°I was wrong¡¡±
She clung onto Madam Qin¡¯s knees and looked nkly at her.
Madam Qin looked at Qin Xin and remembered when she identally broke a vase as a child, she also looked at her like this, and she could not help but feel soft.
Madam Qin let out a long sigh and reached out to touch the top of her hair, mixed feelings gushing in her heart.
¡°Let¡¯s put this matter aside for now, Grandma.¡± Qin Gui interrupted their loving moment. ¡°I think that we should settle my mother¡¯s dowry first so that I can exin to the empress tomorrow.¡±
¡°Dowry?¡± Madam Qin came back to her senses and asked, frowning, ¡°What about the dowry?¡±
Qin Xin¡¯s heart jumped and she quickly said, ¡°Grandmother, I¡¡±
Qin Gui knew that Madam Qin was soft-hearted so she did not n on giving Qin Xin any chance to argue, much less wasting time on the matter. She interrupted her directly and said, ¡°Grandmother, Yunguang confessed that Second Sister gave her ten thousand taels to seal her mouth.¡±
¡°Grandmother, you said previously that the dowry was misappropriated by Second Sister so as to subsidize the household spendings, so where did she get the ten thousand taels from?¡±
¡°There are seven items missing from the treasure, namely a jade bowl with a gold lid and dish, a Li Shuizhi plum blossom painting, one century ginseng, a jade paperweight, a jasper seal, an azure-zed flower goblet, a golden ne with eight iid treasures, and a gold and jade bracelet. The total value of these objects amounts to about four thousand taels. Does the household require this much silver to subsidize it?¡±
Qin Gui stroked her sleeve and said, ¡°Grandmother, if it is only to subsidize the family spendings, then Granddaughter won¡¯t say anything about it. After all, us three siblings are using the family¡¯s money as well, so we can ept it even if we had to subsidize more for the household.¡±
¡°But if my mother¡¯s dowry was used to seal Yunguang¡¯s mouth, then Granddaughter will have to argue about this matter.¡±
¡°Am I right, Second Sister?¡±
Qin Gui looked condescendingly at Qin Xin. That look was hateful enough to make Qin Xin bite her lip hard.
Madam Qin slowly lowered the hand that was stroking the top of Qin Xin¡¯s hair.
She looked at Qin Xin in a daze, and with some difficulty, forced her voice through the gaps of her teeth, ¡°Is it true what your Third Sister said?¡±
¡°Grandmother¡¡± Qin Xin¡¯s heart went cold with fear.
SHe could not lose the protection of her grandmother again, otherwise, she would only suffer even more difficulties in the marquis¡¯ household.
Qin Xin knew that Qin Gui had the upper hand now, so she couldn¡¯t argue this.
Qin Xin knelt on the ground and began sobbing, ¡°Grandmother, it¡¯s all Granddaughter¡¯s fault! Granddaughter was the one who was blinded by foolishness and asked Yunguang to speak for her sake in front of the empress dowager. Granddaughter also gave ten thousand taels of silver to keep her mouth shut. It was Granddaughter who lied to Grandmother.¡±
Qin Xin was only focused on Madam Qin andpletely ignored that Qin Zeyu, who was sitting at the side, was looking expressionlessly at her, dark pupils filled with disappointment.
Qin Zeyu finally believed that what his Big Brother said was true. It was Second Brother who bribed Yunguang to nder his Third Sister as a cmitous star and even sealed her mouth with money she¡¯d stolen from Mother¡¯s dowry.
It was Second Sister who lied to him.
Qin Zeyu¡¯s lips were tightly pursed. He forced himself to remain seated and to watch with his own eyes, listen with his own ears!
¡°Grandmother, it¡¯s more than that!¡±
Qin Gui¡¯s voice drew Qin Zeyu to look at her. Qin Gui stood elegantly with her hands down, calm and rxed, smiling lightly as if the girl who was chasing him with the scabbard was apletely different person.
Qin Zeyu¡¯s eyes drifted off for a moment and he suddenly felt a vague pain in his back where he was beaten by Qin Gui. A hint of grievance surfaced in his heart. Third Sister really beat him too hard!
Qin Gui was still talking. ¡°In addition to the items pawned from the treasury, when I checked the ounts, I found that in the past three years, there was a shortfall of a total of about six thousand taels of silver.¡±
Six thousand taels?! Mrs. Su was shocked. This damned girl actually dared to trick her!
Chapter 135 CFV Ch.135 Terrified (3)
They agreed to split the silver four and six, but she only received 1,500 taels of silver in the past three years! How dare Qin Xin secretly swallow that much!
Qin Xin was dumbfounded.
What six thousand taels?!
The total amount was only 3,900 taels, and she only got 60% of it!
Qin Xin looked subconsciously at Qin Gui, wanting to ask whether she really checked out the ounts or not. Otherwise, how dare she make things up!
Qin Gui looked down at Qin Xin and calmly met her eyes, corners of her lips curving up at an angle where neither Madam Qin or Mrs. Su could see.
She didn¡¯t work out the numbers properly, and so what?!
That doesn¡¯t stop her from saying the number anyway. Anyway, it was fine as long as she didn¡¯t go under!
¡°Xin¡¯er, speak up for yourself! Speak!¡± Madam Qin looked at Qin Xin with disappointment and her heart sank a little further.
Qin Xin¡¯s shoulders were trembling slightly. Gritting her teeth, she admitted it. ¡°Yes, but Grandmother, I only took 3,900 taels of silver!¡±
Qin Gui did not argue with Qin Xin but instead looked to Madam Qin and asked.
¡°Grandmother, do you believe me, or do you believe Second Sister?¡±
This was the second time Qin Gui had asked Madam Qin this question.
Last time, Madam Qin did not hesitate to choose Qin Xin, whom she raised by her side. But this time, Madam Qin thought of the disappointments Qin Xin had been bringing her over and over again.
Qin Gui did not care about Madam Qin¡¯s answer. She went on, ¡°From the ounts, the silvers were misappropriated from three years ago, and the dowry book has been in Second Sister¡¯s hands this whole time. However, the retrieval token was in Second Aunt¡¯s hands. Every year, it is Second Aunt who received the proceeds from the farm, store, and fields each year. Was Second Aunt aware of this matter?¡±
Qin Gui raised a brow and looked at Mrs. Su.
¡°It was second¡Mother.¡± Qin Xin seemed to have caught a silver lining and quickly said, ¡°Grandmother, it was Mother who forced me to do this! Big Brother was still in the army at the time and had not yet returned. Both Ah Yu and I had to live under Mother¡¯s care, I was forced into it!¡±
¡°Qin Xin!¡± The veins on the back of Mrs. Su¡¯s hands were popping She could almost settle for murdering Qin Xin at this moment. ¡°You shameless little¡¡±
¡°Mother,¡± Qin Xin quickly interrupted Mrs. Su and looked at her helplessly. ¡°Just admit it! When I first found the deficit in the ounts, I went to you and advised you to fill in the gap, but you¡¡±
Qin Xin had only spoken halfway, but it was enough to evoke thoughts in people. Madam Qin narrowed her eyes at Mrs. Su.
Mrs. Su was panicked. Qin Xin¡¯s words were only half-true, but does she mean to imply that if she didn¡¯t admit it, then she was going to expose the fact that she loaned the family¡¯s money to someone else for a profit?
The court strictly forbids unlicensed moneylending. If they bring this to the emperor, then it would be difficult to say if the marquis could even keep his title! The main family has always coveted the title. In case they catch hold of this weakness, then¡
Mrs. Su quickly weighed the situation in her mind. She clearly had no choice.
¡°Yes¡It was Daughter-in-Law¡¯s fault. It was this Daughter-in-Law who had gotten greedy.¡± Mrs. Su clenched her fists hard underneath her sleeves and turned her head. ¡°This Daughter-in-Law will definitely make up for the lost silvers.¡±
Mrs. Su¡¯s heart was dripping blood.
Six thousand taels! She had only received a total of fifteen hundred taels, yet she had to take out a whole six thousand taels!!
Qin Gui noticed the looks exchanged between Qin Xin and Mrs. Su could her own brows were raised.
Seems like Qin Xin was holding something against Mrs. Su that she was even willing to take the fall for six thousand taels.
Qin Gui¡¯s eyes were sparkling. It seems like she¡¯s made a fortune this time.
¡°¡¡± Madam Qin¡¯s face was pale and it felt like her chest was being crushed. She could feel all her blood rushing to the top of her head.
Raising her hand to clutch her chest, her body swayed. Granny Ning quickly hurried over to soothe her.
¡°Kneel down!¡±
Madan Qin bellowed angrily, and Mrs. Su kneeled down immediately.
¡°Grandma, take a breath first,¡± Qin Gui said with little sincerity.
She could see that Madam Qin was indeed angry, but things were only half true at this moment. They just wanted to get her to back down.
But for the sake of the six thousand taels, she couldn¡¯t back down!
So, Qin Gui said sincerely, ¡°There¡¯s no need to panic, we¡¯re a family anyway. As long as Second Aunt and Second Sister repay the six thousand taels, it¡¯ll be fine. It¡¯s not like I could report them to the officials.¡±
Chapter 136 CFV Ch.136 Terrified (4)
The implication of this statement was that if the silvers were not returned, then she could report this to the government.
Madam Qin took a deep breath.
She knew that Qin Gui did not have a deep fondness for the family.
But it did make sense. Other than Gu Zening, who in the Qin family had been treating her well since she returned?
So, she wouldn¡¯t be thinking about the reputation of the Qin family at all¡
Just like she unveiled the truth of Qin Xin¡¯s background publicly in the Shenghua Pavilion, she may really report this matter to the government. If things go badly, the entire Qin family would be theughingstock of the capital!
Even if she doesn¡¯t report it to the government, there¡¯s still the empress!
¡°Peiyao,¡± Madam Qin called out to Mrs. Su while exerting almost all of her strength. ¡°Return six thousand taels to the main family by today.¡±
¡°Also, the things that Qin Xin pawned away. They should amount to four thousand taels. Return that to the main house as well.¡±
¡°Mother!¡± Mrs. Su was shocked and said indignantly. ¡°Why should Daughter-in-Law return the things that Qin Xin pawned?!¡±
¡°Qin Xin is your daughter now!¡± Madam Qin said in a cold tone that was not to be questioned.
Mrs. Su, ¡°¡¡±
She clenched her teeth hard and her eyes were almost bursting with ferocity. She just wanted to swallow Qin Xin down right now.
Ten thousand taels, where was she going to get ten thousand taels of silver?!
¡°Xin¡¯er, as well as you¡¡± In the face of Qin Xin¡¯s pitiful eyes, Madam Qin hardened herself and said, ¡°Servants, administer the punishment.¡±
A maid immediately heeded the order and went.
¡°Grandmother!¡± Qin Xin shouted. Does her Grandmother no longer love her just because she had be a concubine?!
Madam Qin averted her eyes and lowered her gaze, slowly twirling the string of rosewood Buddhist pearls around her wrist with a solemn expression.
If Qin Xin has done wrong, then she must punish her. If she doesn¡¯t punish her, then she won¡¯t remember this lesson.
Qin Xin¡¯s heart turned even colder, and a rapid chill was spreading throughout all her limbs. In her previous life, who knows how many times she had been beaten at Lingnan Penal Colony.
There, criminals like them were the most looked down upon that everyone could step on. Once, because she walked a little too slow, she was almost beaten to death¡
After being reborn, she said she would never let herself get into that situation again, but the nightmare from her previous life actually came true again!
Qin Xin¡¯s face was white as a sheet without any traces of blood. She just watched as the maid came over with a ruler that was three fingers wide and about 50 centimeters long.
Qin Zeyu watched in astonishment as the maid handed the ruler to Grandma Ning and suddenly noticed that Xin Gui was looking at the ruler. He began to panic inside, Third Sister wouldn¡¯t be thinking of having a go too, right?
The ruler was a whole centimeter and a half thick. It would probably hurt as much as Big Brother¡¯s scabbard!
Qin Zeyu jumped up from the chair at once and shouted, ¡°Grandmother, I have something to do!¡± Then, he slipped away.
At the same time, Granny Ning raised the ruler up high¡
¡°Pa!¡±
The crisp sound of the ruler hitting her back clearly prated Qin Xin¡¯s ears.
She felt a searing pain in her back.
It wasn¡¯t just the pain of her flesh, but a pain that went all the way to her soul¡
Qin Xin bit her lower lip and twisted her hands tightly together to the point where the flesh was distorted in order to keep her tears from falling.
¡°Pa! Pa! Pa!¡±
The ruler struck her again and again.
Each blow was like a knife to her body, hurting unbearably.
She was suffering, but her grandmother just looked on coldly, and her little brother just abandoned her like a slipper kicked to the side¡
Are these people really her family?!
In their eyes, the only thing they have is this so-called bloodline. Even if she treats them with sincerity, the truth of the matter told her now that she was too naive!
She was beaten painfully, but her heart hurt even more!
Granny Ning counted each strike, and only stopped after a full fifty.
Only then did Madam Qin open her eyes and said, ¡°Xin¡¯er, go and kneel in front of Buddha for three days and reflect on yourself.¡±
Qin Xin had to use almost all of her strength to keep herself from losing control, forcing down all the negative emotions in her heart and kowtowing obediently. ¡°Grandmother, Granddaughter knows that she was wrong.¡±
Madam Qin looked at Qin Xin with a relieved face, but she did not see the darkness that shed past her eyes the moment her forehead hit the ground.
Chapter 137 CFV Ch.137 Terrified (5)
Both Qin Xin and Granny Ning excused themselves. Feeling exhausted, Madam Qin raised her hand to excuse Mrs. Su and Qin Gui as well.
As soon as Qin Gui left Ronghe Hall, she saw a small maid with a familiar face standing there. The maid went up to her and reported, ¡°Third Young Mistress, the Young Master has returned and asked you to see him at Yijia Court.¡±
Qin Gui went with the little maid to Yijia Court¡¯s front yard to look for Qin Zening.
In order to make it easier to watch after Qin Zeyu, Qin Zening moved to Qin Zeyu¡¯s Yijia Court three days ago to live with him.
¡°Xiao Gui, keep this.¡±
As soon as they saw each other, Qin Zening handed Qin Gui a bank ticket worth ten thousand taels.
Previously, Qin Zening had deliberately asked someone to spread the rumors about Qin Xin in front of Shu Xiang¡¯s parents so he could lead the snake out of the cave. Sure enough, Shu Xiang went to Xuanqing Temple after that to look for their aplices. Then, Qin Zening borrowed Qin Xin¡¯s name to give that man a beating and robbed him of the bills.
Qin Gui did not take it and instead shoved the money back to Qin Zening.
¡°Big Brother, take this and buy back those things fromst time. Besides, you still owe Sir Pei Qi some silvers!¡± Qin Gui was talking about the silver that Qin Zening borrowed from Pei Qi when he didn¡¯t have enough money to buy back the few things from the pawnshopst time.
¡°¡¡± Qin Zeyu looked at his brother and sister and couldn¡¯t muster a single word.
This boy had always been the type to talk a lot, but his unusual silence inevitably drew the attention of his siblings. The two of them exchanged silent nces. They both knew that this young brat had received too great of a shock today.
Qin Gui, ¡°Big Brother, hasn¡¯t Ah Yu¡¯s attendants and pages returned yet?¡±
Qin Zening nodded his head.
Qin Zeyu looked listless, leaningzily back on his chair and saying in a bad mood, ¡°Young Master is so fast, but those people are constantly dawdling. Simply as slow as snails¡¡±
Halfway through, Qin Gui nonchntly rewarded him with a smack on the head. ¡°Who¡¯s the young master?¡±
Qin Zeyu rubbed his head and changed his tune. ¡°Big Sister!¡±
Since she was his young master, then that was fine!
Qin Gui looked at this unreliable brat and proposed, ¡°Big Brother, these people were arranged by Second Aunt. Why don¡¯t we change them?¡±
Qin Zening immediately agreed. ¡°I¡¯ll personally pick out some kids for this brat soon.¡±
Qin Zeyu who was leaning back on his chair jumped up and objected. ¡°Big Brother, I don¡¯t wanna!¡±
¡°Bao Yan and Xiao Dao have been with me for so long and are used to my habits already. It¡¯s so inconvenient to change!¡±
¡°How would a recement be as clever as them? They¡¯ll have everything properly arranged for me as soon as I arrive. Everything that¡¯s tasty and fun to¡Ouch!¡±
Qin Zeyu was trying to praise his attendants, but as a result of his carelessness, he ended up receiving another smack on the head instead.
This time, it was Qin Zening who hit him.
¡°Are your two attendants ying around with you all day long?¡± Qin Zening said in a bad mood. ¡°And what sort of ¡®fun¡¯ ces have they brought you to?¡±
Qin Zening increased the volume of his voice when he said the words ¡°fun¡±.
Qin Zeyu averted his gaze sheepishly, only to meet Qin Gui¡¯s smiling gaze.
Qin Gui pursed her lips and smiled, but that smile only served to chill Qin Zeyu¡¯s heart and scare him.
His sister is really scary!!
Qin Zeyu scratched his nose and said. ¡°Just wine houses, opera troupes, gambling houses¡Big Brother, I just went to the gambling house to take a look! I did not gamble!¡±
He was afraid that Qin Zening would not believe him and added, ¡°Really!¡±
¡°I think it¡¯s better if we hurry and move away,¡± Qin Zening¡¯s words were cold.
He just wouldn¡¯t believe that Second Uncle knew nothing about Mrs. Su spoiling Qin Zeyu silly!
Though he said so, it was difficult to split up the family.
Their grandmother was still alive. As the younger generation, they had an obligation to fulfill their filial piety.
Moreover, since Second Uncle was the one who inherited the title, he will not agree to split the family for the sake of his own reputation.
What¡¯s more, the marquis upies the most prosperous branch of the Qin family, so the n will definitely side with Second Uncle. It was simply impossible for them to ask to leave.
Qin Gui smiled. ¡°It¡¯s not appropriate for Big Brother to mention it, so better let Second Uncle do it.¡±
A radiant smile was beaming on her delicate little face, along with a few hints of slyness and cleverness.
Qin Zening, ¡°¡¡±
Chapter 138 CFV Ch.138 Embezzlement (1)
Now wasn¡¯t the right moment yet.
Qin Gui changed the topic and pointed to the ten thousand tael bills. ¡°Big Brother, the remaining silvers should be enough to buy another house, right?¡± Anyway, since it was just a house for the three of them, it didn¡¯t have to be too big.
Qin Zening nodded his head, thinking that his sister was still very thoughtful.
Even though they should be able to get a share of the house if their branch separates from the Qin n, it will take time to pack up so it¡¯s better to prepare early. They couldn¡¯t wrong their little sister.
Qin Zening patted his chest boldly and promised. ¡°I will work on this matter tomorrow.¡±
Qin Zeyu looked curiously at Qin Gui and his chest felt itchy.
Right at that moment, Qin Zening¡¯s page came in and said, ¡°Young Master, Third Young Mistress, Madam has sent Granny Zhao over.¡±
Qin Zening let the woman in, and Granny Zhao was led in slowly and leisurely with a polite smile on her face.
¡°Young Master, Third Young Master, Fifth Young Master, Madam has asked this ve to bring the bank ticket.¡±
Granny Zhao made a hand gesture and a maid brought over a redcquered wooden box with carved flowers, cing it on the small table between Qin Zening and Qin Gui.
Granny Zhao said with a smile on her face, ¡°Here are six thousand taels of silver, somend deeds, and some jewelry.¡±
Qin Gui opened the wooden box bluntly and there were indeed several deeds to stores and farms, as well as half a box of jewelry of decent quality.
Qin Gui smiled and said frankly, ¡°I shall be epting this, then.¡±
Qin Zeyu looked at Qin Gui with aplicated expression. He felt that his sister looked fair and clean on the outside, but her heart was definitely ck. In just a few days, she had easily turned a deficit of more than three thousand taels to twenty thousand. She was eating nibbling on both ends and even did it so openly!
With a flick of her sleeve, Granny Zhao left, and the maid quickly followed her.
Mrs. Su was in Qiongzhi Courtyard, sipping her tea absentmindedly. When Granny Zhao came back, she looked eagerly at the maid, and she saw her empty hands, she understood instantly and her face sank with dark clouds growing overhead.
Mrs. Su felt like there was a fire burning up inside her heart and she jumped up.
Pacing back and forth in annoyance, she muttered, ¡°Really such an unruly girl,pletely shameless. All she has in her head is money!¡±
Mrs. Su just couldn¡¯t stand it. She had sent the silver, the deeds, and the jewelry together but she more or less hoped she could get out of this for free. She figures maybe Qin Gui would still have some face and not ept the jewelry and the deeds. After all, would she feel good about wearing them out if she gave them to her?!
If people asked where the jewelry came from, could she say it?
She never would have expected that shameless girl Qin Gui to actually ept it.
¡°Such pettiness can¡¯t be aired out in the open. It¡¯s no wonder why that girl was raised that way!¡±
The more Mrs. Su thought about it, the more pained she felt, chattering and cursing incessantly. With one look, Granny Ning excused the maids next to her.
Granny Zhao said with some hesitation, ¡°Madam, will there be any trouble if the silver is gone? What if they don¡¯t seed¡¡±
Mrs. Su¡¯s face sank even further and she pursed her lips in annoyance.
Of the box of deeds and jewelry that she gave to Qin Gui earlier, six thousand taels were given by someone forworking purposes, but she really had no choice but to use it for now.
Mrs. Su pondered for a moment before instructing, ¡°Granny Zhao, go and take back the money for the loan first¡¡± Pausing, she reassured herself. ¡°That person came to the marquis¡¯ residence to ask for help. No matter whether it¡¯s a sess or not, they probably wouldn¡¯t be in a hurry to return.¡±
Nanny Zhao could only dryly answer yes. Since things havee to this, they can only take it one step at a time. Mrs. Su got angry again and mmed the table. ¡°That wretch Qin Xin, she lied to me! she clearly moved more than six thousand but insisted it was three thousand nine¡And now I have to pay for her!¡±
This matter won¡¯t be just forgotten!
Mrs. Su beckoned Granny Zhao and instructed her hatefully, ¡°Since Qin Xin wants to apology, then let her. It would be fine to starve her for a few days.¡±
Granny Zhao immediately understood and answered with a smile.
At this time, the greeting of a maid could be heard from the outside. ¡°Marquis.¡±
Once hearing that Qin Zhun returned, Mrs. Su¡¯s eyes lit up and she looked eagerly towards the curtain.
Chapter 139 CFV Ch.139 Embezzlement (2)
The brocade curtain embroidered with cranes and chrysanthemums were raised and Qin Zhun entered in arge stride. Mrs. Su took two steps forward and was about toin as soon as she opened her mouth. ¡°Marquis¡¡±
¡°p!¡±
Qin Zhun raised his hand and pped Mrs. Su¡¯s face hard, causing her face to turn to the side.
A clear hand mark could be seen on the left side of her face, and her cheek was swelling up rapidly. A few strands of hair had fallen down to her cheek.
The p from earlier was so crisp and loud that it stunned Granny Zhao and the maids behind the curtain.
Qin Zhun¡¯s face was blue with anger and he rebuked her angrily, ¡°Repulsive!¡±
Qin Zhun felt like his dignity had all been lost.
He was drinking with some noblemen in a restaurant earlier when someone in the next seat over began chattering about the Yunguang case, saying that other things were involved in the Yunguang case as well, that somedies of a marquis¡¯ household were fooled by her, sending her houses and silver. Among them was the wife of the Zhongyi Marquis who misappropriated her sister-inw¡¯s dowry in order to please the heretical practitioner Yunguang. At that time, Qin Zhun was so ashamed that he rushed home before he could dig a hole in the ground and hide in it out of shame.
Mrs. Su was confused and she could hear her ear buzzing from that p.
They had been married for sixteen years, and even during the years she was exiled, Qin Zhun had treated her with kindness and respect. She had never been beaten like this in her life!
Qin Zhun was even angrier and said through clenched teeth, ¡°Ning¡¯er is the eldest grandchild of the main branch and yet it was I who inherited the title!¡± That matter itself was already an object of criticism by many.
¡°Now youe out with this misappropriation fuss. Do you think I still have any face left in the outside?! Now people areughing at me! Do you think I can still happily sit on this title?!¡±
¡°Originally, I had almost managed tond a vacancy, and now it¡¯s difficult to say if I can still look forward to that!¡±
¡°And it¡¯s all because of the trouble you caused!¡±
¡°How short of money are you that you would embezzle money from the main branch?!¡± Qin Zhun pointed his finger at Mrs. Su¡¯s nose and scolded her, blue veins popping from his neck. Mrs. Su had the audacity to embezzle his sister-inw¡¯s dowry. This was so underhanded that even he had be aughingstock as well.
Mrs. Su touched the swollen left side of her cheek and felt the burning hotness. She was in pain, she was humiliated, and she felt both angry and wronged.
Qin Zhun really does not understand the family¡¯s spendings. His daughter¡¯s dowry, his son¡¯s bridal gifts, as well as the exchange of favors. All of that needs silver.
Right now, the marquis only had so many stores and fields under its name, things were getting tight this year too. If not for them having a bad year and having not enough silvers to spend, would she have taken the risk to do illegal moneylending?
She did it all for the sake of the family!
But Mrs. Su didn¡¯t dare say anything about the loans right now and said while holding her cheek, aggrieved, ¡°Marquis, I was talked into it by Qin Xin.¡±
¡°Xin¡¯er is really too bold. She was the one who wanted to bribe Yunguang but she had no silver of her own, that was why she secretly embezzled Sister-in-Law¡¯s dowry.¡±
¡°Xin¡¯er?¡± Qin Zhun frowned in confusion.
Mrs. Su spilled all the beans about Qin Xin bribing Yunguang to boast about her good fortune in front of Empress Dowager Liu, talking all the way to the part where she was demoted by Empress Dowager Liu into a concubine today.
Qin Zhun was shocked. He didn¡¯t expect so many things to happen at home after going out for only half a day.
¡°The empress dowager really reduced Xin¡¯er to a concubine?¡± Qin Zhun couldn¡¯t help but ask.
Mrs. Su nodded. The more she thought about it, the more upset she felt. ¡°Lord Marquis, Qin Xin actually dared to enlist the help of a heretical practitioner. She was getting what she paid for!¡±
Even though Qin Xin was the one who did such a stupid thing, the one who had to suffer for it was her and their second branch family!
Whether these were self-incurred troubles or not, Qin Zhun was already confused.
The reason he wanted to cozy up with the second prince is so their marquis family could have a princess consort in the family tree. But now that Qin Xin had been reduced from a consort to a concubine, the situation was very different.
To put it bluntly, the rtive of a concubine is no proper rtive!
Qin Zhun frowned deeply and paced back and forth distractedly. He even forgot to question Mrs. Su about the misappropriation of the dowry for a while.
Chapter 140 CFV Ch.140 Embezzlement (3)
Mrs. Su seeded in diverting the disaster and was slightly relieved, though her cheek was still sore and painful. She couldn¡¯t me Qin Zhun though, she could only write down this debt on Qin Xin¡¯s name.
¡°I have to think about this, think about it really well¡¡± Qin Zhun muttered to himself while pulling the curtain up and leaving.
When Mrs. Su sat back down again, Granny Zhao ordered the maids to fetch some cold water and personally helped apply a coldpress to Mrs. Su¡¯s swollen cheek.
Soon after, a maid dressed in ck came in and carefully reported, ¡°Madam, the Lord Marquis has gone to Concubine Wang¡¯s room.¡± The maid¡¯s voice grew softer and softer as she spoke.
Mrs. Su¡¯s face was blue with anger, pping her hand heavily on the table. She almost broke her teeth from the grinding and her cheek was hurting even more.
The marquis really wasn¡¯t giving her any face!
The servants in the house were all silent.
Qin Gui didn¡¯t care about the situation in the second branch. She went back to the pce early the next morning and reported the results to Empress Wei, who was overjoyed to hear them.
Empress Wei was even more overjoyed to hear that Qin Gui had cheated them out of an additional ten thousand taels.
Empress Weiughed. ¡°To think she even dares to move a Wei daughter¡¯s dowry! The Qin family is really unruly. They think just because they¡¯ve managed totch onto Gu Jing that they¡¯re already our future inws?!¡±
Empress Wei had never been fond of the Qin family¡¯s second branch and only gave them face for the sake of her nieces and nephews.
Qin Gui blinked her big eyes and smiled.
This was how the novel went as well. Second Prince Gu Jing had a smooth ride in life until reaching the middle of the novel where the viin, Gu Zezhi, appeared, and the male lead encountered the biggest hurdle of the entire novel.
The current Gu Jing probably hasn¡¯t suffered any setbacks yet, probably why his mind is still filled with love. Such were Qin Gui¡¯s thoughts while she munched on candied fruit.
Empress Wei took a sip of tea and switched to a different topic. ¡°Xiao Gui, what are your ns now?¡±
Facing her aunt, Qin Gui knows she could talk about anything and replied honestly, ¡°Big Brother wants to split from the family.¡±
Empress Wei nodded. ¡°It¡¯s a good idea, but¡¡±
Empress Wei stopped halfway through her sentence. Splitting up the families wasn¡¯t easy.
Even she and the emperor had no reason to force their subjects to split up the families. So, unless Qin Zening can achieve a great feat, then the emperor could reasonably confer him a title. Then, Qin Zening would be able to move out from the marquis¡¯ mansion.
But the merits of a generales from the battlefield, which is to say he had to fight with his life, which troubled Empress Wei.
Empress Wei softly reassured her, ¡°Xiao Gui, this matter cannot be rushed.¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Qin Gui answered.
She wasn¡¯t just making a speech to ease Empress Wei¡¯s mind, but she really was in no hurry. Right now, nobody in the marquis¡¯ mansion was bothering her. She could eat and drink every day, practice her writing, and educating her naughty little brother whenever. It was a carefree life.
As the two of them talked, Empress Wei recalled something and made a gesture to Granny Xu who came over with a redcquered wooden box, presenting it to her.
Empress Wei personally took out the copy of the deed from the box and gave it to Qin Gui. ¡°Xiao Gui, keep this. You can rent out this store or have a steward handle it.¡±
Qin Gui took a look at the deed and found that it was the store she had previously set up in Fenggu County.
¡°Thank you, Aunty.¡± Qin Gui epted it graciously.
Now she was a woman with a business too!
Even though the store was set up by Qin Gui for the sake of ¡°putting on a full show¡±, she did still spend a lot of effort on it after all.
When she first transmigrated over, she had already made up her mind about running a snack store. Other than selling pastriesmonly found in this time period, she would also sell steamed cakes, daifuku, frozen products, and whatnot. Her original n changed however and she wasn¡¯t able to achieve it, but the store has actually been mostly set up.
Fenggu County is half a day¡¯s journey from the capital so she definitely can¡¯t run it herself. However, as Empress Wei said, she can also ask a steward to take care of the store and run over in her spare time to check on things.
Maybe when the plot runs to its end, she may be able to take the store back and run it herself.
When she thought of this, Qin Gui was in a much better mood.
Chapter 141 CFV Ch.141 Embezzlement (4)
The more Empress Wei looked at Qin Gui, the more she liked her. she smiled. ¡°Xiao Gui, the emperor intends on doing the winter hunt in a few days. You should pack up some things and go with him as well.¡±
Empress Wei was thinking that the gentlemen from various noble families would be there, so she could go and pick out her future nephew-inw.
Qin Gui¡¯s eyes lit up and she nodded straight away. She could finally go out and have fun!
Aftering to the capital and sitting around in that drab mansion, she had long grown bored of it.
¡°Mother, I want to go with Cousin Gui as well!¡±
At this moment, Gu Zhen who had just left the study hall came trotting over with great enthusiasm.
As soon as Gu Zhen got out of school and heard that Qin Gui hade to Fengluan Pce, he came straight over, just in time to hear about the winter hunt.
Gu Zhen gave his greetings to the empress and looked at her with an eager face.
Empress Wei looked lovingly at her beloved son and asked, ¡°Zhen¡¯er, how is your archery practiceing along?¡±
¡°Mother, look! There are calluses on my hands already.¡± Gu Zhen reached out his small hand to show Empress Wei and Qin Gui the calluses on his palms.
Empress Wei felt pained on one hand, but knew on the other that boys couldn¡¯t be raised pamperingly> ¡°Zhen¡¯er, if you practice well, we will take you along on the hunt.¡±
Gu Zhen¡¯s eyes lit up at once. He was young and frail, so he had never followed the emperor on a hunting trip before. He had been looking forward to it for a long time.
Only then did Qin Gui remember that the improvedpound bow had not been invented yet, so she thought about looking for two craftsmen tomorrow to make them. She rubbed the top of Gu Zhen¡¯s soft hair and also helped Empress Wei encourage him. ¡°Practice well and cousin wille by next time to bring you something nice!¡±
Gu Zhen had blind trust in his Cousin Gui, so anything she gave him would definitely be good. The little guy waved his arms ambitiously and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Cousin Gui! I¡¯ll definitely hunt down a mountain chicken for you this winter hunt! Then I¡¯ll make a shuttlecock for you to y with!¡±
Qin Gui was overjoyed. ¡°I¡¯m counting on you then, Gu Zhen!¡±
The two cousinsughed together.
After having lunch at Fengluan Pce, Qin Gui headed home. Almost immediately after, the emperor entered Fengluan Pce.
¡°Father!¡± After Gu Zhen greeted the emperor, he opened his arms and pounced intimately towards the emperor.
The emperor caught him and held him before helping up the curtsying Empress Wei and asked, ¡°Has Xiao Gui left?¡±
¡°Just only,¡± Empress Wei said with a smile.
The emperor and the empress sat down together while Gu Zhen sat happily in his father¡¯s arms, ying with a Rubik¡¯s cube. The pce servants immediately served up some tea.
¡°This Qin family, they¡¯ve be more and more unruly since the old marquis passed.¡± Empress Wei told him angrily about how Marquess Su had secretly embezzled her sister¡¯s dowry and said, ¡°It was also thanks to Xiao Jiu¡¯s cleverness that she was able to retrieve it, and gain profit at that!¡±
¡°Girls are just more focused on the details, Your Majesty. If it were Zening, he would likely be fooled by Mrs. Su and not even know he was taken for a fool!¡± When she mentioned Zening, Empress Wei sounded like she was rebuking him, but there was a gentle look in her eyes.
The emperor agreed with her and said, ¡°Zening is a boy, he has to build a career so he can¡¯t spend all his time thinking about home. There is Xiao Gui there to take care of her two brothers in the future, so you can worry less, too.¡±
¡°Xiao Gui this girl, she doesn¡¯t take any losses. This is good!¡± Empress Wei smiled and nodded her head. ¡°With her around, I can also rest easy.¡±
¡°But no matter how good Xiao Gui is, I¡¯m the only one who knows.¡± When she spoke of this, Empress Wei couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°That child has had a hard life, and I¡¯m afraid marriage will be difficult for her too. Noble families are good, but there are too many rules. I¡¯m worried they will dislike the fact that she came from the countryside. But if she looks for a small family, I¡¯m worried she would have to suffer¡¡±
While speaking, Empress Wei¡¯s brows locked together in worry. And, she felt even more hate for the Zhao Aman couple now. If not for that vile pair, then Qin Gui would not have to worry about getting a good home as a nobledy and having the protection of the empress herself!
The emperor suddenly had a thought and suddenly interrupted her. ¡°Rongrong, what do you think of Gu Zezhi?¡±
¡°Gu Zezhi?¡± Empress Wei blinked and blinked again.
Chapter 142 CFV Ch.142 Embezzlement (5)
¡°Gu Zezhi seems quite fond of Xiao Gui. I can see that Xiao Gui¡¯s feelings for him is not that of mere friendship either.¡± The emperor smiled and said, ¡°When the winter huntes around, you shoulde take a look as well.¡±
Empress Wei, ¡°¡¡±
And take a good look she will! How did some brate out of nowhere while she wasn¡¯t looking to try and abduct her Xiao Gui?!
Even the Third Prince of Duan Imperial Residence is just a brat trying to steal Xiao Gui away!
¡°And Gu Jing.¡± When speaking of this second son, the emperor could not hide the disappointment on his face. ¡°Rongrong, I¡¯ll have to trouble you a little to find a good marriage partner for him. I intend to have him leave the pce and live in his own residence by the end of the year.¡±
In his opinion, if a prince was a little stupid, then so be it. Anyway, being a wealthy idler was no problem. But to be blinded by a lying and disgusting woman, he¡¯s just in foolish!
How can he hand the empire over to him?
The emperor looked lovingly at Gu Zhen in his arms.
Fortunately, he hadn¡¯t put too much of his hopes on Gu Jing either.
Since a long time ago he was also worried about not being able to live long. They cannot enthrone a young emperor. But these days, he actually felt in better spirits even without the usual medicines. Perhaps he can live until Gu Zhen grows up and then handing the reins of the empire to him.
The main wife¡¯s child should be the one to inherit the throne!
¡°Gu Zhen,e to see me after ss from tomorrow. We heard the tutor say you¡¯ve been ying a lot recently, so We have to keep an eye on your homework,¡± the emperor said with a stern face.
Gu Zhen who was happily ying with his Rubik¡¯s cube was stunned by this ¡°terrible news¡±. He even stopped moving the cube in his hands.
Simrly stunned by the news is Gu Zeyu.
Since getting beaten up by Qin Gui for staying out all night, Qin Zeyu had been much more obedient these days. Other than the times when he went to Uncle Jianning¡¯s house to apologize, he never went out even one step. Even when his friends came to ask him to y, he would t-out reject him. He felt that he had be much more well-behaved, but his big brother came in saying he was giving him more homework as soon as he returned.
¡°Big Brother!¡± Qin Zeyu argued ¡°righteously¡±, ¡°I¡¯m forbidden from going out now! I have to stay in the house and reflect on myself.¡±
Gu Zening said expressionlessly, ¡°You don¡¯t need to go out. I¡¯ve already invited a tutor home and he¡¯s willing to teach you for Grandfather¡¯s sake. If you still don¡¯t listen, I¡¯ll tell your sister and have her take care of you!¡±
While he was speaking, Gu Zening¡¯s page came over and said, ¡°The Third Young Mistress is here.¡±
Qin Zening was also quiet now and looked at his brother with a smirk on his face.
Qin Zeyu, ¡°¡¡±
It felt like his big brother had be violent since Qin Gui came back, and he would constantly threaten him with her. This is not good!
So, when Qin Gui came in, she was greeted by the sight of the naughty child sitting there with his head hanging in defeat.
She raised a brow and exchanged nces with Qin Zening, who said, ¡°Xiao Gui, I¡¯ve already bought all the things back and returned them to the treasury one by one. They¡¯ll be part of your dowry in the future!¡±
Qin Gui, ¡°¡¡± Do you really have to bring up the dowry this soon?!
Qin Zeyu pricked up his ears and looked strangely at Qin Gui. He figures that since his sister is such a violent woman, nobody would want her!
But if his sister doesn¡¯t get married, then wouldn¡¯t she be nagging at him for the rest of his life?!
Just thinking about it gave Qin Zeyu the shivers. He prayed that any man with his eyes glued shut coulde and whisk her away quickly!
¡°And there¡¯s also this.¡± Qin Zening took out a deed. It was the store that Qin Xin asked someone to sell off and the one he asked Pei Qi to buy back. ¡°Keep this well.¡±
¡°The things that Grandmother gave to Qin Xin can all just be sold off. I don¡¯t care about the rest but this store was given by Grandfather back then, saying it was so I could make some money to buy rouge for my sister. Now it has to be ¡®returned to its rightful owner¡¯.¡±
Qin Gui did not reject him and instead epted it happily.
She received two stores in a row today, and she was in a good mood!
Chapter 143 CFV Ch.143 Beneficial (1)
Qin Gui was very busy for theing days, working on thepound bow 2.0.
The craftsmen were arranged by Empress Wei. originally, when she was living in the pce, Qin Gui only needed to send the drawings to the craftsmen and let them work out the changes themselves. But now that she was out of the pce and had the token that Empress Wei gave her, she simply went in and out of the Ministry of Works to discuss with the craftsmen face to face.
The Ministry of Works had been instructed by the emperor early on that they were not to discuss of this in private.
By the time the newposite bow was made, it was already five days after.
Compared with the one taken away by the emperor, this newpound bow was obviously much more refined. Both the axis of the pulley and the string distance were adjusted.
The different axis and bowstring distances had different effects on the uracy and speed of thepound bow. The craftsmen worked day and night on fifty to sixty before they found one which they felt had the best stability and uracy. However, it was still a far cry from the ones made in the future.
Qin Gui took thepound bow with her and came out of the Ministry of Works in a good mood.
The carriage was parked right near the alleyway to the Ministry of Works. She had just turned out of the alleyway and was about to get into the carriage when she ran into Qin Zhun, the Zhongyi Marqui, who was walking this way.
When Qin Zhun saw her, he was stunned for a moment before he recognized her.
His niece had been back for so long and he had never even taken a good look at her.
In Qin Zhun¡¯s impression, Qin Gui was a wild and uncouth country girl. But now, in just a month, she had undergone a transformation to be an elegant young woman. At first nce, she was no different from the other noble girls in the capital.
¡°Second Uncle.¡± Qin Gui bowed in a standard gesture and smiled at him.
Qin Zhun casually asked, ¡°Why are you here?¡±
¡°Just out for a stroll.¡± Since he was only asking casually, she answered back even more casually.
Qin Zhun nodded and admonished her with the airs of an elder. ¡°A girl like you should go out less often if you don¡¯t have anything to do.¡±
Qin Gui smiled and said innocently. ¡°Second Sister was grounded but I wasn¡¯t.¡±
Qin Zhun, ¡°¡¡±
This girl really is irritating!
She doesn¡¯t even stop to think that none of all this nonsense would have happened if she hadn¡¯t returned! Would the Qin family had to be forced into such a state by her? And now he just asked her to go out less and not make a fool of herself, and this girl even dared to talk back to her uncle like this!
¡°If Second Uncle has nothing else to talk about, Niece will head back first.¡± Qin Gui assumed he had nothing else to speak with her about and got onto the carriage by herself with Du Ruo following closely behind.
Only then did Qin Zhun notice Du Ruo holding something that was wrapped tightly in cloth. From the outer shape, it seemed to be a bow¡What is this girl doing with a bow?
Without waiting for him to ask the question, the carriage had already begun to move and he could only watch as it drove away.
Qin Zhun¡¯s eyes darkened. Without saying anything, he walked into a wine house across the street and went straight up to a seat on the second floor.
At the table, Second Prince Gu Jing and Yelu Luan had just withdrawn their gazes from the window. Gu Jing greeted Qin Zhun with a smile. ¡°Uncle, please sit.¡±
¡°Your Highness.¡± Qin Zhun quickly bowed to Gu Jing first, followed by Yelu Luan.
Since Qin Xin was reduced to a concubine by Empress Dowager Liu, Qin Zhun had not seen Gu Jing since.
He was a proper marquis but ended up being reduced to a concubine¡¯s ¡°father¡±. He really didn¡¯t know how to face Gu Jing. But unexpectedly, Gu Jing was still happy to call him Uncle.
Gu Jing¡¯s regard towards him was evident, so Qin Zhun who had been depressed for a few days was able to feel a little better.
After Qin Zhun sat down and they exchanged some pleasantries, Gu Jing mentioned, seemingly unintentionally, ¡°I just saw Third Young Mistress Qin down there. Did she juste out from the Ministry of Works?¡± While speaking, he nced out the window again.
Qin Zhun followed Gu Jing¡¯s gaze out of the window. Straight into the alley she came out from was the Ministry of Works.
Qin Zhun said in disbelief, ¡°Your Highness, that girl was justing out for a stroll.¡± How could she possibly be visiting the Ministry of Works!¡±
Want to read ahead?Join Kittyjiu¡¯s patreon for $3 to ess 63advanced chapters of various novels
Chapter 144 CFV Ch.144 Beneficial (2)
¡°So Uncle still does not know.¡± A look shed past Gu Jing¡¯s eyes and he smiled. ¡°Father has given permission to Third Young Mistress Qin to visit the Ministry of Works in order to develop and improve a new type of bow. I saw that her maid seemed to be holding a bow in her hand. Perhaps they are already done with the prototype.¡±
¡°A bow?¡± Qin Zhun was confused. He had never heard of this!
Gu Jing raised his brows. Seeing Qin Zhun¡¯s look ofplete ignorance, he briefly exined a couple things before adding, ¡°Father is extremely fond of this new type of bow developed by Third Young Mistress Qin. Even I haven¡¯t had the chance to see it yet.¡±
Gu Jing raised his wine cup elegantly and lowered his eyes, concealing the dark sh in his eyes.
In the past few days, Sixth Imperial Brother had been doing homework in the imperial study as soon as he was out of ss. His father did not even hide it from him when he summoned the ministers.
His Mother said that the emperor is already caught around the empress¡¯s pinky, so that is why he was partial to Gu Zhen in everything.
He couldn¡¯t just sit and wait like a fool any longer!
Gu Jing and Yelu Luan exchanged silent nces at the side.
On the day of Empress Dowager Liu¡¯s Thousand Sovereigns Banquet, Gu Jing had already seen the power of the bow with his own eyes while apanying the emperor at the gardens. After that, Yelu Luan mentioned having Qin Gui married off to NOrthern Yan to the emperor. This matter was not known to many in the court, but he did. He also knew that there was a big chance Yelu Luan was asking for the marriage for the sake of thosepound bows.
It was also Yelu Luan who took the initiative to seek him out. He did not hide his ambition in any way.
Yelu Luan said that he wanted to use theposite bow¡¯s blueprints to fight for the throne of the Yan Kingdom. If Gu Jing could help him, then he will also return the favor by giving Gu Jing three thousand Turkic horses.
Turkic Horses are never sold outside of Northern Yan, and it was difficult for other nations to even get hold of them. If he could get three thousand Turkic horses by himself and breed them, in time, he will be able to strengthen thebat power of the cavalry, then whether it be the emperor or the military, he would put a good impression on them.
This matter was beneficial to both of them!
The two of them hit it off immediately.
Today, Gu Jing brought Qin Zhun to this teahouse, but he did not expect that Qin Jun would have no knowledge about theposite bow at all!
Qin Zhun observed the situation and said vaguely, ¡°If Your Highness wishes to see theposite bow, then I will ask my niece for it when I return.¡±
Gu jing smiled indifferently and looked at Yelu Luan again, changing the topic, ¡°Uncle, this Prince Yelu admires Third Young Mistress Qin to the utmost. He is wondering, has the third young mistress been betrothed yet?¡±
¡°¡¡± Qin Zhun was stunned and immediately understood what Gu Jing meant.
Gu Jing was trying to use the Qin family to form a friendly bond with the second prince of Northern Yan, Yelu Luan, right?
Qin Zhun clenched his fists and thoughts began flying around his head.
A concubine is a concubine. Even if it¡¯s the concubine of a prince, it¡¯s the same!
A concubine¡¯s rtives aren¡¯t rtives at all.
Qin Xin can no longer offer the Qin family any advantage in this contest. The only way now to get the Second Prince to see the importance of the Qin family is by offering some help to him.
If Qin Gui can be married off to Northern Yan, then that would show the Qin family¡¯s worth!
With such thoughts, Qin Zhun was heated up and said haughtily, ¡°My third niece has just returned so her marriage is not decided yet.¡±
He was saying that the Qin family was willing to marry off Qin Gui.
Yelu Luan caught those implications as well, and a sharp aura of determination shed past his azure eyes like a lone wolf on the grasnd.
Gu Jing smiled in satisfaction at Qin Zhun¡¯s interest. He picked up his wine cup again and said, ¡°Uncle really is good-spirited and loyal to the Great Qi.¡±
Qin Zhun quickly picked up his own cup andughed. ¡°You are too kind, Your Highness.¡±
He tilted his head back and gulped down the wine. Then, he added modestly, ¡°It¡¯s just that Gui¡¯er, that girl. She¡¯s wild and stubborn. I¡¯m afraid that¡¡±
Qin Zhun looked as if he wished to speak, but he frowned instead.
Even though he did not interact much with Qin Gui, Mrs. Su was always rambling on about her faults. At the very least, he knew that she was not to be messed with.
Chapter 145 CFV Ch.145 Beneficial (3)
¡°In a few days, the emperor will be setting off on the winter hunt.¡± Gu Jing puffed his chest with readiness and said with a smile. ¡°At that time¡I hope uncle will take the initiative to propose this to Father.¡±
The winter winds whistled outside the windows, rolling up the leaves in the middle of the air, turning them in circles.
When November came, the weather grew colder and colder.
On the fifth day of the eleventh month, the emperor traveled under the gaze of the public, flying his bright yellow banner as he left the city.
Quoting ¡°Erya ¨C Shitian¡±, The spring hunt is called Sou, the summer hunt is called Miao, the autumn hunt is called Xian, and the winter hunt is called Shou.
Winter is the best time for hunting as everything is dormant.
And, for the imperial family of the Great Qi, the winter hunt also bears a special meaning. The Great Qi dynasty focuses on martial arts, and all the emperors of the dynasty would perform ancestral rituals during the winter hunt, such as offering up hunted prey as sacrifices to their ancestors. The ones attending this hunt are the royal family, the emperor¡¯s close ministers, and the titr families in the capital, making it a symbol of honor and status.
Since Qin Gui didn¡¯t know how to ride a horse, she went out in a carriage which left along with the other horses. Her carriage was as inconspicuous as an ant in the huge caravan.
It was rare that she got toe out and y so Qin Gui was in a good mood. From time to time, she would look out the curtains and smiled with arched eyes.
Following the sound of a neigh, Qin Zeyu galloped up to her carriage andughed at her. ¡°Third Sister, you don¡¯t even know how to ride a horse? That¡¯s toome! Why don¡¯t I teach you? Want me to teach you? When we reach the hunting grounds, other people will be entering the mountains on horseback and you¡¯re going on two feet. What if you get lost in the mountains and eaten by a bear?¡±
¡°As long as you beg me, I¡¯ll be gracious and teach you.¡±
The unruly boy felt that he would make a good ¡°teacher¡±. If his Third Sister isn¡¯t able to learn, then he would give her a whip on the hand.
Qin Gui weighed the cup in her hand and smiled at the young boy.
Qin Zeyu was best at reading faces so he quickly spurred on his horse. While running off, he would still turn back fearlessly to provoke her. ¡°Haha, can¡¯t hit me!¡±
Since staying out that one night, Qin Zeyu had been grounded at home, so it was rare that he got this chance toe out. He was just like a bird let out of a cage, off having the time of his life.
¡°¡¡± Qin Jiu felt that this little brat really needed to be taught a lesson. Looking out, she nned to have Qin Zening help her drag him back, but then she ended up seeing another familiar figure behind instead.
Under the warm winter sun, a handsome young man was dressed in purple fitted riding garments. He had a warm smile on his face and gave off a majestic aura. His white horse was tall and athletic, and the beating of its hooves added a valiant feeling to the youth.
¡°Big Brother!¡±
Qin Gui immediately shot an excessively bright smile towards the person.
It was nice to bump into her golden thigh again as soon as she needed it!
The unconcealed fake smile on Qin Gui¡¯s face allowed Gu Zezhi to see at once that she had something to ask for him. So, he spurred his horse closer to her carriage.
¡°Big Brother, eat this.¡± She diligently picked up the box of preserves and handed it out of the carriage window.
There¡¯s no free lunch in this world but Gu Zezhi raised a brow and picked up a candied fruit from the box, putting it into his mouth. The candied fruit was just the right amount of sweet and sour, but also with an added indescribably fragrance that was refreshing. It tastes good.
¡°Speak, what is it?¡± Gu Zezhi asked.
Qin Gui raised her hand and pointed at Qin Zeyu¡¯s arrogant back, sniggering. ¡°Help me catch that kid back!¡±
Her clear eyes were as bright as the stars in the sky, shining brightly.
Gu Zezhi dropped two words with a smile.
¡°Just wait.¡±
With that, he sped off. In just a moment, Qin Zeyu who was almost pulled off his horse by the cor came back again in a gloomy manner.
Qin Gui was busying about in the carriage, grabbing one ruler for a moment and a tube the other, as if weighing which one was more suitable for beating someone with.
¡°Want a horsewhip?¡± Gu Zezhi asked thoughtfully.
Want to read ahead?Join Kittyjiu¡¯s patreon for $3 to ess 63advanced chapters of various novels
Chapter 146 Chapter 146
He was holding a dark whip in his hands woven from eight strands of fine cowhide. It shimmered faintly under the sunlight.
When Gu Zezhi passed it over, Qin Gui epted it smoothly.
Seeing this, ayer of sweat seeped out of Qin Zeyu¡¯s forehead and he conceded. ¡°Big Sister! I was wrong, really wrong!¡±
Qin Zeyu had no idea who Gu Zezhi was at all and thought in his heart, who on earth is this guy? Why does he seem so familiar with his sister?
Qin Gui grabbed the whip and waved happily to Gu Zezhi. ¡°Goodbye, Big Brother!¡±
Gu Zezhi raised a brow and thought to himself, this girl really does turn faster than the pages of a book.*
On the contrary, however, the smile in Gu Zezhi¡¯s eyes grew even stronger. He didn¡¯t feel annoyed, nor did he ask for his whip back. Instead, he just left leisurely on his horse.
His tall and straight back looked as elegant as a cluster of green bamboo.
Qin Zeyu followed the carriage, looking curiously at Gu Zezhi¡¯s back. A thought suddenly appeared in his mind. This can¡¯t be the guy with his eyes glued shut, right?
¡°Whose eyes are glued shut?¡±
Qin Gui asked curiously. Only then did Qin Zeyu realize he had blurted out what he was thinking.
Qin Zeyu said casually and perfunctorily, ¡°Nothing.¡±
After that, he spurred his horse and moved a little closer to her, asking in a whisper, ¡°Third Sister, who was that?¡± He pointed his chin towards Gu Zezhi.
Qin Gui ignored him, but Du Ruo was kind enough to tell Qin Zeyu. ¡°That¡¯s the Third Prince from Duan Imperial Residence.¡±
Qin Zeyu almost slipped off from his horse.
Qin Zeyu suddenly felt very wronged. The teachers at the academy often said hecked discipline and had no respect for the elders. But now, it seems he was the more ¡°disciplined¡± onepared to his sister, okay?!
From time to time, Qin Zeyu would look strangely at Qin Gui, which annoyed Qin Gui eventually and she simply sent him away.
For a twelve-year-old kid, ying was a big thing in life, so he tossed Gu Zezhi to the back of his mind and happily went off to y with his buddies.
While watching his happy back, Qin Gui was just about to draw the curtains when she suddenly remembered something. ¡°Oh!¡±
Du Ruo looked at her in confusion.
¡°I forgot to return the handkerchief. ¡°Qin Gui took out a moon-white handkerchief from her sleeve and pursed her lips in annoyance.
She had already washed the handkerchief clean by herself, thinking that when she met Gu Zezhi again one day, she would return it to him.
Du Ruo had seen that handkerchief before as well. Since it was brought back during the day Qin Gui and Qin Zening went out shopping, she thought that Qin Gui had bought it from a store outside. But now, it seems like it wasn¡¯t.
After a little thought, Du Ruo understood and asked in surprise, ¡°Miss, this is Third Prince Gu¡¯s?¡±
Qin Gui nodded honestly.
Du Ruo wanted to say something but she stopped herself. She thought, this girl was raised among the people, so maybe she doesn¡¯t know?
But a girl can¡¯t possibly not know of such customs, right?
She couldn¡¯t just spit it out either.
After all, the ck-hearted Li family couple did not treat her as a human being. They beat and scolded her. Certainly, nobody had properly taught her the rules, customs, and othermon-sense knowledge.
After some thought, Du Ruo simply went out with it. ¡°Miss, if a girl was to give her embroidered handkerchief to a boy, it represented love and admiration¡¡±
Huh?! Qin Gui¡¯s eyes widened slightly. She could just about guess what the end of Du Ruo¡¯s sentence was.
Sure enough¡ª
¡°The opposite is also true. If an unmarried girl epts the handkerchief of a man, then it represented the approval of the other party¡¯s feelings.¡± Du Ruo finished her words in one breath. When she saw Qin Gui shocked at her expression, she knew. This poor girl really didn¡¯t know anything!
Qin Gui, ¡°!!!¡±
Qin Gui¡¯s mouth was slightly gaping, confused.
She¡She¡It wasn¡¯t toote for her to return the handkerchief now, is it?!
Qin Gui looked out the carriage again, but more than two thousand people had set out on the hunting trip this time. She couldn¡¯t find Gu Zezhi¡¯s figure at all.
Even in the next few days, Gu Zezhi never popped up in front of her.
The divine convoy traveled for three days, and it wasn¡¯t until the sun set on the third day did they arrive at Nanyuan Hunting Pce.
Nanyuan Hunting Pce was located at the foot of Daming Mountain. If you looked up, you could see the lush forestry of the mountain in the distance. The forbidden army guards riding at the front have already arrived and were trained to surround the hunting pce and the surroundings so that no one could enter.
Want to read ahead?Join Kittyjiu¡¯s patreon for $3 to ess 63advanced chapters of various novels
Chapter 147 Chapter 147
Qin Gui was arranged by Empress Wei to stay in Luqin Court northeast of the hunting pce, but she was dispirited the whole trip there.
Du Ruo was hustling about telling the servants to fix up the pce room while talking with Qin Gui about the winter hunt.
¡°Miss, there is nothing to do tonight so this ve will make you a bowl of calming tea. You should rest early tonight.¡±
¡°ording to the rules, a formal ceremony will be held early tomorrow morning. I am afraid you will have to get up a down and head up to the hunting tform.¡±
¡°Tomorrow¡¯s morning rituals are going to be very tedious. Before you go, you¡¯d better eat something to pad your stomach.¡±
As soon as she learned that she would have to get up early at dawn, Qin Gui felt even more wilted. That was until the empress¡¯s eunuch, Xiao Kouzi came over, bringing Qin Gui a gentle and beautiful filly.
Even though she couldn¡¯t ride, it didn¡¯t stop her from ying with the mare. She even named her ¡°Taqing¡±.
After ying with Taqing for a while, Qin Gui had some dinner and went to bed early. She was drained from this trip and fell asleep almost as soon as she closed her eyes.
When Du Ruo woke her up the next morning, the sun was already up.
Duruo nimbly helped to serve Qin Gui with her washing up and arranged everything just right. By the time they walked out of Luqin Court, a whistling horn sounded from the hunting tform.
Not only them, all the emperor¡¯s sons, rtives, ministers, and the noble sons participating in the winter hunt were all walking towards the hunting tform, filling the square outside the hunting pce with people.
Very soon, the emperor appeared on the tform and personally presided over the ceremony ording to the rules noted down by his ancestors. Qin Gui was kneeling absentmindedly amongst the crowd and wasn¡¯t paying attention to what the emperor was saying at all. When her knees had gotten all numb, the heavenly ritual finally came to an end.
When the trumpets blew again, the emperor got onto his horse and was the first to raise his whip to lead the ministers and noble sons into the hunting grounds of Daming Mountain. The sounds of beating hooves rumbled away, leaving behind a trail of dust.
Empress Wei also rode into the hunting grounds. Qin Gui did not know how to ride a horse, so she just enjoyed a slow stroll around the hunting tform, taking in the scenery.
She was not the only one who did not enter the hunting grounds. Many noblewomen were also around the hunting tform in groups of twos and threes, walking their horses or ying. Things were upbeat as usual.
But the noblewomen had their own cliques and would not take the initiative to call Qin Gui over. Qin Gui was also happy to be alone, not having to socialize with them. To her, it was too much trouble socializing with people she didn¡¯t get along with.
¡°Du Ruo, go and fetch Taqing over for me,¡± Qin Gui ordered while musing. She was free now so she could walk the horse around the forest or something.
Maybe she was naturally gifted with the motor skills to be able to learn horseriding in one walk!
Du Ruo agreed vivaciously and added with worry, ¡°Then, please don¡¯t run around Miss. This ve will be right back.¡±
¡°Fine, fine.¡± Qin Gui pointed to a perg near the hunting tform. ¡°I¡¯ll sit there and wait for you like a good girl. I won¡¯t move a single step.¡±
¡°This ve will be right over!¡±
Du Ruo hurried off. Qin Gui was just about to head to the perg when a voice called out to her. ¡°Third Young Mistress Qin¡±.
Qin Gui looked towards the source of the voice.
About seven or eight paces away, a tall girl of fifteen or sixteen was walking towards her. She was a beautiful girl wearing fitted red riding clothes that gave her a heroic look, the golden threads glimmering under the sunlight.
She walked with such confidence that her body was releasing a unique arrogance of a proud daughter of heaven.
Qin Gui recognized her. She was County Princess Ying Luo.
Ying Luo was followed by four or five other noblewomen who surrounded her like stars around a moon.
Qin Gui greeted County Princess Ying Luo and asked, ¡°What do you need of me, Princess?¡±
Ying Luo looked her up and down. When she first saw her at Yinghua Court, she thought she was a bold and sharp-tongued bumpkin from the countryside.
Unexpectedly, this Qin Gui was quite venomous!
Ying Luo sneered and shot her cold darting eyes at Qin Gui, questioning, ¡°Why did you frame Sister Xin?!¡±
Qin Xin was supposed to be the Second Princess Consort, but she was reduced to a concubine in an instant. This was not something that could be hidden in the capital, so of course Ying Luo found out about it as well.
Chapter 148 Chapter 148
Ying Luo couldn¡¯t believe it, so she ran over to the Qin family to find out the reason.
She was the county princess so Mrs. Su wouldn¡¯t dare to stop her. She got to see Qin Xin, and she could see that Qin Xin had lost a lot of weight and looked gaunt, like a delicate little flower that had wilted too early.
Yin Luo and Qin Xin had been good friends since they were young girls. In her memory, Qin Xin had always been an elegant youngdy, poised like an orchid. She had never seen her in such a miserable state. However, she never said a single bad word about Qin Gui from beginning to end. She just said that it was her own fault, that she should never have gotten in her little sister¡¯s way.
Linking this back to what happened at the Shenghua Pavilion, there was no way Ying Luo wouldn¡¯t understand.
Qin Gui must be the cause of all of this!
Qin Gui smiled and looked innocently at her. ¡°I wonder what you mean by that, County Princess?¡±
¡°So you won¡¯t admit it?¡± Ying Luo sneered and took another step forward, reprimanding her aggressively. ¡°You even have the heart to do that against someone as kind as Little Sister Xin!¡±
¡°Your Highness,¡± Qin Gui said as she stared into Ying Luo¡¯s furious eyes, saying with a serious face, ¡°I think you should get your eyes looked at by a physician.¡±
Ying Luo, ¡°?¡±
Qin Gui smiled and did not say anything. She just turned around and left.
Ying Luo froze for a moment and only reacted after, anger intensifying.
This Qin Gui dared call her blind?!
¡°Your Highness,¡± several noble maids quickly stopped her and advised, ¡°Her Majesty the Empress is fond of Qin Gui. You¡¯d better not argue with her.¡±
¡°If the Empress were to find out, she may even reprimand you.¡±
¡°Yes, I heard that even the Empress Dowager had much praise for her.¡±
The noble maids all advised her one after another. The consequences Qin Xin faced were right in front of her, so why should Ying Luo ask for trouble?
Ying Luo looked at Qin Gui who had walked to the perg at the front and sat down. Even though she wasn¡¯t happy with the situation, she had no choice but to swallow down her anger for now.
Soon after, Du Ruo brought over the little red horse that the Empress rewarded.
Ta Qing had a gentle temperament and it still remembered Qin Gui. It let out a whiny as soon as it saw her. Qin Gui fed it a piece of maltose candy and it rubbed its head against Qin Gui¡¯s palm, as intimate as the day they parted.
The more Qin Gui stroked its long neck, and the more she looked at it, the more happy with it she was.
While Du Ruo was holding the lead, Qin Gui climbed up the horse¡¯s back a little rustily and pulled the reins firmly.
Compared to the other tall and stalwart stallions, Taqing was just a short horse. However, when Qin Gui was sat on its back and looking down, she suddenly felt that Taqing was a little too tall.
She put on an indifferent look on her face but her arms were tense. Even the hands pulling on the reins were clenched tightly.
¡°Du Ruo, I¡¯ll take her out for onep and I¡¯ll be back,¡± Qin Gui said.
¡°Miss, why not let this ve hold the lead for you?¡± Looking at how rusty Qin Gui had gotten, Du Ruo felt panicked and turned into a puddle of cold sweat from worry.
Fortunately, Qin Gui wasn¡¯t stubborn and readily agreed. ¡°Sure.¡±
So, Du Ruo took Taqing¡¯s lead and led Qin Gui for a stroll around the area.
As Qin Gui¡¯s body rose and fell along with the horse, she tried looking for something to chat about. ¡°Du Ruo, do you know how to ride a horse?¡±
¡°I do.¡± Du Ruo nodded. ¡°This ve has to learn a bit of everything in the pce.¡± There were thousands of pce maids in the pce. Naturally, for a young girl like Du Ruo to be able to serve in Fengluan Pce, and even be gifted to Qin Gui by Empress Wei, she naturally had some skills.
¡°How nice. All of you can ride.¡± Qin Gui felt that she had to learn. At the very least, she couldn¡¯t have that brat Qin Zeyu underestimate her.
Chapter 149 Chapter 149
The two of themughed and joked as they walked.
From a distance, Ying Luo was ring at Qin Gui¡¯s back, long eyshes leaving a shadow under her eyes, her irises deep.
Qin Gui rode around aimlessly for a fewps. At first, her body was tense; but gradually, she realized that Taqing was really very docile, so she got her courage and rxed, beginning to experience the joys of horse riding.
Wow, the air really is fresher up here!
When Du Ruo saw that Qin Gui had rxed a lot, she led her to a forest. But of course, it was only near the outer periphery.
The green of the forest was a refreshing sight, and the cold breeze came carrying the faint smell of grass and dirt, as well as a tiny hint of flowers, raising her spirits.
There weren¡¯t many wild flowers blooming at this time of the year, but there were many wild fruits. Qin Gui didn¡¯t even care if they were edible or not, and picked much of it with great enthusiasm, stuffing it into the horse¡¯s bag.
One after another, some noble girls also began entering the hunting grounds. Their joyful voices were carried over by the wind.
¡°Look! Is that a rabbit?¡±
¡°It¡¯s a rabbit!¡±
¡°Hey, don¡¯t shoot it! It¡¯s so cute!¡±
¡°¡¡±
Hearing this, Qin Gui couldn¡¯t help butugh to the point where even her shoulders shook.
Du Ruo thought that Qin Gui wanted to hunt rabbits too and proposed, ¡°Young Miss, since there are rabbits here, should we look for a nest? Maybe we can catch a litter of baby rabbits back!¡±
Qin Gui¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Yes, we can get rabbits and give it to cousin!¡±
Cheerfully, Du Ruo pointed towards the direction where the sun rose and said, ¡°Miss, this ve saw a white rabbit running that way. Let¡¯s take a look. If we¡¯re lucky, we may really be able to catch a litter of rabbits for His Highness.¡±
Pulling Taqing along, the two went happily towards the east.
Ying Luo and the other nobledies at the back were ying andughing, not really paying attention to Qin Gui. The only one riding on a white horse, Ying Luo, was staring at Qin Gui¡¯s back from a distance, cherry lips tightly pursed and her eyes hot.
She didn¡¯t think Qin Xin deserved that.
She was ruined by Qin Gui and wasn¡¯t even allowed to join the winter hunt, even having people whisper about her behind her back while Qin Gui was acting as if it had nothing to do with her.She was carefree, riding her horse, taking a walk.
She wasn¡¯t feeling sorry in the slightest, and not only that, she was even so arrogant!
Ying Luo stared deeply at Qin Gui¡¯s back, heart filled with disdain.
The Great Qi Dynasty was established with martial arts in the forefront. Not to mention the youngdies from the families of civil servants, even the daughters of nobles and militarymanders can ride horses. Like Qin Xin, they were not only good at the arts of the qin, chess, poetry, and art, she also had outstanding skill at horse riding and bowmanship.
But Qin Gui was just a country bumpkin who couldn¡¯t even ride a horse. No matter how she dressed herself up and acted like a nobledy, it was just superficial.
In the end, Qin Gui wasn¡¯t someone that can be shown off. There¡¯s nothing but dirt and mud hidden under her bones!
Ying Luo raised her hand and grabbed the bow behind her back, slowly loading her arrow and pulling the string¡
A young nobledy in blue saw this and asked casually, ¡°County Princess, did you find prey?¡±
Ying Luo smiled but did not speak, drawing her bow and aiming. Then, the bow returned to its crescent shape, releasing the arrow.
Woosh!
With a piercing noise, the feathered arrow left the bow, cutting across the air like lightning.
Many of the nobledies looked towards where the arrow flew, wanting to see what the prey was.
Unexpectedly, what they saw was Qin Gui standing several feet away, and the feathered arrow was currently shooting towards her like a shooting star.
¡°Ah!¡±
The nobledies were all shocked and began to scream, faces losing color.
Chapter 150 Chapter 150
When she heard the shrieks and the sound of the arrow cutting across the air behind her, Qin Gui subconsciously turned around and instantly saw the arrow breaking through several bushes anding straight at her, bringing along a strong breeze with it.
At that moment, Qin Gui instinctively tried to dodge away, but the problem was the fact that Du Ruo was walking right in front of her. If she were to duck, then Du Ruo may be the one hit instead.
Her hands moved faster than her brain and she flung the whip in her hands towards the feathered arrow¡
But someone was still faster than her¡ª
Another sound cut through the air, and another arrow flew over from the other side, shooting through the air like lightning with a powerful aura around it, urately knocking Ying Luo¡¯s arrow askew and into the grass.
Then, the force of the second feather which had yet to subside continued shooting forward and lodged several inches into the tree trunk nearby. The branches shook violently, raining down countless leaves.
Everything was silent, save for the rustling of the swaying branches and the wind blowing through the mountains.
Even though the crisis had been averted, Qin Gui was still in shock.
When she flung her whip, she used quite a bit of force. However, since she had no foundation in martial arts, the arrow was flying so fiercely that it was extremely unlikely she would have been able to catch it with her whip and pull it away.
Thinking back to it, Qin Gui¡¯s chest was still palpitating. How dangerous!
At that moment, the sound of hoofbeats came from the direction of where the second arrow came from.
It was Gu Zezhi on his horse.
He was riding a top of wless snow-white horse, his every move noble and elegant. He had an air of superiority about him. He was like the clear skies after a storm, and there seemed to be an invisible barrier separating him from others so that nobody darede close.
The nobledies looking at him were all silent for a moment.
¡°Big Brother!¡±
Qin Gui grinned at Gu Zezhi, her smile wide as could be. Once again, she knew she didn¡¯t hug the wrong golden thigh!
Gu Zezhi smiled and pulled on his rains, saying to Qin Gui. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±
Qin Gui followed him obediently.
After crossing through several bushes, Qin Gui saw County Princess Ying Luo and the other nobledies in the distance. In particr, Ying Luo was holding a bow in her hands while the nobledies were looking at her with a subtle look on their faces.
Qin Gui was stunned.
She did hear the sound of some girls speaking earlier and thought it was just some nobledies who hade out on a stroll like her. She didn¡¯t think that County Princess Ying Luo would be here too.
¡°Imperial Uncle Ze.¡±
As Ying Luo was part of the imperial family, she had to call Gu Zezhi imperial uncle ording to their seniority.
She called out the three words stiffly, feeling both resentful and annoyed in her heart. SHe could have taught Qin Gui a lesson, but Gu Zezhi just had to step in.
The other noblewomen all bowed to Gu Zezhi in greeting.
Qin Gui was looking straight at the longbow in Ying Luo¡¯s hands, face expressionless. Neither joy nor anger could be seen from her expression.
Ying Luo turned her head to meet Qin Gui¡¯s eyes, raising a brow and saying lightly, ¡°This County Princess identally missed. You don¡¯t mind, do you, Third Young Mistress Qin?¡±
Her lips curved up into a wanton smile, not at all concealing her thoughts. It was as if she were saying, yes! I did it on purpose! What can you do about it?
In fact, she knew what she was doing. She had been learning to ride and shoot bows since she was a young child, so that arrow would only have left a scar on Qin Gui¡¯s face. It wasn¡¯t going to kill her.
Qin Gui was still looking at Ying Luo, eyes deep, silent.
Ying Luo did not put Qin Gui in her heart. She was a county princess of the imperial family in the end, what could Qin Gui do about her?
Want to read ahead?Join Kittyjiu¡¯s patreon for $3 to ess 63advanced chapters of various novels
Chapter 151 CFV Ch.151 Her Golden Thigh (4)
Ying Luoughed and turned to Gu Zezhi. ¡°Imperial Unucle Ze. Did you not enter the hunting grounds with His Majesty? Howe you are here?¡±
Gu Zezhi did not answer Ying Luo and instead turned to Qin Gui. ¡°You can do whatever you want.¡±
Qin Gui, ¡°?¡±
Gu Zezhi knew this girl well and knew that she may be desireless on the surface and can survive whethervishly or poorly, but she would never allow herself to eat a loss.
She may swallow it for a while for whatever reasons, but since he was here, why have her bear with it?
Gu Zezhi smiled and looked gentle and elegant as usual, like a spring breeze.
Qin Gui frroze for a moment, then she understood what her golden thigh was saying, and her eyes lit up.
Qin Gui strutted towards Ying Luo, stopping in front of her horse and smiling at her.
¡°Third Young Mistress Qin.¡± Ying Luo looked down condescendingly at Qin Gui from her horse, revealing a haughty smile. ¡°What can I do for you?¡±
Qin Gui responded seriously. ¡°My hand is cramping.¡±
Ying Luo, ¡°?¡±
She was just about to ask what her hand cramping had anything to do with her when she saw a whip snapping towards her like a snake¡
¡°¡¡±
Ying Luo was dumbfounded and she subconsciously let out a shriek.
She was just about to dodge it, forgetting for a moment that she was on a horse. Body turning over, she fell straight off the horse.
¡°County Princess!¡± The other nobledies all called out to her nervously.
ALl this happened to fast that the girls simply could not hold Ying Luo in time.
Ying Luo fell heavily on the grass below her, wailing. All the other nobledies could feel the pain just from that call alone.
Almost at the same time, Qin Gui¡¯s whip brushed past the horse, cracking the ground loudly, raising up dust and leaves.
The otherdies were all stunned, sitting frozen on their horses, not knowing how to react.
Who could have imagined that Qin Gui would be so daring to actually raise her hand against Ying Luo?
Cold wind was blowing through the mountains, and a few leaves that Qin Gui had whipped up just happened tond on top of County Princess Ying Luo¡¯s hair and face, making her look miserable.
Qin Gui¡¯s lip raised up as she looked at Ying Luo just three steps in front of her.
The arrow did not hurt her just now, and her whip did not hurt her either. They were even.
As for her falling off the horse¡She fell on her own, it had nothing to do with her!
Qin Gui was in a good mood, so she beamed at Gu Zezhi.
She had to hold that golden thigh well and never let go.
¡°Qin-Gui!¡± Ying Luo struggled to sit up from the ground and looked at Qin Gui with bloodshot eyes. ¡°You actually dare make a move against this County Princess?!¡±
¡°My hand was cramping,¡± Qin Gui said innocently. ¡°Unless County Princess Xu is the only person allowed to slip up? Am I not allowed to have cramps?! That¡¯s unreasonable!¡±
¡°Qin Gui¡¡± Ying Luo was so angry that her chest couldn¡¯t stop heaving, eyes hot with rage.
She knew that Qin Gui must have done it on purpose, just as Qin Gui knew she did it on purpose.
Qin Gui only dared to do this because she had Imperial Uncle Ze at her back!
And Imperial Uncle Ze was actually biased towards her!
Ying Luo gritted her teeth, ring daggers at her.
Qin Gui put her whip away and took three steps back to Gu Zezhi¡¯s side. Gu Zezhi had a warm smile on his lips from start to end. He got off his horse and the two exchanged a few words before they each took their horses and left the rest of them.
The winter sunlight fell softly on the two of them, giving off a warm atmosphere as they gradually walked away from them.
¡°County Princess.¡±
At this time, the nobledies finally came back to their senses and dismounted from their horses to help her up.
Ying Luo shoved them away. The faintest scratch appeared on her face, which had always been well-groomed. She was biting down so hard on her lips that she could almost taste blood.
Chapter 152 CFV Ch.152 Her Golden Thigh (5)
¡°County Princess.¡± A nobledy looked fawningly at Ying Luo. ¡°That¡¯s what people whoe from those lowly ces are like. She thinks she can do everything because she managed to hook in Third Prince Gu.¡±
¡°So what if she managed to hook him? It¡¯s not like he¡¯s the crown prince, nor does he have a title. The County Princess only refers to him as Imperial Uncle out of respect. He really thinks of himself as her senior?¡±
¡°Don¡¯t be angry anymore, County Princess. That Qin Gui is just a rotten thing. How could shepare to you!¡±
¡°¡¡±
The nobledies fawned over her endlessly, but none of their words entered Ying Luo¡¯s ears. She clenched her fists and looked unblinkingly towards where Qin Gui and Gu Zezhi left.
She rememberedst month at the Shenghua Pavilion, Gu Zezhi was also clearly defending Qin Gui.
This Qin Gui was just relying on Gu Zezhi¡¯s favor, that¡¯s why she dared to act so presumptuously. She hasn¡¯t even left the court yet and she¡¯s already sticking to Gu Zezhi. Does she seriously have no shame! How could she bepared to Little Sister Xin?
But Ying Luo guessed wrong. Not only did Qin Gui never thought of sticking to Gu Zezhi, she was currently racking her mind over how to get rid of him.
Qin Gui mustered up a few words about going back to the hunting tform alone, but Gu Zezhi pretended he didn¡¯t understand.
Qin Gui, ¡°¡¡±
She turned her head to look at Gu Zezhi and thought to herself. He¡¯s faking it right? He must be!
She did not conceal her look in the slightest, so Gu Zezhi knew at a nce that this girl was trying to dismiss him as soon as she was done with him again.
Gu Zezhi smiled and suddenly asked, ¡°Where¡¯s my handkerchief?¡±
Handkerchief?! Qin Gui was taken aback. She almost lost her footing but Gu Zezhi grabbed her to let her rebnce and let go again, looking at her with a smile on his face.
Qin Gui felt a little guilty from his stare, and she had no idea whether it was her misconception, but that look in his eyes was just like a local ruffian who had just molested a young girl.
Well, was it toote now to say she lost his handkerchief?
In the end, Qin Gui didn¡¯t dare to say it and just responded, ¡°I forgot to bring it.¡±
Even though she had constantly been thinking about returning the handkerchief to him quickly during thest few days, and constantly brought it with her, she figured she wouldn¡¯t have the opportunity to meet him today, so she didn¡¯t bring it.
Qin Gui regretted it. Otherwise, why doesn¡¯t she just head back to grab it now?
Gu zezhi looked at her and the smile on his face deepened. ¡°In that case, you should just keep it.¡±
Qin Gui, ¡°¡¡±
Doesn¡¯t Gu Zezhi¡¯s words feel a little questionable?
¡°Where were you going just now?¡± Gu Zezhi changed the topic.
Seeing that he was no longer asking for his handkerchief back, Qin Gui let out a sigh of relief and quickly said, ¡°We were looking for rabbits.¡±
¡°Rabbits?¡± Gu Zezhi seemed to be interested. ¡°I¡¯lle with you.¡±
Once again, QIn Gui was silent. Asking the future viin boss to catch rabbits with her¡That wasn¡¯t really a good idea, was it?
As it turns out a big boss is a big boss after all.
With Gu Zezhi around, Qin Gui had nothing to worry about. She watched as he followed the tracks and droppings of wild rabbits with great skill and found a rabbit¡¯s nest in less than an hour.
As the saying goes, a crafty rabbit has three burrows.
Qin Gui learned from Gu Zezhi that not only did rabbits have three burrows, each burrow even has three exits.
After finding all three exits, Gu Zezhi set up traps around two of them, then he had Qin Gui smoke out the rabbits from thest exit.
Soon, two white and fluffy rabbits hurriedly ran out of the exits, allowing Gu Zezhi to catch them with his sharp and nimble reactions.
As expected of her golden thigh!
Chapter 153 CFV Ch.153 Her Golden Thigh (6)?
Qin Gui looked at Gu Zezhi who was holding a rabbit in each hand and she couldn¡¯t help but let out a heartfelt sigh of admiration. She almost wanted to p her hands.
¡°Big Brother, you¡¯re amazing!¡± Qin Gui smiled solicitously at Gu Zezhi, trying her best to pull closer to him. ¡°Did you use to hunt a lot?¡±
She pondered in her heart that maybe she could get this max-level boss to carry a noob like her. Since he knew how to hunt wild rabbits, then he could probably hunt other things too, right?
Gu Zezhi seemed to be able to guess what she was thinking and nodded with a warm smile. ¡°Royal often brought me and my brothers hunting together. He was the one who taught me personally to ride and shoot.¡±
Qin Gui was stunned to hear him mention the Lord of Duan, Gu Xiao, and a strange look shed past her eyes.
Seeing him mention his father, Gu Zezhi had a warm expression on his face, even some childish admiration. Obviously, there was no suspicion between father and son at the moment, but it was written in the novel that he killed his father and fled.
Could something have been wrong¡?
At this moment, Gu Zezhi stuffed one of the rabbits into Qin Gui¡¯s arms. Qin Gui quickly caught it. The white rabbit was warm and soft in her hands, but its hind legs were strong and powerful.
Not far away, Du Ruo who had been forgotten by the two of them felt that it was redundant of her to follow them. She thought to herself, the young miss might as well just keep the handkerchief¡
Then, after ying around and hunting with Gu Zezhi for half a day, Qin Gui was able to bring back a lot of trophies as she wished. She caught game, found wild fruits, and even some wild mushrooms and vegetables. It was a full harvest.
As for the white rabbits they caught in the beginning, one of them had been delivered safely to Sixth Prince Gu Zhen.
¡°Cousin, this rabbit is for you! And this bow, too!¡±
Qin Gui not only gave the rabbit to Gu Zhen, but also the new bow she promised him before.
Qin Zeyu was also here with Gu Zhen, but he was listless and holding a bamboo arrow in his hands, casually twirling it between his fingers.
He nned to find a few friends to y with after Qin Zening entered the hunting grounds, but who would have expected him to toss him here to Gu Zhen¡¯s ce and told him to y with him?
Gu Zhen was only five years old, and a prince to boot. Even if Qin Zeyu ate a pill of courage, he still wouldn¡¯t dare bring Gu Zhen into the hunting grounds to y. So, he could only ride horses with Gu Zhen and y pitch-pot or whatever.
When he saw Qin Guie over, he thought he could toss Gu Zhen to her and sneak off himself, but when he saw the ck bow Qin Gui handed to Gu Zhen, he forgot all about that.
Qin Zeyu had never seen such an odd-looking bow before, but he suddenly remembered hearing about Qin Gui and Qin Zening mention a new type of bow before on their way to Huangjue Temple.
¡°Could that be thepound bow?¡± Qin Zeyu asked.
Gu Zhen handed the white rabbit over to the young eunuch. He couldn¡¯t wait to try out the new bow Qin Gui gifted him. He had already been learning with the master archer for a month, so he was already drawing his bow well.
Gu Zhen lightly pulled the bow, only to see that the bow actually drew open easily. His eyes lit up instantly.
¡°Cousin Gu! I pulled it!¡± Gu Zhen was overjoyed. He thought that his cousin really was good to him.
Qin Zeyu was stunned and he almost dropped the arrow in his hands. Thisposite bow really was as his brother said. Even a young child could pull it easily. His Big Brother really didn¡¯t lie to him.
That is to say, just like his Big Brother said on that day, this bow could shoot a whole 400 paces and was also powerful. Even from 400 paces away, the arrow could still pierce 3 inches into the wood!
Want to read ahead?Join Kittyjiu¡¯s patreon for $3 to ess 63advanced chapters of various novels
Chapter 154 CFV Ch.154 He Wanted Him Dead (1)
Badump badump badump!
The more Qin Zeyu thought about it, the faster his heart beat, and the brighter his eyes burned.
¡°Third Sister~~~¡±
Qin Zeyu called out to Qin Gui in such a soft voice that it almost gave her goosebumps.
Qin Zeyu looked pitifully at her like a puppy wagging its tail. ¡°Can you make me one too?¡±
It doesn¡¯t make sense that Gu Zhen had one as their cousin, but not him as her own little brother!
Qin Gui raised a brow, unmoved. ¡°That¡¯ll depend on your performance.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll be good, I will!¡± Qin Zeyu raised his right hand, swearing to the heavens, ¡°I¡¯ll be the most well-behaved little brother you¡¯ve ever seen!¡±
Qin Gui looked at him with a meaningful smile, as if to say ¡°words don¡¯t matter, actions do¡±.
Qin Zeyu immediately brought tea and a towel for Qin Gui, even taking the initiative to massage her shoulders. He couldn¡¯t be more attentive.
Qin Zeyu was just about to coax his sister again when a eunuch came in and announced, ¡°Your Highness, the emperor has returned.¡±
When Gu Zhen heard that the emperor returned, he was ecstatic. Eyes shining brightly, he said, ¡°Cousin Gui, Cousin Yu, let¡¯s go and take a look!¡±
And thus, the three headed for the hunting tform.
The sun was already setting at that hour and many of the people setting off into the mountains for the hunt have returned, leaving all sorts of prey on the hunting tform, from mountain chickens, wild deer, roe, boars, and the like. When the wind blew, it carried with it the dense stench of blood.
At times like this, a hunter¡¯s skill in riding and shooting can be judged just from the appearance of their prey alone. The more skilled hunters can often take out their prey with a single arrow. Many men were excitedly viewing andmenting on the hunting tform.
After several imperial guards counted the prey, they went to report to the emperor. The emperor was pleased and loudly announced, ¡°The top hunter of today is Yu Fuyun!¡±.
As he finished speaking, a young gent less than twenty years old strode onto the hunting tform.
The young man had a tall and slender body with immortal cranes embroidered onto his blue fitted robes. He had a rather paleplexion and clear eyes, a meek schrly appearance. It was hard to believe a man like him who didn¡¯t even look like he had the strength to truss a chicken would be the top hunter of today.
Everyone was looking at the pale and frail-looking youth, including Qin Gui. She could keenly sense a subtle aura surrounding the young man.
Yu Fuyun respectfully cupped his fists and thanked the emperor. ¡°This humble general thanks to the emperor for his appreciation..¡±
His voice was as clear and cold as the moonlit night. Like a sword hidden in its sheath, it added a few points of sharpness to him that were unique to a martial artist.
The emperor then announced second and third ce for the day¡¯s hunt.
Second ce goes to Marquis Wu¡¯an, and third ce was Qin Zening.
The two of them went forward to give thanks as well, and the emperor graciously awarded the three of them and gave them words of encouragement, causing the other gents around them to boil with enthusiasm. They nned to show off in front of the emperor in theing few days as well.
After receiving the reward, Qin Zening returned to his siblings¡¯ side.
Qin Zeyu didn¡¯t even look at his brother but instead gushed at Qin Gui. ¡°Third Sister, are you thirsty? I poured you some tea, the temperature is just right.¡±
¡°If it¡¯s sunny, then why don¡¯t I get the umbre for you?¡±
Qin Zening silently looked up at the sky. It was currently a dim yellow. The sun was already setting halfway.
¡°Big Brother,¡± Qin Gui couldn¡¯t be bothered to deal with the brat and looked at Qin Zening with admiration. ¡°You¡¯re amazing!¡± Her eyes gleamed.
Qin Zening grinned. ¡°I¡¯m still not good enough, I didn¡¯t get first ce. Otherwise, I could¡¯ve gotten my hands on a saber from the west!¡±
as he spoke, Qin Zening¡¯s eyes turned over to Yu Fuyun on the opposite side, who was holding an exquisite saber at the moment.
The handle of the saber was carved from ivory with intricate animal patterns on the surface. The shiny silver sheath was embedded in red and blue gemstones. It was magnificent.
If he could have gifted that saber to his little sister, it would certainly suit her well, Qin Zening thought to herself.
Qin Zeyu walked over and patted his brother on the shoulder pretensively like a little adult,forting him, ¡°Big Brother, it¡¯s not shameful to lose to Yu Fuyun!¡±
¡°¡¡± Qin Zening¡¯s eye twitched.
As Qin Zeyu said, losing to Yu Fuyun wasn¡¯t shameful, but why does the way this kid speaks sound so annoying? He really does need a beating!
Chapter 155 CFV Ch.155 He Wanted Him Dead (2)
The Yu family was a famous family of martial artists in Great Qi with generations of renowned generals. The men of the Yu family have lost many sons to the battlefield in order to protect the family, so was the fates of Yu Fuyun¡¯s father and his brothers.
A year ago, themanding general of the northern frontier fell into a trap set by Northern Yan and was almostpletely wiped out because of that. At the critical moment, the Yu family led reinforcements into a battle to the death, finally resulting in heavy losses incurred on both sides. Tens of thousands of Northern Yan¡¯s elite forces were lost in battle, and for that very reason, they proposed a truce with the Great Qi.
In that battle, Yu Fuyun was the only fortunate one in the Yu family to survive. However, due to him incurring serious damage to his heart, the emperor called him back to the capital in order to recuperate. Only after a whole year was he barely able to recover around sixty-seventy percent.
Qin Zening looked at Yu Fuyun somewhat absentmindedly.
Qin Gui was also looking at Yu Fuyun, gaze lingering for a moment on the man¡¯s paper-white face.
She had also heard of Yu Fuyun¡¯s name. It was mentioned in the novel that the Yu family was a family of generals with each generation producing renowned generals, but since the Yu family sons have died on the battlefield, the Yu family has withered since then. The only surviving member, Yu Fuyun, did not share the same moral integrity as the Yu family. Betraying the trust of his nation, he openly turned to Gu Zezhi¡¯s side and became his brains, providing a number of underhanded schemes that caused the male and female leads to hate each other to the bone.
When he died, Yu Fuyun was only over twenty.
Qin Zening sighed. ¡°He¡¯s the only one left of the Yu family.¡±
A general¡¯s sesses from the deaths of countless men.
This phrase surfaced not only in Qin Zening¡¯s mind but also Qin Gui¡¯s.
In the novel, Qin Zening wanted to earn a title through military merit so that he could bring his siblings out of the marquis¡¯s household. But in the end, he died on the battlefield without even so much as a full corpse.
¡°Xiao Gui.¡± Qin Zening¡¯s voice snapped Qin Gui out of her thoughts. ¡°Quickly go and change. The banquet ising up.¡±
As a rule, the emperor will hold a banquet after rewarding the top three hunters on the first day of the winter hunt.
Qin Gui answered him and sessfully shook off the little brat following her tail, returning back to Luqin Court in order to change into new clothes suitable for the banquet. Then, she went over to Huagai Hall where a pce maid guided her to her seat.
The seats at the banquet were arranged by rank. The Qin family was only considered an ordinary marquis¡¯s family which was not highly-ranked among the ns and nobles, so they were seated closer to the back.
As soon as she sat down, Qin Gui could feel an unnerving gaze on her person.
She subconsciously raised her eyes and saw Ying Luo entering the hall, surrounded by a group of noblewomen.
Ying Luo had also changed her clothes. She was wearing a sheer golden outer robe decorated with pomegranate-red butterflies and a frost-white pleated skirt with peonies embroidered on the surface. Her ck hair was pulled up into a delicate bun with a golden phoenix hairpin inserted diagonally into her hair, giving her a graceful and beautiful appearance.
She wasn¡¯t in the same sorry state as she was this morning, but instead had the grace of a high-ranking county princess.
When their eyes met, Qin Gui curved her lips, smiling at her.
Instantly, Ying Luo¡¯s eyes darkened.
In her eyes, Qin Gui¡¯s smile was an extremely arrogant move, as if to say: and what can you do about me?
Ying Luo had already calmed herself but she felt her anger burning up to her head again.
Qin Gui was simply too much!
Ying Luo suffered a huge loss at the hunting ground today. When she returned and told Royal Consort Tai about it, she ended up getting a lecture instead.
¡°Ying Luo, you should not interact so much with Qin Xin in the future!¡±
¡°Qin Xin is nothing more than a lowly concubine now. She can¡¯t even be considered a consort! If you¡¯re seen interacting with a concubine, you will only degrade yourself. Others will criticize you!¡±
Ying Luo was disappointed and felt that the situation was unjust. Why did she have to do that?!
The one in the wrong was Qin Gui, not Little Sister Xin!
That was what she thought, and what she barked back with, which ended up with her being lectured by Royal Consort Tai again. She almost didn¡¯t even get to attend the banquet tonight. Fortunately, her elder brother was at the side, helping her persuade her mother, and only then did the two of them calm down.
Want to read ahead?Join Kittyjiu¡¯s patreon for $3 to ess 63advanced chapters of various novels
Chapter 156
Royal Consort Tai told Ying Luo not to provoke Gu Zezhi, that the Lord of Duan had military power. Gu Zezhi may not be the eldest, but he was still the Lord of Duan¡¯s formal son. He was also well-appreciated by the emperor, so it was still hard to say who will inherit the Lord of Duan¡¯s household in the future.
With Gu Zezhi at Qin Gui¡¯s back, don¡¯t even mention how Qin Gui did not even touch her with the whip today. Even if she did scar her a little, she would only be able to swallow down her anger.
Who asked Ying Luo to provoke Qin Gui first? She was the one in the wrong no matter who looked at it!
Thinking back to what her mother said, Ying Luo¡¯s eyes turned back.
But in the end, she still endured it. With her head held high, she walked to her own seat.
Very soon, more and more people gathered in the hall, and everyone gradually arrived.
After the appearance of the emperor and his empress, everyone rose to pay their respects before sitting down one by one.
As the melodious sound of bamboo flutes rose, the banquet began, and the hall was filled withughter and conversation.
Qin Gui was drinking juice and feasting on roasts, watching the entertainers dance with their silky sleeves in a rxed mood.
Today¡¯s dinner was prepared from the game that was hunted, so it was mostly mountain delicacies.
The women were eating elegantly while the men were bolder than usual. Each of them was filled with praise for the delicious food. What they were eating was not just food, but also honor. That their own prey could be shared at the pce banquet represented the highest honor for them.
The eyes of the men, especially those who have hunted wild boars, wolves, and the like, were glowing with enthusiasm.
After three rounds of wind, the dancing girls retired, and Second Prince Gu Jing stood up suddenly, attracting the attention of the people in the hall.
Gu Jing cupped his fists towards the emperor before saying aloud, ¡°Father Emperor, this humble son has good news to report. Prince Yelu has promised to gift 500 Turkic horses to the Great Qi.¡±
As soon as these words came out, a mor broke out across the hall.
Turkic horses are the prized horses of Northern Yan. They were extremely precious, and also the very weapon that allowed them to dominate the northern grasnds. They almost never gave them up to other countries, let alone a full 500 head of them.
Some of the generals were astonished. With these Turkic horses, the Great Qi will be able to breed their own Turkic horses and even improve the breed. In a few years, the Great Qi¡¯s cavalry will be even stronger.
Gu Jing quickly swept his eyes around the ministers and generals, feeling even morecent to see the surprise and delight on their faces.
These 500 Turkic horses are the ¡°deposit¡± that Yelu Luan gave him to show his sincerity.
As the Great Qi¡¯s imperial son, Gu Jing naturally knew the significance of these horses for the Great Qi. With this as a greeting gift, his father would not be able to let go of the horses even if he knows that Yelu Luan had other ns in mind.
Sure enough, he heard the emperor speaking in a cheerful tone. ¡°For Prince Yelu to offer us such an immense gift, our Great Qi can not be more thankful.¡±
Yelu Luan followed the flow and stood up.
¡°I heard from the Second Prince that the emperor is very fond of our Turkic horses. Since our countries are no longer at war, I thought of sending 500 Turkic horses to show our sincerity.¡± Yelu Luan cupped his fists to theity of their nations. ¡°Once our Country of Yan enters into an official marriage alliance with the Great Qi, we will send another 500 Turkic horses as the bridal gift.¡±
Anothermotion erupted. 500 Turkic horses for a bride was a generous offer.
Thinking back to the previous emperor, he had once offered an enormous price per head of horse during his reign from the ck market dealers of Northern Yan, but due to the strict management Northern Yan had on their horses, he was able to get no more than 50 horses.
The courtiers looked at the emperor with anxious eyes, especially the military generals. They couldn¡¯t wait for the emperor to agree to this exchange immediately. With that, they will be able to get 500 prized horses¡Add on another 500, that would make 1000!
However, the emperor wasn¡¯t too keen on the ¡°peace¡± topic and instead said indifferently, ¡°We offer a toast to Prince Yelu for these horses as a token of Our appreciation.¡±
A chambein filled the jade cup in the emperor¡¯s hand with wine, and the emperor drank it all in one gulp.
Want to read ahead?Join Kittyjiu¡¯s patreon for $3 to ess 63advanced chapters of various novels
Chapter 157 CFV Ch.157 He Wanted Him Dead (4)
Yelu Luan smiled. He didn¡¯t believe that the emperor didn¡¯t understand what he meant. Thinking back to how he was tly refused when he asked for Qin Gui¡¯s hand in marriage from the emperor, he downed his wine in one gulp as well.
Gu Jing¡¯s eyes gleamed. He asked in a joking tone, ¡°Prince Yelu has been in our Great Qi for some days now. Has a girl caught your heart yet?¡±
¡°There is in fact a girl,¡± Yelu Luan replied frankly.
As soon as those words came out, curious looks appeared in the eyes of many.
The courtiers all know that one of the purposes that Yelu Luan hade to the Great Qi was in order to tie the two nations in a marriage alliance. Only, the emperor wasn¡¯t too keen on the idea. He was neither willing to send any of the princesses off nor any imperial nswomen. He just put the matter on hold.
Could that reason be that Yelu Luan himself had already picked a candidate for marriage?
YeluLuang had just gifted the Great Qi 500 Turkic horses in Northern Yan¡¯s name and promised 500 more for a bride. If he named a woman now, then even the emperor may find it difficult to refuse him. After all, these Turkic horses were worth a lot and were also very important to the army.
¡°Who is it?¡± Gu Jing asked with excitement. ¡°Why not take advantage of this prosperous day to ask for her hand from Father?¡±
Gu Jing cupped his hands at the emperor, smiling. ¡°Father Emperor, what do you think?¡±
The emperor narrowed his eyes slightly, his emotions not written on his face. With the two of them dancing and singing in front of him in unison, did they really take him for a blind man?
Yelu Luan had his eyes on Qin Gui, or rather, on theposite bow. Anyone with a clear eye could see that.
With a thousand Turkic horses as the price, he wanted to take advantage of an asion like today to ¡°force¡± him topromise, right? What a plot!
He wondered whether his Second Prince was a fool or just trying to be smart.
The emperor twirled the wine in his cup, looking at Gu Zezhi in the distance. When he thought of how Gu Zezhi threw a sack over Yelu Luan and beat him, he couldn¡¯t help but smile.
He put the jade cup down and quietly shot a nce at Empress Wei, appeasing her.
Seeing that the emperor was not saying anything, Gu Jin felt slightly awkward. He could only shoot a nce at a fifty-year-old man in an azure robe.
That old man was Duke Cheng¡¯en, Empress Dowager Liu¡¯s brother and Gu Jing¡¯s maternal grandfather.
¡°It would be a beautiful thing if the emperor could grant a wedding.¡± Duke Cheng¡¯en immediately stood up and cupped his fists with a smile. ¡°Prince Yelu, why don¡¯t you just say it?¡±
Yelu Luan smiled. His eyes slowly swept over the people at the banquet andnded on Qin Gui who was sitting at the end of the table.
Qin Gui slowly wiped her hands with a handkerchief, feeling that this guy had been hit too lightly in that sack. She should¡¯ve given him a few more kicks. Gripping the long whip at her waist, she smirked.
Yelu Luan¡¯s gaze rested on Qin Gui for a moment before he looked back at the emperor on his throne. ¡°Your Majesty, Emperor of Great Qi. I¡¡±
¡°Prince Yelu.¡±
Right at that moment, the warm voice of a man suddenly rang out, interrupted Yelu Luan.
The man¡¯s voice was as warm as a ray of spring sunshine but his words carried resounding force. ¡°Where does a defeated nation find the qualifications to speak conditions with us?!¡±
The person who spoke was Gu Zezhi.
Gu Zezhi did not get up. He was holding his fan elegantly like a noble gentleman.
When these words came out, the hall turned so silent that even a pin drop could be heard.
The two nations were at constant strife, ending up in a dozen battles of various scales throughout the past five to six years. It wasn¡¯t until a year ago during a desperate battle for the Yu family that Northern Yan¡¯s army copsed. In the end, they could only take the initiative to propose peace talks, bringing the two regions in a brief moment of peace.
In the end, Northern Yan was the defeated country.
Whether a marriage is approved and who the wedding was with was not something a defeated general had the right to bring up!
Yu Fuyun in the distance raised his eyes towards Gu Zezhi, expressionless. He clenched his right hand around his cup, and the transparent liquid quivered at the force, creating subtle ripples on its surface.
Many of the generals in the room were impressed by Gu Zezhi¡¯s words.
The most up-to-date novels are published on lightno-velpub.c?om
Want to read ahead?Join Kittyjiu¡¯s patreon for $3 to ess 63advanced chapters of various novels
Chapter 158 CFV Ch.158 He Wanted Him Dead (5)
That¡¯s right! Great Qi was the victor and Northern Yan was the loser. Seeking peace through tribute was only right for them to do. Who said they could decide who they wanted to marry?!
These barbarians really don¡¯t know the rules!
The corners of Gu Zezhi¡¯s lips raised slightly into a light smile, appearing gentle and courteous. ¡°If Prince Yelu wishes to join the Great Qi, however, that is something we can consider.¡±
¡°But there are still rules for this. Prince Yelu can¡¯t just pick whoever he wants.¡±
¡°As for these Turkic horses¡ Though they can not be epted as a bridal gift, it can be considered a ¡®dowry¡¯ to apany Prince Yelu if he wishes to ¡®marry into¡¯ our Great Qi¡What does Your Majesty think?¡± Gu Zezhi looked at the emperor with a smile.
The emperor was watching this exchange with great interest. He immediately smiled and apuded. ¡°Zezhi¡¯s words are reasonable.¡±
After that, the emperor once again nced at Empress Wei beside him. Just as he expected, Gu Zezhi really has taken a liking to that girl, Qin Gui!
And he was very smitten with her!
The emperor was smiling, but Yelu Luan¡¯s face was ashen. He was so angry that he almost wanted to flip the table over and leave.
Marry into Great Qi?!
For a man, marrying into another person¡¯s family was the most humiliating and embarrassing thing one could be subjected to. He was a proper prince of Yan and also a famous warrior who had the right to contest for the throne. Yet Gu Zezhi dared insinuate that he enter the Great Qi?!
Yelu Luan¡¯s eyes were lit with anger when he remembered that it was Gu Zezhi who ruined his good nsst month outside the restaurant.
Later, the emperor sent Gu Zezhi to receive their envoys from the Yan Country to discuss the peace talks. It was also GU Zezhi who repeatedly made things difficult for them then. Now he was back to interfere and embarrass him again!
Yelu Luan eyed Gu Zezhi with a dark gaze, rage burning hotly in his eyes as if he wanted to burn him into ashes.
Gu Zezhi met Yelu Luan¡¯s gaze unapologetically and smiled. ¡°Is Prince Yelu not pleased dissatisfied with this arrangement?¡±
Yelu Luan snorted and was just about to speak when Gu Zezhi added, ¡°Hold it in even if you¡¯re dissatisfied.¡±
¡°This is the Great Qi, not Yan. This isn¡¯t a ce for you to throw your weight around!¡±
His final sentence was spoken full of arrogance.
Even though Gu Zezhi was clearly smiling warmly as if he were a harmless refined gentleman, the words he spoke were filled with such arrogance that it made one¡¯s blood boil.
Qin Gui looked hotly at Gu Zezhi and couldn¡¯t help but think: My golden thigh is so cool!
A smile had surfaced on the eyes of the expressionless Yu Fuyun. He picked up his wine ss and made a toast to Gu Zezhi from his seat and drank his wine in one gulp.
It was a bold action that formed a great contrast with his seemingly weak appearance.
But at this moment, the eyes of the crowd were focused on Gu Zezhi. Not many people noticed his movements.
Gu Jing was also looking at Gu Zezhi with dark eyes.
As long as Yelu Luan proposed marriage to Qin Gui, then Qin Zhun would have taken the initiative to offer her up for the sake of peace. If even the Qin family has agreed, then there was no reason for his father to refuse either. But now, his ns werepletely destroyed by Gu Zezhi!
Yelu Luan could feel a breath getting stuck in his chest that could neither go up nor down. A bitter taste was welling up in his throat.
His chest was constantly undting and his face waspletely dark as he confronted Gu Zezhi. ¡°Prince Gu, would you dare to spar with me?!¡±
¡°Is that a challenge, Prince Yelu?¡± Gu Zezhi shook the folding fan in his hands, calm and collected. ¡°If you wish to challenge me, you should offer up a prize.¡±
Yelu Luan took a few deep breaths and calmed down. Expressionlessly, he said, ¡°If you win, I want you to kneel and apologize for your unruly words.¡±
¡°And if you win, I will never mention the marriage alliance ever again.¡±
This prince from Northern Yan has put up a strong argument. Gu Zezhi smiled even deeper and shook his head. ¡°No. If I win, then I would have to trouble Prince Yelu to go to the Shrine of Heroes to apologize to the heroes who died in the battle with your armies in Yan¡¯s name!¡±
Yu Fuyun¡¯s hand trembled indiscernibly once more.
This was the very request Gu Zezhi brought out during the peace talks, and he had t out refused. This was simply trying to run the faces of their Yan country to the ground!
Yelu Luan¡¯s eyes werepletely ruthless. He wanted him dead.
Chapter 159 CFV Ch.159 Are You Helping Me? (1)
Ye Luluan was silent for a moment, gritted his teeth and responded: ¡°Okay!¡±
He¡¯ll win this anyway!
Ye Luluan quickly added: ¡°Let¡¯spete in riding while shooting!¡±
The so-called riding while shooting refers to two parties sitting on horsebacks, as they both rode on sprinting horses, whoever shoots the other¡¯s target first wins.
Ye Luluan was afraid that he would disagree, so he provoked him: ¡°Prince Gu, if you¡¯re worried that you¡¯ll lose, just admit defeat now. As long as you kneel before me now, I won¡¯t hold on to this issue any further.¡±
Gu Zezhi calmly stared at him, his expression turned even more gentle, and nodded: ¡°Riding while shooting then.¡±
Ye Luluan¡¯s eyes shed in eagerness, and secretly said to himself: Gu Zezhi is so egotistical, but he will for sure lose!
The people from Yan practically grew up on horsebacks!
With Gu Zezhi¡¯s weak form, he expects to win against him in this, in his dreams!
Not only Ye Luluan, but even the other ministers did not hold high hopes for thispetition. The third son of Emperor Duan never showed his athletic side, so how could he possibly win against Ye Luluan, who practically grew up on a horseback.
It¡¯s not that they were being presumptuous, it¡¯s just that when ites to horse riding skills, Daqi was indeed weaker than those barbarians. What¡¯s more, Ye Luluan was also a famous warrior in Beiyan.
Of course, it¡¯s not that Daqi didn¡¯t have a master in riding and shooting. Yu Fuyun was a master in this. When Yu Fuyun was fifteen years old, he shot the head of an enemy general with an arrow from two hundred meters away.
If it was the former Yu Fuyun in this, he might still stand a chance against Ye Luluan. Unfortunately, Yu Fuyun damaged his core from a serious injury, and his skills in riding and shooting were significantly weaker than before.
Even the emperor frowned slightly, thinking to himself: He hasn¡¯t heard Uncle Emperor Duan talk about how Zezhi was good at this?
Among the people present, Qin Jiu was the only one who was not worried at all. After all, how could Gu Zezhi, a viin who upied more than half of the story, lose to Ye Luluan, a small character that isn¡¯t even the third or fourth male lead!
Qin Jiu looked at Gu Zezhi with bright eyes, all that was left was for her to say ¡°You can do this¡± to him.
As if he felt Qin Jiu¡¯s gaze, Gu Zezhi looked back and saw the brilliance and trust in her eyes, the smile on Gu Zezhi¡¯s face deepened again.
In this world, perhaps she was the only one who wholeheartedly trusted him.
The others present had no room to speak at all, and could only blindly follow the emperor, Gu Zezhi and Yeluluan out.
After the time of a stick of incense, everyone gathered on the school grounds southwest of the Hunting Manor. Looking around, people were shuffling around like a pot of boiling water.
In addition to Ye Luluan, several other envoys from Beiyan were also there, they were all gleaming in pride. In their minds, there was no doubt in the oue of thispetition, and there was no suspense to it at all.
The sun was setting, and the west sky was tainted red by the burning clouds, and an atmosphere of restlessness lingered in the air.
Qin Jiu chose a ce with a good view to watch the match, and Qin Zeyu also came to her, chattering in her ear non-stop:
¡°Third sister, do you think Prince Gu can win?¡±
¡°Prince Gu looks like such a gentleman, even if he knew how to ride and shoot, I¡¯m afraid that he is no match to Prince Yelu.¡±
¡°I heard that the people from Beiyan are really good at riding and shooting. In order to cultivate a sense of teamwork with the horse, they eat and sleep with it, so that they could achieve the level of ¡®unity between humans and the horse¡¡ Um!¡±
Qin Jiu felt that this little kid was really noisy, and he wasn¡¯t really smart, how could the big boss lose!
She took a piece of pastry from the dessert te and stuffed it into his mouth.
The world fell silent!
At this time, Gu Zezhi and Ye Luluan appeared while riding their horses from both ends of the school field. The two stood face to face. Their horses were pacing as its hooves clinked, full of eagerness.
In mid-winter, the wind was bitterly cold.
Hundred pairs of eyes stared at the two scorchingly.
The gentle and sophisticated teen on the east side was as tame as jade, and the outsider on the west side was rough and bold. The two formed a sharp contrast. If the former was a finely crafted meticulous painting, then thetter was a freehand painting with rich ink and color.
Their robes rolled up with the rustling wind, as the corners of their robes fluttered in the wind, rustling, adding hints of chill to the scene.
Everyone waited as they held their breaths in.
This match was not only apetition match between Gu Zezhi and Ye Luluan, but also a duel between Daqi and Beiyan.
Want to read ahead?Join Kittyjiu¡¯s patreon for $3 to ess 63advanced chapters of various novels
Chapter 160 CFV Ch.160 Are You Helping Me? (2)
¡°Kong!¡±
With the sound of a loud gong, the noisy crowd quieted down. At the same time, the two horses sprinted forward like lightning, raising a cloud of sand dust, and the sound of iron hoofs echoed in the cold wind¡¡
Ye Luluan leaned down slightly, almost blending into one with his dark horse. His horse and him were like wild wolves eyeing on their prey, with a murderous aura.
Suddenly, Yeluluan moved, holding the bow in his left hand and taking the arrow with his right, and then hooked and spread his bow, the bowstring was like a full moon.
In the next instant, the arrow was released, piercing through the air with a ¡°shoo¡±, and was aiming right at Gu Zezhi¡¯s heart.
The tip of this arrow was wrapped in cloth, and both of them were also wearing protective gear to protect their hearts, but if the arrow really shot him in the heart, Gu Zezhi would for sure suffer internal injuries!
Everyone gasped, even Qin Zeyu who was devouring the pastry, stopped and stared without blinking.
Facing the oing arrow, Gu Zezhi calmly and swiftly turned sideways.
The arrow flew almost against his chest, what a close call.
His white horse neighed vigorously, however, it was not frightened at all, and the two horses passed by each other.
All this happened in an instant and the people watching tensed up and sighed in relief along with them.
Qin Zeyu gulped down the pastries in relief, and said to himself: Not bad!
Before he even started to chew, he saw Gu Zezhi¡¯s white horse suddenly leap up, its hooves flying high into the sky. At the same time, Gu Zezhi shot an arrow with his backhand, the whole series of movements were as beautiful and smooth as running clouds and flowing water. In the blink of an eye, three arrows shot at Ye Luluan ¡°swiftly¡±, as if a violent storm suddenly appeared.
At that moment, Gu Zezhi¡¯s breath changed, as if he had suddenly removed the mask he had on, and his whole body was as swift and sharp as a sword out of its sheath.
At the same time when the three arrows were released, the white horse¡¯s hoovesnded on the ground, they had such great chemistry.
Ye Luluan felt as if his back was smashed three times with a hammer, a strong blood taste filled his mouth, his body lost bnce, and he fell off the horse.
In an instant, everyone watching the match stood up subconsciously and watched in amazement as Ye Luluan rolled awkwardly on the ground¡¡
¡¡
The surroundings fell silent.
Thinking back on what had happened just now, everyone was in disbelief and stared at Ye Luluan intently.
If Gu Zezhi¡¯s three arrows were not covered with cloth, Ye Luluan would have been killed on the spot!
Gu Zezhi won, a clean win!
Everyone was startled, and Gu Zezhi¡¯s victory also represented Daqi¡¯s victory over the people of Beiyan!
Daqi defeated Beiyan in this aspect, the ministers were all riled up.
The two Beiyan envoys nervously called for the ¡°Second Prince¡± and ran towards Ye Luluan.
About three feet away, Gu Zezhi¡¯s horse stopped in its steps, and the white horse was still feeling the rush of adrenaline, and excitedly lifted its two front legs up high.
Gu Zezhifortably stroked the white horse¡¯s long neck twice, and looked at Qin Jiu in the crowd.
Qin Jiu smiled tteringly, quickly showing her loyalty, and pped.
No wonder he¡¯s the big boss, capable in both literary and military aspects, for generations toe, to rule all thend!
Qin Zeyu, who was next to her, also pped, he pped even more vigorously than Qin Jiu.
At this moment, the two Beiyan envoys had joined forces to help Ye Luluan up from the ground.
Ye Luluan had just rolled on the ground, his robe was stained with ayer of dust, his elbows were injured after rubbing it against the sand and gravel, his hair that was originally tied in a ponytail was also scattered everywhere in a mess, he was embarrassed.
Ye Luluan quickly stood up.
Although he fell down his horse, he had adjusted his posture in mid-air before crashing, and he rolled on the ground twice to relieve the momentum. He was not injured at all, but he just looked like a mess.
Ye Luluan pushed away the two Beiyan envoys impatiently, and raised his eyes to look at Gu Zezhi who was a few feet away.
Gu Zezhi turned around and looked into his eyes, his handsome face had a hint of smile on, like the bright ray of sun in the summer, as he cupped his hands before his chest with a smile: ¡°That was a good game.¡±
¡°Prince Yelu won¡¯t break his promise, right?¡± Gu Zezhi reminded him with a smile.
He satfortably on his white horse, with a condescending posture.
Seeing this scene envelope on the school field, everyone around who was watching the match got even more excited, as they gleamed in happiness.
In contrast, Yu Fuyun, who was still sitting in his chair and was slightly below everyone else, seemed calm.
Chapter 161 CFV Ch.161 Are You Helping Me? (3)
His handsome face was as calm and cool as water, but his gaze was far less calm than what he seemed to be, his pupils were as dark as ink.
The people of Beiyan are nomads on the northern grasnds. For hundreds of years, they have repeatedly invaded the territory of the Central ins.
Since he was fifteen years old, he had guarded the border with his father and uncle in northern Xinjiang. In just over two years, he had watched the two armies go through no less than 50 battles and watched the Beiyan army burn and kill on thend of Daqi, with his very own eyes. He wasn¡¯t sure how many soldiers and people had been killed at the border. The Beiyan army¡¯s methods were cruel, and the countless acts of ughtering the people in capitals and viges have ruined many families in Daqi.
Yu Fuyun¡¯s hands that were hidden in his sleeves, tightly clenched into fists, his gaze were as cold as frost.
Ye Luluan, who had his back to Yu Fuyun, red as he looked at Gu Zezhi in shame, his face was pale, as if he had been pped in the face, and his tall figure tensed up.
In his opinion, on the battlefield, victory is victory, defeat is defeat. However, Daqi had so many additional requests, why should they have to apologize!
To put it bluntly, the people of Daqi were just trying to suppress them in their peace talk!
Although Ye Luluan was unwilling to do so, the people of Beiyan had always kept to their promises. Since he promised to do so, he will act on it, otherwise he would be a shame to the people of Beiyan.
Ye Luluan gritted his teeth and said: ¡°I¡¯ll keep to my promise!¡±
After Ye Luluan finished speaking, he left with a flick of his sleeves, the few envoys of Beiyan did not stay there any further, and they all chased after Ye Luluan and left.
The emperor was in a good mood, he felt rather rxed. He personally greeted Gu Zezhi to return to the banquet in Huagai Hall.
Gu Jing walked behind them, as he looked at the emperor and Gu Zezhi ahead, his eyes flickered, he still couldn¡¯t believe that Ye Luluan had lost.
Their n was so perfect, but Ye Luluan lost. Originally, he could use the five hundred horses from Ye Luluan to show his power in front of the generals and win some favors. And if the marriage could go along, the remaining horses promised by Ye Luluan could also be easily obtained.
Unexpectedly, in the end, he actually indirectly helped someone else and gave Gu Zezhi a chance to showcase himself.
The others around were overjoyed. They were all talking about the match just now, and they were full of praise for Gu Zezhi¡¯s riding and shooting skills.
Especially Qin Zeyu, the whole journey back to Huagai Hall, he kept talking in Qin Jiu¡¯s ears intently:
¡°Third Sister, you know big brother so well! Did you see how they worked together so tacitly, a human and a horse. Unity of a human and a horse? It¡¯s the unity of both mind and soul!¡±
¡°When he shot those three arrows when the horse was in the air. At this time, the horse remained stable and calm, so the arrow was stable when it was shot, but within such a short time span, to get such uracy, it must have taken so much practice!¡±
¡°The three arrows all did its job, and they all hit Prince Yelu, so urate and powerful!¡±
Qin Jiu listened, and she also felt proud of this in her heart.
However, she appeared to be much calmer than Qin Zeyu. While drinking the sweet and sour sherbet, she looked in the direction of Gu Zezhi, and said in her heart: My golden thigh is for sure the best, it goes without saying!
A pcedy just filled Gu Zezhi¡¯s cup with alcohol. Gu Zezhi held up the cup elegantly and gave someone diagonally opposite of him a toast.
Qin Jiu followed Gu Zezhi¡¯s gaze in secret, and Yu Fuyun¡¯s handsome face caught her eye.
Yu Fuyun nodded slightly at Gu Zezhi, his expression remained cold as frost.
For some reason, Qin Jiu felt that there was a tacit understanding between the two people.
Could it be that the two of them had worked together?!
This idea just emerged in her head and was rejected by Qin Jiu. In the novel, Gu Zezhi shouldn¡¯t be in the capital now.
Qin Jiu didn¡¯t have a chance to think too much. Qin Zeyu was pouring tea and water for Qin Jiu diligently. He wanted Qin Jiu to introduce Gu Zezhi to him.
Most people didn¡¯t pay attention to the brief eye contact between Gu Zezhi and Yu Fuyun. The atmosphere of the banquet was starting to heat up and there were plenty of warriors who made a toast to him.
It wasn¡¯t untilter that day that the pce banquet came to an end.
As soon as Qin Jiu got up, Xiao Kouzi came over with a smile and said, ¡°Miss Qin, the empress wants to see you.¡±
Qin Jiao responded and followed Xiao Kouzi to meet Empress Wei.
¡°Jiu,e and have a seat.¡±
Chapter 162 cfv ch.162 are you helping me? (4)
Empress Wei smiled and beckoned to Qin Jiu, calling her toe to her, smiling as she looked at her again, the more she looked, the more she felt that her niece was very beautiful, but it was a pity that she was about to belong to someone else.
In the hunting manor, there were not as many rules. Empress Wei pulled on Qin Jiu to sit next to her affectionately, and asked with a smile: ¡°Jiu, what do you think of Gu Zezhi?¡±
Qin Jiu snorted when she heard her words, and said in her heart: What is she asking this for?
No matter what it is for, it doesn¡¯t matter, but she can¡¯t let people think that she was dissatisfied with her golden thigh. He¡¯ll for suree to her when he hears about this, and she¡¯ll be forever paranoid over this.
So, Qin Jiu sat in a precarious manner and said in a serious tone: ¡°Aunt, Prince Gu is a very good man.¡±
The smile on Empress Wei¡¯s face grew stronger when she heard her say this, her expression was gentle and loving.
At the banquet just now, Ye Luluan obviously wanted to ask Qin Jiu to marry him. Once he proposes this in front of all the civil and military forces of the Dynasty, with another thousand horses on the line, under such circumstances, even the emperor would find it difficult to refuse.
Fortunately, Gu Zezhi stood up for this girl, and he also used it to strengthen Daqi¡¯s great power!
Gu Zezhi was impable in his literary talents and martial arts. Although he was not a crown prince, with his ability, he could always earn himself a title and future on his own. The most important thing is that Jiu was quite satisfied with him and that he was also fond of her.
Well, these two are both talented and beautiful, fond of each other, they¡¯re a good match.
The more Empress Wei thought about it, the more she felt that Gu Zezhi was a good pick, and she continued to inquire Qin Jiu enthusiastically: ¡°Jiu, does Gu Zezhi treat you well?¡±
¡°Yes, of course he treats me well.¡± Qin Jiu nodded hurriedly, for fear of speaking too slowly, ¡°Jin¡¡Prince Gu is very good to me.¡±
Empress Wei nodded as she listened, her big smile could no longer be hidden, ¡°As long as he treats you well.¡±
Qin Jiu: ¡°Yes, yes!¡±
Huh? Something feels wrong¡¡
Qin Jiu blinked, she felt that her tone sounded slightly weird, and it seemed that she didn¡¯t understand what she was implying.
Forget it, maybe she was overthinking this¡¡
Thinking back about what she had just said, Qin Jiu smiled, her eyes curled. She for sure didn¡¯t say anything wrong today!
The two then spoke on for a while, and then the emperor came, so Qin Jiu excused herself wittily.
¡°Emperor,¡± Empress Wei held the emperor¡¯s hand happily, beaming with joy, ¡°I think this marriage might work!¡±
She had tested the water just now, Jiu said that Gu Zezhi was a very good man, and he treated her well. Moreover, when Jiu talked about Gu Zezhi, her little face seemed to glow.
These two can definitely make it!
The emperor listened to her with a smile, raised his eyebrows and asked, ¡°How should we address them in the future?¡±
Empress Wei felt that it was not a huge problem, and said casually: ¡°We¡¯ll address them in our own ways. Anyway, this kind of thing is not umon for the royal family.¡±
The second emperor of this dynasty had even epted both his aunt and his nephew into the pce. In the previous dynasty, there was a ridiculous emperor who even forced his son¡¯s concubine to be his, and this was even written in the folk songs and operas.
Emperor: ¡°¡¡¡± The empress¡¯ words make sense.
¡°Emperor, do you think it¡¯s time for me to prepare the dowry for Jiu? That Qin family is unreliable! I¡¯ll quickly prepare a dowry list¡¡¡± Empress Wei mumbled about the dowry, but her mind was obviously very much distracted.
The emperor looked at her happily, and said in his heart: Well, as long as she¡¯s happy. How to address them, it¡¯s really not a big deal.
After counting the dowry, Empress Wei remembered one more thing, and changed up the conversation: ¡°Emperor, Zhen¡¯er told me just now that Jiu gifted him a bow. I saw that it was exactly that kind ofpound bow.¡±
Qin Jiu was busy refining thepound bow in the Ministry of Works. Of course, the emperor knew about it. She only took away the newly improved bow after getting the emperor¡¯s permission.
For the emperor, the craftsmen only needed to know how to make a bow. The bow was made with Qin Jiu¡¯s hard work, so she deserved the bow. However, what the emperor did not expect was that Qin Jiu took the bow for Gu Zhen.
The emperor was startled, he smiled, and said with a meaningful expression: ¡°This girl is really one-track minded. She only made one of that bow. I haven¡¯t even seen it yet.¡±
Empress Wei smiled and nodded, and then said clearly: ¡°Zhen¡¯er treats it as his treasured possession, if you want to see it, you ask him for it yourself.¡±
Chapter 163 cfv ch.163 are you helping me? (5)
The emperorughed. ¡°That kid, Zhen¡¯er, won¡¯t even show me that form of respect.¡± After saying that, he was slightly relieved, ¡°Zhen¡¯er is now getting more and more lively, and he¡¯s doing well academically¡¡¡±
Speaking of Gu Zhen, the emperor couldn¡¯t help but think of Gu Jing, and his good mood was immediately destroyed.
He could also understand Gu Jing¡¯s thinking, Gu Jing was the most ambitious among his sons.
These days, he has been bringing Zhen¡¯er to do his homework and meet ministers. Naturally, Gu Jing also noticed this and he felt flustered.
Gu Jing was indeed flustered, not only anxious, but also annoyed.
Looking at Ye Luluan¡¯s gloomy side profile, Gu Jing felt that he was rather useless, as he couldn¡¯t even grasp the opportunity he provided him.
His thoughts remained his thoughts, but Gu Jing¡¯s expression was calm. He sighed, with a helpless look, and said: ¡°Gu Zezhi has always been like this, acting all high and mighty. Haih.¡±
Ye Luluan drank the strong alcohol in the cup, wiped his mouth boldly, as he reeked of the smell of alcohol.
Upon hearing Gu Zezhi¡¯s name, Ye Luluan¡¯s back that was hit by the arrows began to faintly hurt again, as if to remind him that he had lost.
With everyone watching, he lost to Gu Zezhi in the aspect he was the best at.
Ye Luluan poured himself another ss and drank it again in one gulp.
Gu Jing continued: ¡°Actually, I noticed that Gu Zezhi might have also fallen in love with Qin Jiu.¡±
He coldly snorted in disdain: This wild brat from the countryside has the charm to make them all fight for her?
Ye Luluan squeezed the cup tightly and did not speak.
He remembered the incident in front of the restaurantst month. That time it was also Gu Zezhi who ruined his n. It seems that it might be like what Gu Jing said. Gu Zezhi had also fallen in love with Qin Jiu, so that¡¯s why he¡¯s always onto him!
This way, it must be Gu Zezhi who put him in a sack that day and beat him up.
Ye Luluan¡¯s face turned an ugly shade of colour, his mood was rather unstable.
When he thought of the fact that when he returned to the capital, he would be forced to kneel at the Yingling Temple in front of Gu Zezhi, Ye Luluan wanted to just break his body into pieces.
Ye Luluan managed to squeeze out a voice from between his teeth while he gritted down: ¡°Gu Zezhi¡¡¡±
He subconsciously squeezed the cup tightly, and the cup almost shattered into pieces.
The corners of Gu Jing¡¯s lips twitched a mocking smile, where Ye Luluan couldn¡¯t see. His voice was calm, but he said with a coaxing tone: ¡°If Prince Yelu wants to seek revenge, it¡¯s actually not that difficult.¡±
Ye Luluan raised her long eyebrows and looked at Gu Jing.
Gu Jing took a sip and said with a smile: ¡°It¡¯s your first time here in Daqi, so you might not be aware of this. ording to the rules, there will be a night hunt tomorrow, and Gu Zezhi will definitely enter the woods too. If something happens to him, it¡¯s just God¡¯s will.¡±
Ye Luluan raised his eyebrows, snorted, and said, ¡°Are you helping me?¡±
Gu Jing didn¡¯t deny it, and only said: ¡°You and I have our own aims.¡±
He smiled, and added in a meaningful tone: ¡°A straightforward person does not resort to insinuations, it isn¡¯t only Prince Yelu who wants Gu Ze to die. If Prince Yelu can kill him, it will be good for me too.¡±
Ye Luluan squinted his eyes and looked at Gu Jing, his gaze slumping deeper and deeper.
Originally, he thought that Gu Jing was stupid. Going behind Emperor Daqi¡¯s back and cooperating with him. If Emperor Daqi found out, it would not be good news for him. The Daqi Dynasty was different from their Yan Kingdom. The imperial power here was supreme. Whoever Emperor Daqi wanted to appoint as the crown prince, then that person would be the crown prince. Gu Jing angered Emperor Daqi, so he missed his chance for the throne.
But what does this have to do with him?! In his opinion, it would be better for Gu Jing to be as stupid as possible.
Now it seems that Gu Jing wasn¡¯t really as dumb.
Gu Jing definitely knew that cooperating with him would make Emperor Daqi dislike him, but he did it anyway. This move was rather intriguing.
Ye Luluan contemted for a moment, smashed the cup on the table ¡°bang¡±, and said, ¡°Okay!¡±
So what if Gu Jing wanted to make use of him to get rid of his enemy?!
As Gu Jing said, they all have their own aims, and no one owes anything to the other party.
Gu Jing smiled again, holding onto his cup and said, ¡°Prince Yelu, don¡¯t worry, someone will create a chance for you on that day.¡±
Ye Luluan also raised his ss, the two smiled at each other, and after giving a toast, they gulped the drink down in one shot.
Chapter 164 cfv ch.164 hunting grounds (1)
Whening out of Ye Luluan¡¯s ce, the bright moon was hanging high in the sky, Gu Jing walked slowly to his manor with his hands behind his back.
In his opinion, working together with Yeluluan was just to achieve what they both wanted. He wants the horses, and Yeluluan wants Qin Jiu, it¡¯s a fair trade.
Although the new type of bow was important, however, once it¡¯smonly used in the army, it would be rather easy for Beiyan to get one of the bows, figure out its structure and make a replica of it. It was actually really easy to aplish, but if it was not poprized in the army, the bow isn¡¯t even worth mentioning.
But the horses are a different case. They are one of the best battle horses, which could make Daqi¡¯s cavalry much more powerful.
This was not only what he wanted, but also what the troops would want.
There is no absolute fairness in this world. It was worthwhile for him to trade the method to produce the new bows in return for the horses to gain favoritism in the army.
He is not the first son, and the Emperor is more fond of Gu Zhen. In order to get that position of supremacy, he must fight for it!
As for Gu Zezhi, he was in the way of his ns, and he isn¡¯t too fond of him, no wonder Emperor Duan¡¯s eldest son can¡¯t stand him¡¡
The mid-winter night was quiet, only the cold wind blew through the night, the surrounding trees rustled in the darkness, like a group of dancing demons.
The ritual on the second day of Winter Hunting would start at dusk, so there will be nothing to do during the day.
Qin Jiu slept untilte in the morning, then she took her time to depart from Luqin court to the hunting tform.
From a distance, she could hear Qin Zeyu¡¯s muffled voice in her ears: ¡°¡¡Cousin, you just have to lend me your bow, and I¡¯ll promise to hunt down a bear for you.¡±
Under the big tree in front of her, Qin Zeyu looked at the ck bow in Gu Zhen¡¯s hand with greedy eyes, patted his chest and promised confidently.
¡°Liar.¡± Gu Zhen made it clear that he didn¡¯t believe him, ¡°Cousin Yu, with your thin figure, don¡¯t let the bear hunt you down instead.¡±
Qin Zeyu: ¡°¡¡¡±
He never thought that he would be this unlikeable. He must have been with his sister for too long, one who stays near ink gets stained ck¡¡cough cough, one who stays near vermilion gets stained red!
Qin Zeyu, who was secretly bashing his sister, turned around and saw Qin Jiu approaching them in a leisure manner, as she stared at him with a smile.
The expression on Qin Zeyu¡¯s face changed, and he shouted passionately: ¡°Third sister~~~ You¡¯re here, do you want to have some water?¡±
As he said this, he poured a ss of cold water, and handed it to his sister, as if he was showering his sister with immense love and respect.
While holding the cold teacup, Qin Jiu felt the oing cold wind, and wondered if this kid was deliberately ying tricks on her?
¡°Sister, aren¡¯t you thirsty?¡± Qin Zeyu asked, without waiting for Qin Jiu¡¯s answer, he diligently suggested, ¡°Do you want a Jianzi? I¡¯ll hunt down a pheasant for you and make you one, ok?¡±
Qin Zeyu thought in his heart: This way, he could directly ask Gu Zhen to lend him the bow. After that, as long as he performs well in front of his third sister, she¡¯ll definitely be willing to make a new bow for him too!
Qin Zeyu patted his chest in confidence and promised: ¡°Third Sister, I will make you the prettiest Jianzi!¡± His boastful appearance was exactly the same as when he just promised Gu Zhen to hunt down a bear.
¡°Okay! Go hunt for pheasants!¡± Gu Zhen¡¯s eyes brightened, and eagerly responded, ¡°Cousin Yu, I think pheasants would be okay for you! Cousin Jiu, don¡¯t you think so too?¡±
Qin Jiao gave Qin Zeyu a faint nce, and unceremoniously dismissed him as she said, ¡°That¡¯s hard to say.¡± She knew what he was plotting behind her back.
Qin Zeyu: ¡°¡¡¡±
Qin Zeyu felt that his sister was underestimating him way too much.
Forget it, he¡¯ll be the bigger person here!
Qin Zeyu looked at Gu Zhen again with his scorching gaze, and said, ¡°Cousin, let me use your bow. I¡¯ll need it to hunt down the pheasants to make Jianzi for my third sister.¡± After a pause, he said earnestly, ¡°You¡¯re still too young to go into the forest.¡±
Naturally, there would be no pheasants near this hunting tform. If he wanted to hunt for them, he had to enter the hunting ground.
Gu Zhen hugged his precious bow tightly, and hesitatingly said, ¡°I want to go too.¡±
¡°No, no.¡± Qin Zeyu objected strongly, ¡°Aunt will not agree to this. Third sister, you wait here and apany your cousin. I¡¯ll hunt down the best-looking pheasant for you in a bit.¡±
Qin Jiu won¡¯t let Qin Zeyu use her like this.
This rascal is such a nuisance!
Chapter 165 cfv ch.165 hunting grounds (2)
She cleared her throat and was about to say something when she saw Gu Zhen look past her, as he happily shouted: ¡°Uncle Emperor.¡±
Qin Jiu followed Gu Zhen¡¯s gaze, and saw Gu Zezhiing towards them on his horse from the forest.
Gu Zezhi was alone, with neither bow and arrows nor prey, as if he was just taking his horse for a run in the forest.
Gu Zezhi also saw them, and rode towards them. His white horse¡¯s snow-white coat was shining in the golden sun, majestic and extraordinary, Qin Zeyu¡¯s eyes were gleaming from the sight of it.
After greeting each other, Gu Zhen said hurriedly: ¡°Uncle Emperor, you can take us into the hunting ground. Cousin Yu and I are nning to hunt down a pheasant for my cousin!¡±
¡°A pheasant?¡± Gu Zezhi raised his eyebrows and looked at the little girl who was smiling exceptionally bright beside Gu Zhen.
¡°To make a Jianzi.¡± Qin Zeyu immediately added, ¡°I want to make a Jianzi for my sister.¡±
Gu Zezhi readily responded: ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±
Both Gu Zhen and Qin Zeyu were overjoyed. Gu Zhen was pleased that he could finally enter the hunting ground, and Qin Zeyu was delighted that he had the opportunity to use thepound bow.
So, Gu Zezhi stopped riding on his horse, passed the horse to his guards, and walked into the forest with Qin Jiu, Qin Zeyu, and Gu Zhen.
The emperor¡¯s winter hunt was not a small event. The area around the hunting ground would be cleaned up by the Forbidden Army prior to the start of the event, and beasts such as wolves, wild boars and wild bears would be driven to the depths of the hunting ground. If they wanted to hunt down a pheasant, taking a stroll around the outskirts of the hunting ground would be sufficient.
It was his first time in the forest, Gu Zhen was fascinated about everything, as it was all very new to him, he tugged on Qin Jiu and chatted non-stop.
They were considered lucky. It didn¡¯t take long for them to spot a pheasant in the woods. It was very plump. When it pped its wings, its colorful tail slightly stretched out, dazzling, like a peacock spreading its feathers.
Qin Zeyu said impatiently, ¡°Quickly, cousin, lend me the bow, don¡¯t let it run away.¡±
Gu Zhen¡¯s eyes brightened when he saw the pheasant, and generously handed over the bow. Qin Zeyu finally got thepound bow and stroked it in joy. He was worried that the pheasant would get away, so he didn¡¯t waste any more time and strapped on the arrow.
He must showcase himself in front of his third sister!
Qin Zeyu drew the bowstring confidently, and stretched it until the very end.
He was taken aback, but more pleasantly surprised.
Thispound bow was way better than what his older brother had described!
Qin Zeyu released the bowstring abruptly, and the arrow shot out with a ¡°swish¡±, it zoomed through the bushes, andnded on the grass less than half a step away from the pheasant.
¡°Hahahahaha!¡±
Gu Zhenughed out loud, ¡°Cousin Yu, and you told me that you were going to hunt down a bear, you can¡¯t even hunt down a pheasant!¡±
Qin Zeyu got angry from the embarrassment, his cheeks flushed red, he drew another arrow, and said determinedly: ¡°Again!¡±
However, the pheasant before them was already startled by that arrow, it was about to fly away as it pped its wings, which left Qin Zeyu no chance to redeem himself.
¡°Give it to me.¡±
Gu Zezhi stretched out his hand, and Qin Zeyu handed thepound bow to him without much thought, he then saw Gu Zezhi draw the bow with much ease.
With a sharp burst of air, the arrow urately hit the pheasant¡¯s small neck, piercing the throat with one arrow.
¡°Amazing!¡±
All three of them stared at him as they apuded enthusiastically.
Qin Zeyu then went over to pick up the dead pheasant. Gu Zezhi¡¯s arrow was extremely urate. Blood didn¡¯t stter everywhere, and the feathers on its tail were still in perfect condition.
Qin Zeyu secretly said to himself: He has great eyesight, why would he fall for his third sister. Hmmm, guess he doesn¡¯t know that his third sister hits hard, so he mustn¡¯t tell him!
Gu Zezhi smiled and said to Qin Jiu, ¡°Let¡¯s go, we¡¯ll go make Jianzi.¡±
At this moment, for some reason, Qin Zeyu and Gu Zhen felt that the ¡°we¡± in Gu Zezhi¡¯s words somehow doesn¡¯t include them, and their existence there seemed to be getting in the way of things.
It must be an illusion!
Now that they got the pheasant, they exited the forest.
The maid and servant under Gu Zhen were all waiting outside, worried sick, and they were relieved to see that they had returned safely.
When Gu Zezhi said he was going to make Jianzi, he really started to do so. He removed a few tail feathers from the pheasant, and started to carefully trim them.
Want to read ahead?Join Kittyjiu¡¯s patreon for $3 to ess 63advanced chapters of various novels
Chapter 166 Cfv Ch.166 Hunting Grounds (3)
Qin Jiu brought Qin Zeyu along to set up a grill in the perg near the hunting tform, and instructed the servants to clean the pheasant after removing the tail to roast it. When the fragrant roasted pheasant was done, Gu Zezhi was also done with the Jianzi.
¡°For you.¡±
Gu Zezhi handed it to Qin Jiu.
This Jianzi was made from that pheasant¡¯s prettiest feathers. The long colorful feathers hung down the sides, it resembled a blooming Phoenix flower. When the wind blew, the feathers swayed along, glistening with brilliance, it was exceptionally beautiful.
Qin Zeyu urged: ¡°Third sister, try it!¡±
Qin Jiu was also eager to try it out, she threw the Jianzi in the air, and then used her right foot to coil it¡¡
The Jianzi flew up, and then fell. She gave it an urate kick. The next moment, it flew into the distance, drawing a long parab in mid-air, like a bird spreading its wings andnded on a tree not far away.
¡°Ha ha ha!¡±
Qin Zeyuughed loudly and made no effort to hide his hystericalugh.
Qin Jiu: ¡°¡¡¡±
Is he asking for a beating! Qin Jiu subconsciously touched the whip on her waist, before taking a hold on the handle, she heard Gu Zezhi say with a smile, ¡°What a good kick.¡±
Gu Zezhi reached out and took down the Jianzi that was hanging on the tree.
¡°¡¡¡± Qin Zeyu¡¯s eyes instantly widened. Gu Zezhi is really blinded by love!
Qin Zeyu also noticed that Qin Jiu¡¯s hand was ced on her whip, and praised wittily: ¡°My third sister yed really well, her kicks are so urate and powerful!¡±
Qin Jiu naturally knew where her skills were at, but after being praised by the two, she got goosebumps all over her body. It¡¯s not surprising for that rascal to do so, but even Gu Zezhi was¡¡ like this?!
When she took over the Jianzi from Gu Zezhi, she suddenly remembered something: Oh right, she hasn¡¯t returned him his handkerchief!
Qin Jiu pouted, she was very tempted to hammer her forgetful brain, she forgot to bring the handkerchief again.
At this moment, the sound of ttering horse hooves could be heard from the hunting ground in front of them, and a group of around hundred soldiers from the Forbidden Army exited the hunting ground. At the same time, another group of soldiers from the Forbidden Army crossed paths with them and entered the hunting ground.
Now it was time for the Forbidden Army to change shifts.
Qin Jiu looked at the forbidden army that had disappeared in the forest, and asked casually, ¡°I remember that there¡¯s a night hunt tonight, right?¡±
¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Qin Zeyu replied eagerly, ¡°This is a rule that the Daqi dynasty has set up since the very start, because the founding emperor said, Daqi dynasty was founded after fighting relentlessly on horseback. Hence, all children of the Gu family must not forget their roots, they have to be good at horse riding and shooting, in order to protect their families and home¡¡¡±
Qin Zeyu was serious at first, and as he spoke on, he showed his true colour and shrugged as he said: ¡°However, third sister, you know that this rule is so useless, anyway, you definitely can¡¯t go, and could only tuck yourself in bed! ¡°
Qin Jiu¡¯s response to this was to directly throw the Jianzi in her hand towards this rascal¡¯s head¡
However, Qin Zeyu guessed it wrong.
When the night hunt started that night, Empress Wei asked Qin Jiu to enter the hunting ground with her.
Qin Jiu confessed honestly: ¡°Aunt, I don¡¯t know how to ride a horse.¡±
She could only ride slowly for a short while, but this doesn¡¯t count at all.
Empress Wei smiled naturally: ¡°Zezhi is here.¡±
Qin Jiu: ¡°¡¡¡±
She had a feeling that something was wrong, what does this have to do with him.
¡°Aunt, I want to go too!¡± Qin Zeyu eagerly came forward, thinking that since Qin Jiu could go, so he could too!
¡°Wait aside!¡± Qin Zening picked up the little kid¡¯s back cor and threw him towards Gu Zhen¡¯s direction, implying that he should act his age.
Qin Zeyu: ¡°¡¡¡±
With Qin Zeyu and Gu Zhen¡¯s pitiful gaze, the crowd surrounded the emperor and entered the hunting ground.
Now that the night has fallen, stars and the moon covered the night sky, and torches of fire illuminated the woods below as bright as day.
Soon after entering the hunting ground, the emperor pulled on the horse¡¯s lead rope to a halt, and said loudly: ¡°Night Hunting is to brush up on one¡¯s martial arts and skills through hunting, but also to meet new friends. Daqi was founded through fighting relentlessly on horsebacks, and we shall all not forget our roots!¡±
¡°Today¡¯s night hunt is the time for you all to show me what you¡¯re capable of, let me see how brave and skillful our men are. The first person who hunts down a wild bear would be the winner of today¡¯s night hunt. I¡¯ll reward him heavily!¡±
All the noble warriors were pumped up, and answered in unison, then they rode their horses to the depths of the forests, the rumbling of the horses¡¯ hooves gradually faded away¡¡
Chapter 167 Cfv Ch.167 Hunting Grounds (4)
The area surrounding
the emperor suddenly became rather empty.
Qin Jiu knew her ce, and followed him from behind obediently.
Gu Zezhi didn¡¯t leave either, he didn¡¯t seem to n to participate in the night hunt tonight.
Empress Wei looked at Gu Zezhi and said with a smile: ¡°Zezhi, Jiu doesn¡¯t know how to ride a horse. You have to keep a lookout for her.¡±
Qin Jiu was looking at the direction where Qin Zening headed towards, and when she heard Empress Wei¡¯s words, she quickly retracted her gaze and smiled at Gu Zezhi obediently.
Her smile, in the eyes of Empress Wei, showed that her niece really liked Gu Zezhi.
Later, Empress Wei looked back at the two of them. Although Gu Zezhi was a few years older than her niece, that would just mean that he¡¯ll shower her with lots of love. The more she looked at Gu Zezhi, the more satisfied she was, and that this marriage would be worthwhile.
After a short rest, the emperor continued to ride forward, Gu Zezhi and the emperor rode side by side, walking towards the depths of the forests under the moonlight.
Qin Jiu, who was behind them, carefully pulled on the lead. All her attention was focused on riding forward slowly.
The emperor and Gu Zezhi moved forward as they talked, and their topics revolved mostly around Beiyan.
¡°Dear emperor, Bei Yan will never give up.¡±
¡°Once Daqi shows its weak side, they will definitely make aeback.¡±
What Gu Zezhi said was also what the emperor worried about. He was in poor health. Although he felt slightly better nowadays, he was still weak.
If the leader of a dynasty is in poor health, it¡¯ll be rather easy to weaken the morale of its army and people, giving its enemies the chance to take advantage of this situation.
Thepound bow was just a means to stall Bei Yan.
The emperor once summoned the craftsmen in the Ministry of Works who made Qin Jiu¡¯s bows. Since each bow had a slight difference from each other, the position of the gears required additional calctions, that means that it¡¯ll take time to make such a bow. This also means that in a short period of time, it was difficult to mass produce it and popte it into their military forces.
Weapons that cannot be used in the military, no matter how good they were, were useless to Da Qi.
The emperor frowned slightly, his gaze darkened.
Thispound bow¡¯s greatest value now is to make Beiyan feel that it is within sight but beyond reach.
The more fearful they were, the more unlikely they would dare to go into war with them.
Daqi needed time to recuperate.
Gu Zezhi said with a meaningful gaze: ¡°It¡¯s also good for Gu Jing and him to ¡®deal¡¯ with each other.¡±
The emperor was startled and smiled after a while.
The moonlight was as translucent as water, it was the mid-winter season, the cold wind blew through the forest as they rode forward in an unhurried fashion. Right until a guard from the Forbidden Army, who was responsible for paving the way up front, came back and said: ¡°Emperor, bear prints were spotted.¡±
¡°Really? Take me over to have a look,¡±
The emperor was overjoyed, and rode forward as the others followed suit.
The guards of the Forbidden Army found the prints not too far ahead of them. Perhaps it was because there was a light rain in the afternoon and the soil was rather moist, so a few paw prints were faintly left on the ground.
The prints were quite faint, but it was indeed a bear¡¯s print!
¡°It¡¯s really a bear! I might be in luck today!¡± The emperor was overjoyed and said jokingly, ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll be today¡¯s winner.¡±
Qin Jiu smiled, and said jokingly: ¡°When my cousin finds out, I¡¯m afraid he¡¯ll be so envious of me!¡±
Gu Zhen also wanted toe to the night hunt, but he was still too young, so the emperor didn¡¯t agree to it.
Qin Jiu looked around with scorching eyes, her pupils shining brightly. She has never seen a bear in real life!
Gu Zezhi pointed in a direction and said, ¡°Emperor, judging from the direction of these paw prints, the bear should have gone that way.¡±
The emperor sped his hands and smiled as he said, ¡°Let¡¯s go and take a look!¡± With that, he then took the lead.
The emperor was in a good mood, and the others naturally didn¡¯t want to upset him. Hence, a group of the Forbidden Army surrounded him and proceeded in that direction.
The silver moonlight shone through the dense branches and leaves andnded on the ground, making it easy for them to spot the prints.
However, the bear¡¯s paw prints were scattered everywhere, some were covered by thorns, and some have already been wiped away by the footprints of other animals. It was not easy to find them. The emperor was not in a hurry, it was just to pass time, so they continued on their search enthusiastically.
Qin Jiu had a good eye for this, for many times, she was the one who discovered the prints.
Want to read ahead?Join Kittyjiu¡¯s patreon for $3 to ess 63advanced chapters of various novels [The Cannon Fodder and Viin¡¯s Happy Ending]
Ch.171 Trap (3) ¡ªupdate
Ch.170 Trap (2)
Ch.169 Trap (1)
Ch.168 Hunting Grounds (5)
[The Struggles of Being a Mother of Viins]
Ch.133 Different Treatments (1) ¨Cupdate
Ch.132 Piano Store (3)
Ch.131 Piano Store (2)
[Rebirth of the Tyrant¡¯s Pet]
Ch.555 Gong Jue is sad (2)
Ch.554 Gong Jue is sad (1)
Ch.553 A unique way to choose her husband (2)
Ch.552 A unique way to choose her husband (1)
Ch.551 A thorn in the eye (2)
+25 More chapters!
[The Male Lead¡¯s Substitute Wife]
Ch.336 You Still Care About Her? (2) ¨Cupdate
Ch.335 You Still Care About Her? (1)
Ch.334 We¡¯re a Family (3)
Ch.333 We¡¯re a Family (2)
Ch.332 We¡¯re a Family (1)
Ch.331 Afraid that She¡¯ll Refuse (2)
Ch.330 Afraid that She¡¯ll Refuse (1)
Ch.329 Have You Proposed Yet? (3)
[Married to the Protagonist]
Ch.174 Delivery (1) ¨Cupdate
Ch.173 Labor (4)
Ch.172 Labor (3)
[The Female Lead Has No Cheats]
Ch.250 Can we kiss? (5) ¨Cupdate
Ch.249 Can we kiss? (4)
Ch.248 Can we kiss? (3)
Ch.247 Can we kiss? (2)
Ch.246 Can we kiss? (1)
[Daily Life of a Viin¡¯s Mother]
Ch.287 As Perfect as Ye Fan (4) ¡ªupdate
Ch.286 As Perfect as Ye Fan (3)
Ch.285 As Perfect as Ye Fan (2)
Ch.284 As Perfect as Ye Fan (1)
Ch.283 So this is Ye Fan? (4)
[I¡¯ll Be The Male Lead¡¯s Sister-In-Law]
Ch.150 Biological (3) ¨Cupdate
Ch.149 Biological (2)
Ch.148 Biological (1)
Ch.147 Shameless (4)
Chapter 168 Cfv Ch.168 Hunting Grounds (5)
This time, it was her again.
¡°Emperor,¡± she excitedly pointed to a bear¡¯s print beside a big tree, ¡°here¡¡General Yu!¡±
There was faint rustlinging from behind the tree. A young man in a frost-colored robe led a horse and walked over from the other end. The cold moonlight ran down on him, coating him with a silver streamer, as he gave off a sense of coldness and distance.
It was Yu Fuyun.
Yu Fuyun¡¯s pace was slow, he didn¡¯t expect to see the emperor here. With a slightly surprised expression on his face, he stepped forward and greeted him.
The emperor nced at Yu Fuyun¡¯s empty sack on his horse, and smiled: ¡°Fuyun, you¡¯re not in your best condition today.¡±
What he meant was that Yu Fuyun didn¡¯t manage to hunt down anything yet, which was unlike his normal standards.
Yu Fuyun said softly: ¡°Emperor, I have to give the others a winning chance.¡± His voice was cold, like the night breeze in the mountains.
The emperorughed heartily: ¡°That¡¯s right, with you in the hunting ground, the others would stand no chance. If you¡¯re the winner for three consecutive days, it would be too boring.¡±
¡°Thank you for the praise.¡± Yu Fuyun arched his hands, downying, but arrogant.
The emperor was stunned for a moment, thenughed again, and said, ¡°Fuyun ah, Fuyun, you sure aren¡¯t humble. Now that we have bumped into each other, join me.¡±
¡°Yes, emperor.¡± Yu Fuyunplied, got on his horse, and followed the emperor.
The emperor continued: ¡°Fuyun, we followed the bear¡¯s print all the way here. If we do bump into it, you¡¯ll get the opportunity to show us your skills. I¡¯m rather curious about who¡¯s better with the bow, you or Zezhi.¡±
Yu Fuyun nced at Gu Zezhi, who was beside the emperor.
The me from the torch portrayed the softness of Gu Zezhirun¡¯s elegant and handsome face. He smiled and said, ¡°If there is such a chance, hopefully General Yu could teach me a thing or two.¡±
Yu Fuyun arched his hands, ¡°For sure.¡±
These two, one as soft as jade, the other as cold as snow, showed totally different temperaments, but some parts of them somehow resembled each other.
With a faint smile on Yu Fuyun¡¯s cold expression, he asked, ¡°How many arrows can Prince Gu continuously shoot?¡±
Gu Zezhi: ¡°Five.¡±
A strange light lit up in Yu Fuyun¡¯s eyes.
Shooting arrows in a row is difficult as it¡¯s hard to be firm, urate and also powerful. Yu Zezhi¡¯s three arrows at the match yesterday was already enough to amaze everyone, but he had more in store!
¡°Gu¡¡¡±
When he spoke, the tip of Yu Fuyun¡¯s nose suddenly tingled, and the faint fragrance of flowers permeated the cold night breeze.
The floral fragrance was light and refreshing, it resembled the smell of mint herbs, butpared with mint herbs, it was on the sweeter side.
This is¡¡
Yu Fuyun frowned slightly, his gaze darkened.
Judging from the wind, the smell should being from the southwest.
Yu Fuyun looked forward, it was where they were nning to head to.
Yu Fuyun subconsciously looked at Gu Zezhi beside him, and saw that he also was deep in thought, his eyebrows slightly raised.
It seems that Gu Zezhi also smelled it too?
The two looked at each other, no one said anything, as if their minds were in sync.
The emperor was leading the pack, and he was in high spirits tonight.
At the beginning of the Great Qi Dynasty, the annual winter hunt always had to end with the emperor sessfully hunting down a bear. But gradually, this tradition was no longer followed. There was no need for the emperor to hunt the bear down himself. The bear which any noble warrior hunts down could be used as the sacrifice for the winter hunt.
The emperor, when he was still the crown prince, always showed off his skills during the winter hunt, butter¡¡
His body couldn¡¯t cope.
Since he became the emperor, he merely attended the hunt, and asionally would hunt down a fox or something, not to even think of hunting down a bear, he has never even encountered one before.
¡°Fuyun, I still remember the winter hunt four years ago, when you hunted down a bear.¡± The emperor said nostalgically, ¡°At that time, you were not even fifteen years old. When you carried the bear back, all covered in its blood, I thought you got injured. With a blink of an eye, you have grown so big¡¡¡±
¡°Roar!¡±
At this moment, a ground shattering roar suddenly interrupted the emperor¡¯s words.
At this moment, many of the forbidden armys¡¯ horses were startled, as they paced around restlessly, snorting rough air out their noses.
¡°There is a bear ahead!¡± The emperor¡¯s eyes widened excitedly as he flung his horse-whip, ¡°Go!¡±
The emperor and his entourages brought around a hundred guards. It would definitely not be a problem to deal with one bear. Therefore, at this moment, everyone was excited rather than feeling flustered. The emperor grabbed the longbow that was attached on his back, eager to hunt.
¡°Roar!¡±
Another rough roar could be heard, louder than before, apanied with a hint of madness.
Chapter 169 Cfv Ch.169 Trap (1)
¡°Emperor, don¡¯t go.¡± Gu Zezhi immediately stepped forward and stopped the emperor, he then said solemnly, ¡°It doesn¡¯t sound right.¡±
¡°It really doesn¡¯t.¡± Yu Fuyun also nodded, his dark eyes gleaming with a cold gleam under the moonlight, ¡°This bear has gone crazy.¡±
Crazy wild bears are much more aggressive, blood-thirsty, irrational, fearless, and are far more difficult to deal with than ordinary bears.
As soon as his voice fell, the sound of something running in rage could be heard from in front of them, ¡°Boom boom boom¡±, every step felt heavy, the ground underneath them seemed to be shaking.
In the darkness, a giant ck bear rushed towards them, like a rhino that has gone mad, barging its way across, knocking away all the thorn bushes and trees in front of it, the soil, branches and leaves flew up in the air, as if a strong wind that had the power to destroy the world wasing their way.
¡°Guards!¡±
Themander of the imperial soldiers shouted loudly, and immediately a dozen guards formed a human barrier, holding their chests high as they stood in front of the emperor.
¡°Emperor, please leave first.¡± Gu Zezhi said as he picked up the bow on his horse¡¯s back and ced three long arrows on the bowstring at the fastest speed.
¡°Swish swish swish!¡±
Three arrows were continuously shot out, shing across the night sky like lightning, all hitting the target. The giant bear roared in pain, rushing towards Gu Zezhi with its sharp teeth and ws. A strong stench could be smelled from its huge mouth¡¡
The white horse that Gu Zezhi was riding on, wasn¡¯t afraid, but excitedly neighed. Gu Zezhi rubbed his leg on the horse¡¯s belly lightly,forting hisrade, and at the same time turned his head and looked around. The empress was three or four feet behind him, and Qin Jiu was also with them, protected by dozens of guards from the Imperial Army.
Gu Zezhi pursed his lower lip and said to Yu Fuyun beside him: ¡°Do you want to leave first?¡±
Yu Fuyun didn¡¯t even look at him, and coldy said three words: ¡°No need to.¡±
When he uttered these three words, ¡°swish swish swish¡± three times, he also continuously shot out three arrows, hitting the target, he was as good as Gu Zezhi.
The giant bear that was hit by a few more arrows got even angrier, it then sped its paws together furiously. Yet another tree with the thickness of a fist was mmed down and broken in half, countless leaves shaken down as if it was raining.
Gu Zezhi raised his eyebrows, smiled, and calmly said: ¡°Care for apetition?¡±
Yu Fuyun didn¡¯t speak. He pressed on his horse¡¯s belly with his feet. As if they were connected spiritually, the horse leaped forward. He ducked down and avoided the bear¡¯s attacks and came behind it, he then pulled out the scimitar from his waist.
The de plunged down.
The ck bear let out a painful roar, and waved his forelimbs even more frantically.
However, Yu Fuyun reacted very quickly and backed away. At the same time, he raised his bow again as he ced the arrow in ce.
¡°Shoo Shoo Shoo!¡±
Three more arrows were shot, breaking through the air. The roars from the ck bear intertwined with the sound of the trees that were being torn apart and the night breeze.
asionally, there were a few leaves that danced along with the wind, which happened to blow on Qin Jiu¡¯s cheeks and hair.
Qin Jiu didn¡¯t notice it, as her gaze was focused on staring at the scene before her, however she was not worried at all.
Both golden thigh and Yu Fuyun were characters in the novel who survived until the second half of the plot. So a bear would for sure not be a threat to them!
The injured ck bear became more and more manic, and its eyes glowed red while its raised ws glowed under the moonlight, which made people shudder just from the looks of it.
In front of the empress, hundreds of well-trained guards from the Imperial Army formed three rows, blocking the front like a copper and iron wall. The guards in the back two rows held cold shining long des, and the guards at the front row held bows. The shiny silver arrows pointed at the ck bear in front of them.
The emperor raised his hand and gestured to themander, signalling to him that they shouldn¡¯t interfere.
He looked at Gu Zezhi and Yu Fuyun excitedly. They were both outstanding!
Themander of the guards immediately noticed this and ordered the army to stay put for the time being.
Chapter 170 Cfv Ch.170 Trap (2)
Compared with both Gu Zezhi and Yu Fuyun who were thin and slim, the ck bear was huge, like a hill. When it straightened up its body, the shadow casted down almost enveloped the two of them. It was indeedrge in size, but its movements were not sluggish at all. As it attacked, it gave off a killing aura.
However, Gu Zezhi and Yu Fuyun were fearless, shooting, dodging, attacking¡¡ It was the first time they two had cooperated with each other, but they were so in sync, as if they wererades who fought many wars on the battlefield.
At this moment, time seemed to pass extremely slowly.
Gradually, Yu Fuyun was starting to struggle, and one of the arrows he shot was flicked away by the ck bear.
The emperor¡¯s expression was torn, and he said to Empress Wei with much emotion: ¡°Fuyun has still not recovered from his injury.¡±
Qin Jiu heard it too, but her gaze was still fixed on the both of them.
After the ck bear flicked away Yu Fuyun¡¯s arrow, its big ws came down towards him and pushed him to the ground. At the same time, Gu Zezhi from behind shot another arrow at the ck bear, which shot right through its paw.
The ck bear once again let out a loud roar, in pain, but Yu Fuyun had already seized the opportunity to escape, and he shot another arrow with his backhand urately into the ck bear¡¯s right eye.
Qin Jiu couldn¡¯t turn her eyes away, she almost wanted to apud the both of them.
In the novel, Yu Fuyun wasn¡¯t mentioned much. It only mentioned that all the evil big boss, Gu Zezhi¡¯s shameless and horrendous ideas came from Yu Fuyun, but it never really mentioned about Yu Fuyun¡¯s skills. Before that, Qin Jiu thought that Yu Fuyun had injured himself really badly on the battlefield, hence, he was no longer as good. She didn¡¯t expect him to be this strong.
Using these two viins¡¯ skills and moves to make a martial arts film or some sort, it would definitely be a hit!
Qin Jiu watched with much gusto, and felt that this trip was so worthwhile.
The emperor looked at them, smiled again, and said, ¡°Zezhi and Fuyun can handle this.¡±
Qin Jiu nodded fiercely in agreement.
¡°Roar!¡±
The ck bear, who was shot so many times that it was about to turn into a hedgehog, let out itsst roar. It was now at its end.
Compared with the state that the ck bear was in, Gu Zezhi and Yu Fuyun were both calm, their breathings were slow and steady, their gaze were clear, and they suffered no injuries.
Their surroundings were a mess, with broken tree trunks, branches and fallen leaves scattered everywhere.
Gu Zezhi pulled on the reins, kept a certain distance from the ck bear, and suddenly said: ¡°Emperor, do you want to try out the bow too?¡±
The emperor was intrigued, he ced the arrow in the bow and took a clean shot.
The emperor rarely trained in recent years, but his strong foundation still remained. His shot was extremely urate as it hit the ck bear¡¯s thigh.
The ck bear roared even more loudly, its face twisted and ferocious, and the remaining intact left eye was as red as blood. Itsst straw of strength kicked in as it rushed in the emperor¡¯s direction with a heavy growl.
Gu Zezhi and Yu Fuyun exchanged nces quickly.
Seeing as the ck bear barged forward, the emperor¡¯s expression remained calm, and once again ced an arrow and drew his bow¡¡
¡°Guards!¡±
At this moment, someone among the guards yelled loudly, and the guards at the front row let go of their bowstrings¡¡
¡°Swish! Swish! Swish!¡±
Dozens of arrows were shot towards the ck bear almost at the same time, passing through the dark night like a meteor shower. Some missed the ck bear, some hit the nearby trees, and some were frantically flung away by the ck bear¡¡
The scene suddenly slumped into chaos.
The guards all yed their part. The guards in the back two rows remained in front of the emperor, acting as a barrier, while the guards in the front row drew their arrows sharply again, and made their shots.
¡°Swish! Swish! Swish!¡±
Another messy rain of arrows soared towards the ck bear, and one of the arrows flew towards Gu Zezhi.
¡°Zezhi!¡±
The emperor, who was not too far away from him, also noticed this and eximed nervously.
Gu Zezhi moved sideways as he was nning to dodge it, but he was a step toote, and the arrow pierced through his abdomen¡¡
Gu Zezhi¡¯s body trembled as he covered the spot where he was hit with his hands.
With a ¡°bang,¡± he couldn¡¯t even hold the longbow in his hand any longer and it fell to the ground. Immediately afterwards, he himself slid off the horse¡¯s back, as he stubbornly grabbed onto the saddle with one hand, and rested his body on the white horse weakly.
Want to read ahead?Join Kittyjiu¡¯s patreon for $3 to ess 63advanced chapters of various novels [The Cannon Fodder and Viin¡¯s Happy Ending]
Ch.174 Faking it all this time (1) ¡ªupdate
Ch.173 Trap (5)
Ch.172 Trap (4)
Ch.171 Trap (3)
[The Struggles of Being a Mother of Viins]
Ch.135 Different Treatments (3) ¨Cupdate
Ch.134 Different Treatments (2)
Ch.133 Different Treatments (1)
[Daily Life of a Viin¡¯s Mother]
Ch.289 Great Grandson (1) ¡ªupdate
Ch.288 As Perfect as Ye Fan (5)
Ch.287 As Perfect as Ye Fan (4)
Ch.286 As Perfect as Ye Fan (3)
Ch.285 As Perfect as Ye Fan (2)
[Rebirth of the Tyrant¡¯s Pet]
Ch.556 Another chance (1)
Ch.555 Gong Jue is sad (2)
Ch.554 Gong Jue is sad (1)
Ch.553 A unique way to choose her husband (2)
Ch.552 A unique way to choose her husband (1)
+25 More chapters!
[The Male Lead¡¯s Substitute Wife]
Ch.338 Illness (2) ¨Cupdate
Ch.337 Illness (6)
Ch.336 You Still Care About Her? (2)
Ch.335 You Still Care About Her? (1)
Ch.334 We¡¯re a Family (3)
Ch.333 We¡¯re a Family (2)
Ch.332 We¡¯re a Family (1)
Ch.331 Afraid that She¡¯ll Refuse (2)
[Married to the Protagonist]
Ch.176 Child-Raising (1) ¨Cupdate
Ch.175 Delivery (2)
Ch.174 Delivery (1)
[The Female Lead Has No Cheats]
Ch.253 Can we kiss? (8) ¨Cupdate
Ch.252 Can we kiss? (7)
Ch.251 Can we kiss? (6)
Ch.250 Can we kiss? (5)
Ch.249 Can we kiss? (4)
[I¡¯ll Be The Male Lead¡¯s Sister-In-Law]
Ch.151 Biological (4) ¨Cupdate
Ch.150 Biological (3)
Ch.149 Biological (2)
Ch.148 Biological (1)
Chapter 171 Cfv Ch.171 Trap (3)
All this happened so quickly, everyone around was so shocked that they didn¡¯t know how to react.
The emperor shouted again: ¡°Zezhi!¡±
Without Gu Zezhi¡¯s restraints, the ck bear continued to charge towards the emperor, this time, its momentum was even stronger.
Qin Jiu stared at Gu Zezhi¡¯s direction, the corners of her lips pursed tightly.
The guards continued to shoot, and rains of arrows continued to fall from the sky, making the situation even more chaotic.
Suddenly, the sound of horses could be heard from the other side, and a young man in a blue brocade robe appeared from the forest in front of them. It was Ye Luluan.
¡°I¡¯ll help you guys!¡±
With a ¡°schwing¡±, he drew a scimitar out of his sheath, and rushed towards the ck bear, his horse dashed over boldly and confidently.
Seeing as Ye Luluan was battling fiercely against the ck bear, the guards could no longer continue to shoot, in fear of hurting Ye Luluan by mistake.
The injured ck bear had lost all its senses, and just wanted to vent its pain, all it wanted was to tear all its surrounding enemies apart. It blindly waved its ws and broke many trees.
Themander hurriedly said: ¡°Emperor and empress, please step back, so you won¡¯t identally get hurt.¡±
The group of guards who guarded the emperor, slowly and cautiously stepped back.
For these guards, the emperor¡¯s safety was their utmost priority, and nothing could bepared with it.
Qin Jiu was also protected by the guards, she started to also step back while on her horse, but her gaze never left Gu Zezhi.
The ck bear fought more and more fiercely, as if it was using all its might. Yeluluan was forced to retreat, step by step, he headed towards the white horse and Gu Zezhi.
¡°Zheng!¡±
Its sharp ws mmed onto Yeluluan¡¯s scimitar once again, and even Yeluluan¡¯s hands trembled along with the de.
Ye Luluan looked like he couldn¡¯t handle the situation, and took two steps back, but the corner of his eyes kept sweeping over to Gu Zezhi. Gu Zezhi was covering his injury with one hand, and the saddle with the other, he looked so weak that he seemed to be about to fall off¡¡
¡°Roar!¡± The ck bear roared and charged towards Ye Luluan again.
Ye Luluan stealthily lowered his body, and the bear¡¯s w swung down towards Gu Zezhi, who was behind him, the blow was strong¡¡
Ye Luluan smirked, his gaze was cold.
Don¡¯t the people of Daqi pay much emphasis on dignity and honour?! If Gu Zezhi died as a result of ¡°protecting the emperor¡±, he¡¯ll die a glorified death right!
At that very moment, Gu Zezhi, who was leaning against the horse, suddenly moved. He pulled out a dagger from his boot with one hand, then mmed it down and nailed the ck bear¡¯s right foot to the ground with much force.
¡°Roar!¡± The ck bear¡¯s shrill cries sounded even more bitter, its paws moved around frantically, as its right paw met with Ye Luluan¡¯s cheek. Its sharp ws pierced through his skin, leaving three straight cuts.
Ye Luluan screamed, clutching his injured cheek as he rolled around on the ground, hiding away from the ck bear¡¯s attacks.
This scene naturally fell into Qin Jiu¡¯s sight.
The corners of Qin Jiu¡¯s lips curled up high, and she said to herself, her golden thigh is invincible, he¡¯ll be okay.
She retracted her gaze, but just then, Qin Jiu noticed that something was wrong.
The guards were so busy escorting the emperor to safety just now, and with the chaotic situation, she was all focused on Gu Zezhi. She absent-mindedly followed one of the guards and retreated back two to three feet. Until now, she realised that she was taken away from the empress¡¯s side.
The imperial guards protected the emperor, as they were guarding against the injured ck bear, in fear that it would go crazy again. Everyone¡¯s gaze was on Gu Zezhi and the ck bear, so no one noticed her.
Something¡¯s not quite right!
Qin Jiu raised her eyebrows in suspicion as her horse neighed ufortably.
¡°Thirddy Qin, this way.¡± The square-faced guard who led the way said again.
At this moment, Qin Jiu was ten steps away from the empress and was almost at the very end of the entire group. If she retreated more, she would end up behind the bush.
The surroundings were dark, if she was gone, no one would notice.
¡°Roar!¡±
The sound of the ck bear¡¯s roar and the mor of the attacks came one after another.
Qin Jiu: ¡°¡¡¡±
Qin Jiu sat still on her horse as she looked in the empress¡¯s direction. The square-faced guard frowned upon seeing this, and hurriedly said: Third Lady Qin, the empress is worried that the bear would hurt you. It¡¯s better for you to stay back here.¡±
¡°Okay.¡± Qin Jiu replied timidly, her expression looked unsure, her small face looked pale under the silver moonlight, ¡°I¡¯m so scared, that bear¡¡ it won¡¯te over, right?¡±
Want to read ahead?Join Kittyjiu¡¯s patreon for $3 to ess 63advanced chapters of various novels [The Cannon Fodder and Viin¡¯s Happy Ending]
Ch.175 Faking it all this time (2) ¡ªupdate
Ch.174 Faking it all this time (1)
Ch.173 Trap (5)
Ch.172 Trap (4)
[Rebirth of the Tyrant¡¯s Pet]
Ch.559 She seemed to be full of affection, but she¡¯s actually not (2)
Ch.558 She seemed to be full of affection, but she¡¯s actually not (1)
Ch.557 Another chance (2)
Ch.556 Another chance (1)
Ch.555 Gong Jue is sad (2)
+25 More chapters!
[The Struggles of Being a Mother of Viins]
Ch.136 Discount (1) ¨Cupdate
Ch.135 Different Treatments (3)
Ch.134 Different Treatments (2)
[Daily Life of a Viin¡¯s Mother]
Ch.290 Great Grandson (2) ¡ªupdate
Ch.289 Great Grandson (1)
Ch.288 As Perfect as Ye Fan (5)
Ch.287 As Perfect as Ye Fan (4)
Ch.286 As Perfect as Ye Fan (3)
[The Male Lead¡¯s Substitute Wife]
Ch.339 Birthday Surprise (1) ¨Cupdate
Ch.338 Illness (2)
Ch.337 Illness (6)
Ch.336 You Still Care About Her? (2)
Ch.335 You Still Care About Her? (1)
Ch.334 We¡¯re a Family (3)
Ch.333 We¡¯re a Family (2)
Ch.332 We¡¯re a Family (1)
[Married to the Protagonist]
Ch.177 Child-Raising (2) ¨Cupdate
Ch.176 Child-Raising (1)
Ch.175 Delivery (2)
[The Female Lead Has No Cheats]
Ch.254 When will you and Mama get married? (1) ¨Cupdate
Ch.253 Can we kiss? (8)
Ch.252 Can we kiss? (7)
Ch.251 Can we kiss? (6)
Ch.250 Can we kiss? (5)
[I¡¯ll Be The Male Lead¡¯s Sister-In-Law]
Ch.154 Begonia (3) ¨Cupdate
Ch.153 Begonia (2)
Ch.152 Begonia (1)
Ch.151 Biological (4)
Chapter 172 Cfv Ch.172 Trap (4)
Her horse paced around ufortably as it neighed softly.
Turns out that she was just scared silly! The square-faced guard sneered in disdain, thinking to himself: She¡¯s still way too close to the empress. If they identally make noises or sudden movements, it¡¯ll ruin the n, it¡¯ll be better to knock her outter.
The square-faced guard said calmly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Third Lady Qin, everything will be fine.¡±
He smiled, and then lowered his head to pull on the rein. At that moment, Qin Jiu moved, she abruptly drew the long whip from her waist, and mmed it at him.
This whip was given to her by Gu Zezhi. The tip of the whip was covered with barbs. As it mmed down on him, the barbs on the whip hooked onto his back cor, and created a long opening, red blood started to seep out.
The square-faced guard almost fell off his horse, he then cursed, and furiously grabbed onto her.
Qin Jiu gave him another whip with her backhand, the whip shed down horizontally like a snake, apanied with a crisp crackling sound.
However, faster than her whip was a long arrow.
Apanied by the ¡°swish¡± sound, a long arrow hit the square-faced guard¡¯s left shoulder like lightning, and he screamed in pain. He was knocked out of bnce by the thrust of the arrow and staggered as he fell off the horse.
Qin Jiao squeezed on the horse¡¯s belly, rushed to the emperor, and shouted: ¡°Emperor, capture him.¡±
Themotion from her side was so huge that the emperor had started to notice them, his gaze was on Qin Jiu, and he had already noticed the square-faced guard who was shot in the left shoulder and fell off his horse.
The emperor knew who he was, he was a warrior who took the martial arts exam three years ago, and then he was selected into the Forbidden Army, his name was Zheng Feng.
Zheng Feng, who fell to the ground, quickly got up and raised his hand to cover his left shoulder. His dripping blood spilled out from between his fingers, his hair was messy, and he was covered with grass clippings and fallen leaves, he was a total mess.
He did not run, but knelt down on one knee to the emperor and said, ¡°Emperor, I somehow made Third Lady Qin angry.¡±
He didn¡¯t tell on her directly, but the meaning behind his words meant that Qin Jiu was against him because he had identally offended her.
Zheng Feng straightened his back and came off confident, anyone who looked at him would think that Qin Jiu was being hard to deal with.
Qin Jiu: ¡°¡¡¡±
How can he be so good at acting?! He should take part in the theater!
She was about to speak, but the emperor had already raised his hand and made a gesture, so that she didn¡¯t need to say anything further.
¡°Take him down.¡±
The emperor gave the order, and immediately two tall and built guards stepped forward, one on the left and the other on the right, to stop Zheng Feng.
Zheng Feng¡¯s eyes widened, and he shouted: ¡°Emperor, please be fair!¡±
Emperor: ¡°I won¡¯t falsely use you.¡±
¡°Jiu,¡± Empress Wei rode up to Qin Jiu¡¯s side, grabbed her hand, and asked with lingering fear, ¡°Are you okay?¡±
Empress Wei was worried: It was too chaotic just now, and she thought that Qin Jiu was by her side this whole time.
Qin Jiu shook his head and said with a smile: ¡°Aunt, I¡¯m fine.¡± I¡¯m not going to be the one to suffer.
¡°Boom!¡±
At this moment, the ck bear in front of them fell heavily to the ground. Its huge body shook the ground beneath it, which swept the leaves off the ground. The air was filled with a bloody stench, and the night breeze made it even stronger.
¡°Hey, is the bear dead?¡± Qin Jui¡¯s gaze returned to the ck bear. The poor ck bear was already pierced all over with arrows, scimitars and daggers.
Next to the ck bear¡¯s corpse, Gu Zezhi had somehow rode on his white horse again. With his long bow in hand, he looked towards Qin Jiu¡¯s direction, and they met each other¡¯s gaze.
He smiled slightly, his smile was both dashing and gentle, and the bowstring in his hand seemed to be trembling slightly.
Empress Wei also looked at Gu Zezhi and smiled, ¡°Jiu, Zezhi was the one who shot that arrow just now.¡±
The emperor watched Gu Zezhi shoot that arrow at Zheng Feng with his own eyes, and because of this, the emperor did not even hesitate to take Zheng Feng down.
Although the emperor still didn¡¯t know what was going on, Gu Zezhi was not someone who would just act hashly. He for sure had his reasons.
Chapter 173 Cfv Ch.173 Trap (5)
Qin Jiu hurriedly smiled back at Gu Zezhi, and said in her heart: My golden thigh is amazing! Amidst this chaos, he still took good care of her, she didn¡¯t trust the wrong guy!
This little girl has such a big heart, she doesn¡¯t seem fazed by it at all. Gu Zezhi was relieved, and looked at Ye Luluan again.
Ye Luluan was staring at Gu Zezhi bitterly, as if he wanted to just eat his flesh and drink his blood, his gaze was filled with hatred, anger, and suspicion.
Gu Zezhi smiled at him, and stretched out his right hand to him kindly. In his palm, there was a broken piece of jade pendant.
At this moment, Ye Luluan understood everything.
His gaze was gloomy, and the half of his face with the three blood-covered cuts, made him look like a ghost that had crawled out of hell.
¡°How despicable¡¡¡±
He uttered these words inaudibly, but as he pulled on the corners of his mouth as he spoke, his face hurt even more.
Gu Zezhi actually avoided the arrow that he shot while hiding in the forest before, or in other words, he was able to avoid it.
Gu Zezhi actually used the jade pendant to withstand the blow from the arrow, and pretended that he was hit by it, just to trick himself into showing up.
Not only that, but Gu Zezhi even used his n against him and let the bear attack him!
Ye Luluan¡¯s face hurt from the wound left by the bear¡¯s ws, it was heart-wrenchingly painful.
No wonder people have said before that there were many cunning and schemeful people in the Central ins.
It was indeed correct. Today, he lost big time.
Gu Zezhi seemed to have read his mind, with a gentle smile on his lips, he said, ¡°Of course.¡±
¡°Zezhi,¡± the emperor came over, breaking the tense atmosphere, ¡°are you okay?¡±
Gu Zezhi cupped his hands in greeting and said with a smile: ¡°Emperor, I¡¯m fine.¡±
When Gu Zezhi was shot with the arrow, the emperor was so shocked that cold sweat broke out, butter, when he noticed how he ¡°smartly¡± turned the tables around on Yeluluan and killed the ck bear in one swoop, the emperor knew that Gu Zezhi should be fine.
The emperor looked at Gu Ze Zhi from top to bottom and made sure that he was really okay, after that, he felt relieved.
Then, he looked at Ye Luluan again, and said: ¡°Prince Yelu, you¡¯re seriously injured. I¡¯ll order someone to send you out of the hunting ground. Our best physicians are at the hunting pce.¡±
The situation was too chaotic just now. The emperor didn¡¯t clearly see where the arrow that hit Gu Zezhi came from, but he noticed how Ye Luluan tried to lead the ck bear to attack the ¡°wounded¡± Gu Zezhi.
Now that Ye Luluan had ultimately hurt himself and got injured by the ck bear¡¯s ws, the emperor felt very happy about this.
It¡¯s just that he is Beiyan¡¯s prince, and he came to Daqi in hopes of a peace talk. The emperor still had to somehow deal with it, he couldn¡¯t just let him die in Daqi.
¡°Someonee¡¡¡±
¡°Emperor, wait a minute.¡± At this moment, Yu Fuyun checked on the bear¡¯s carcass that was lying on the ground and reported back to the emperor, ¡°From what I know, there is a kind of medicinal powder called ¡®Yin Xiong San¡¯ in the north. The local hunters there use it to lure bears.¡±
¡°The effects from this ¡®Yin Xiong San¡¯ is good, but there is one downfall, it would make the bear lose its mind and be manic. Therefore, the local hunters set up traps in advance and arrange for all the manpower needed before going into action. I have seen it happen several times before when I was in Beijiang.¡±
¡°There is the smell of ¡®Yin Xiong San¡¯ around here.¡±
Yu Fuyun stopped talking, but the meaning behind his words were clear.
This was a trap!
The ck bear became this violent because of ¡®Yin Xiong San¡¯.
Undoubtedly, someone used ¡®Yin Xiong San¡¯ here!
The emperor squinted his eyes, his gaze darkened.
He didn¡¯t think that this trap was aimed at him. With so many guards from the Forbidden Army around him, a manic ck bear couldn¡¯t hurt him. That would be underestimating Daqi¡¯s Forbidden Army.
And just now, there was only one person who was constantly exposed to dangerous situations¨C
Gu Zezhi.
This was clearly a trap nned for Gu Zezhi!
Want to read ahead?Join Kittyjiu¡¯s patreon for $3 to ess 63advanced chapters of various novels [The Cannon Fodder and Viin¡¯s Happy Ending]
Ch.177 Faking it all this time (4) ¡ªupdate
Ch.176 Faking it all this time (3)
Ch.175 Faking it all this time (2)
Ch.174 Faking it all this time (1)
[The Struggles of Being a Mother of Viins]
Ch.138 Discount (3) ¨Cupdate
Ch.137 Discount (2)
Ch.136 Discount (1)
[Rebirth of the Tyrant¡¯s Pet]
Ch.561 Don¡¯t force me (2)
Ch.560 Don¡¯t force me (1)
Ch.559 She seemed to be full of affection, but she¡¯s actually not (2)
Ch.558 She seemed to be full of affection, but she¡¯s actually not (1)
Ch.557 Another chance (2)
+25 More chapters!
[Daily Life of a Viin¡¯s Mother]
Ch.292 Great Grandson (4) ¡ªupdate
Ch.291 Great Grandson (3)
Ch.290 Great Grandson (2)
Ch.289 Great Grandson (1)
Ch.288 As Perfect as Ye Fan (5)
[The Male Lead¡¯s Substitute Wife]
Ch.341 A Father¡¯s Regret (1) ¨Cupdate
Ch.340 Birthday Surprise (2)
Ch.339 Birthday Surprise (1)
Ch.338 Illness (2)
Ch.337 Illness (6)
Ch.336 You Still Care About Her? (2)
Ch.335 You Still Care About Her? (1)
Ch.334 We¡¯re a Family (3)
[Married to the Protagonist]
Ch.179 Do you want a Daughter? (1) ¨Cupdate
Ch.178 Child-Raising (3)
Ch.177 Child-Raising (2)
[The Female Lead Has No Cheats]
Ch.256 When will you and Mama get married? (3) ¨Cupdate
Ch.255 When will you and Mama get married? (2)
Ch.254 When will you and Mama get married? (1)
Ch.253 Can we kiss? (8)
Ch.252 Can we kiss? (7)
[I¡¯ll Be The Male Lead¡¯s Sister-In-Law]
Ch.156 Empty (2) ¨Cupdate
Ch.155 Empty (1)
Ch.154 Begonia (3)
Ch.153 Begonia (2)
Chapter 174 Cfv Ch.174 Faking It All This Time (1)
The emperor red at Ye Luluan.
Ye Luluan¡¯s appearance was so coincidental that even the emperor suspected that he was the one who shot Gu Zezhi.
Ye Luluan: ¡°¡¡¡±
Of course he noticed the emperor¡¯s gaze that was filled with suspicion and scrutiny, he cursed in his heart: What a bad day.
He felt a burning sensation from the wound on his left cheek, which kept reminding him that he had totally lost today.
The corners of Ye Luluan¡¯s lips twitched, the half of his face which was covered in blood looked even more hideous and distorted, as he said to himself: Next, Gu Zezhi will for sure expose his intentions of murdering him, but who could prove that he was the one who shot that arrow, and who could prove that he secretly tried to attack him?
He was just walking past the area and saw that Emperor Daqi was being attacked by a bear, so he went up to help. They can¡¯t me him if some of his moves were sloppy.
He was Beiyan¡¯s envoy, even if Gu Zezhi really died today, as long as there was no evidence to prove that he was ¡°intentional¡± in his acts, then Emperor Daqi can¡¯t do anything to him!
Not to mention, Gu Zezhi was fine, it was him who was hurt!
Ye Luluan waited for Gu Zezhi to use him, so then he could directly ask Gu Zezhi whether he was holding a grudge against him, that¡¯s why he induced the bear to hurt him!
Regardless of the truth, this was what went down. Gu Zezhi was unharmed and he was the injured one. Emperor Daqi would for sure have to provide a valid exnation to Beiyan on this.
Thinking of this, Yeluluan felt happy, and even the wound on his face didn¡¯t seem to hurt that badly anymore.
The feud between them has already been formed, and he will not let Gu Zezhi off the hook that easily.
Ye Luluan red at Gu Zezhi with his scorching gaze.
In the end¡¡
¡°Emperor, could I interrogate him?¡±
Gu Zezhi pointed at the guard, Zheng Feng who was kneeling a few steps away.
Ye Luluan: ¡°?¡±
Ye Luluan was stunned for a moment, as if his breath was caught in the middle of his throat as he held his breath in.
The emperor nodded in response.
So, Gu Zezhi rode up to Zheng Feng and looked at him condescendingly. His white horse neighed proudly.
Gu Zezhi didn¡¯t speak, but the look in his eyes made Zheng Feng feel immense pressure, as if he was being stared at by some beast, as if he would be torn apart by him if he had even the slightest movement.
Zheng Feng couldn¡¯t help it but ayer of thin cold sweat formed on the back of his neck, and his heart was beating uncontrobly fast.
Boom! boom! boom!
Under this silent night sky in the woods, his heartbeat seemed to be echoing in his ears, as loud as a drum.
After a long period of silence, Gu Zezhi suddenly spoke, with a faint sarcasm in his tone, ¡°The prince really did try his best.¡±
The cold sweat on Zheng Feng¡¯s body soaked through his shirt, he gulped calmly, and said with his chin raised, ¡°Why do you say so!¡±
¡°I recall that you have a red birthmark on your right back shoulder, am I right?¡±
Gu Zezhi curled his lips and smiled, his smile always looked so warm, so calm, as if nothing would phase him.
Zheng Feng frowned as he looked at Gu Zezhi. He wanted to say how he knew about this, but then he changed his mind: ¡°So what if there is? And what if there isn¡¯t?¡±
The smile on Gu Zezhi¡¯s lips deepened, ¡°You used to serve as a guard in the Duan Manor for two years. Four years ago, during the summer, I saw you from a distance in the martial arts field, training with the emperor¡¯s first son, you were topless back then.¡±
His voice was calm, with a sense of certainty in it and confidence, elegant and calm, in sharp contrast with Zheng Feng¡¯s ruffled appearance, it was hard to doubt what he just said.
¡°Nonsense!¡± Zheng Feng desperately tried to keep himself calm, so that he wouldn¡¯t be influenced by Gu Zezhi¡¯s aura, and shouted to the emperor, ¡°Emperor, please be fair in your judgement, I¡¡¡±
Gu Zezhi raised his hand and made a gesture, then one of the guards who was restraining Zheng Feng, suddenly yanked his back cor, and a red birthmark in the size of a longan appeared on his right back shoulder.
Gu Zezhi turned around and looked at the emperor, as he said: ¡°Look, Emperor, the red birthmark, which proves that what I just said was true!¡±
Zheng Feng¡¯s expression drastically changed, flustered as he blurted: ¡°Impossible, I have never entered the manor!¡±
Gu Zezhi looked at him again, from the corner of his eyes, with a somewhat smirk as he said, ¡°That said, you admit that you were sent by the crown prince.¡±
Zheng Feng: ¡°¡¡¡±
He knew that he was tricked by Gu Zezhi and identally exposed himself!
¡°You¡¡how did you know?¡± Zheng Feng couldn¡¯t help but ask. How did Gu Zezhi know that he was under the prince!
Want to read ahead?Join Kittyjiu¡¯s patreon for $3 to ess 63advanced chapters of various novels [The Cannon Fodder and Viin¡¯s Happy Ending]
Ch.178 Faking it all this time (5) ¡ªupdate
Ch.177 Faking it all this time (4)
Ch.176 Faking it all this time (3)
Ch.175 Faking it all this time (2)
[The Struggles of Being a Mother of Viins]
Ch.140 Piano Battle (2) ¨Cupdate
Ch.139 Piano Battle (1)
Ch.138 Discount (3)
[Rebirth of the Tyrant¡¯s Pet]
Ch.562 Exposed (1)
Ch.561 Don¡¯t force me (2)
Ch.560 Don¡¯t force me (1)
Ch.559 She seemed to be full of affection, but she¡¯s actually not (2)
Ch.558 She seemed to be full of affection, but she¡¯s actually not (1)
+25 More chapters!
[Daily Life of a Viin¡¯s Mother]
Ch.294 He Han¡¯s Past (1) ¡ªupdate
Ch.293 Great Grandson (5)
Ch.292 Great Grandson (4)
Ch.291 Great Grandson (3)
Ch.290 Great Grandson (2)
[The Male Lead¡¯s Substitute Wife]
Ch.343 The Past (1) ¨Cupdate
Ch.342 A Father¡¯s Regret (2)
Ch.341 A Father¡¯s Regret (1)
Ch.340 Birthday Surprise (2)
Ch.339 Birthday Surprise (1)
Ch.338 Illness (2)
Ch.337 Illness (6)
Ch.336 You Still Care About Her? (2)
[Married to the Protagonist]
Ch.181 Do you want a Daughter? (3) ¨Cupdate
Ch.180 Do you want a Daughter? (2)
Ch.179 Do you want a Daughter? (1)
[The Female Lead Has No Cheats]
Ch.258 When will you and Mama get married? (5) ¨Cupdate
Ch.257 When will you and Mama get married? (4)
Ch.256 When will you and Mama get married? (3)
Ch.255 When will you and Mama get married? (2)
Ch.254 When will you and Mama get married? (1)
[I¡¯ll Be The Male Lead¡¯s Sister-In-Law]
Ch.157 Empty (3) ¨Cupdate
Ch.156 Empty (2)
Ch.155 Empty (1)
Ch.154 Begonia (3)
Chapter 175 Cfv Ch.175 Faking It All This Time (2)
Gu Zezhi ignored Zheng Feng and said to the emperor: ¡°Emperor, I have no other questions.¡±
The emperor furrowed his eyebrows deeply, his voice sinking slightly, ¡°Is he someone from the Duan Manor?¡±
Gu Zezhi bluntly said: ¡°I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s from the manor, but he should be under the prince.¡±
¡°Then how did you know he has a red birthmark on him?¡± the emperor asked.
Gu Zezhi nced at Qin Jiu with a smile, and said, ¡°When Jiu¡¯s whip tore his back cor just now, I caught a nce of it.¡±
He got a glimpse of Zheng Feng¡¯s birthmark and made use of it.
And he seeded in trapping him.
Gu Zezhi sighed and murmured: ¡°I have already fled to the capital, but he still isn¡¯t letting me off the hook. I am not interested in the title of Crown Prince Duan, why can¡¯t he just believe me.¡±
The emperor¡¯s lips pursed tight, his expression didn¡¯t look too good.
He noticed that Gu Zezhi addressed Gu Chenzhi as prince and not ¡°big brother¡±, which shows how bad their rtionship was as brothers.
He couldn¡¯t help but think of the two people that he had caught in Qingyun County. They were also sent there by Prince Duan.
After all, this was the Duan Manor¡¯s own family affairs. The emperor sent them back to Emperor Duan. Later, Emperor Duan wrote in a letter saying that he would thoroughly investigate the matter.
The emperor thought that Emperor Duan could at least restrain his son, but he didn¡¯t expect to have another incident after only two months¡¡
Thinking about it, the emperor once again looked at Ye Luluan, who was not too far away from him, his gaze darkened.
In order to get rid of Gu Zezhi, Prince Duan even chose to cooperate with Ye Luluan?!
The emperor subconsciously squeezed the rein in his hand, and said to himself, no, the Duan Manor has to remove this person from his title!
Duan Manor heavily guarded its borders and has strong military capabilities, Prince Duan won¡¯t even let his brother off the hook, just for the Crown Prince Duan title, which shows how ambitious he is.
And now, he has such an inexplicable rtionship with Beiyan. Once he gets a hold of the Duan Manor¡¯s military power in the future, will he work together with Beiyan and attack them?
The emperor¡¯s lips tightened even more, his face sullen, as he gave off an overbearing aura.
Their surroundings fell into silence, and the atmosphere felt dense.
The emperor didn¡¯t speak, and everyone else kept silent. There was only the sound of the cold breeze, even the temperature seemed to have dropped quite a lot.
After some time, the emperor¡¯s voice sounded again in the cold night breeze:
¡°Back to the hunting pce.¡±
Now that they had the bear as a sacrifice, the night hunt could also end early.
The emperor gave the order, and everyone else immediately obeyed as they went back to their respective duties. Some went to deal with the bear¡¯s corpse, some paved the way, and some protected the empress.
However, just as the emperor turned his horse around, there was an exmation from behind: ¡°Zheng Feng! Zheng Feng¡¡¡±
Immediately afterwards, a guard rushed towards the emperor in big strides, bowed as he said: ¡°Emperor, Zheng Feng, hemitted suicide!¡±
The emperor tugged on the reins, stopped the horse again, as he turned around and looked over,
Three or four feet away from him, Zheng Feng was on the ground, with blood seeping out from the corners of his mouth. The surrounding torches lit up his face, his eyes popped outwards and were bloodshot. They looked rather dull and nk, and the blood dripping down from the corners of his mouth were not red, but ck like ink.
Obviously, Zheng Feng was poisoned to death.
The night wind roared, and the mes on the torches swayed along with the wind, casting a weird shadow on the emperor¡¯s face, his expression worsened.
¡°Take his body along and head back to the hunting pce.¡±
The emperor passed down the orders, and gave his horse¡¯s belly a squeeze before riding towards the hunting pce.
Themander led the group of guards from the Forbidden Army and followed along, the sound of hooves sounded particrly loud in this silent forest.
Ye Luluan froze on the spot, as he looked at the emperor¡¯s direction, feeling as if he had been forgotten.
Shouldn¡¯t they interrogate him?!
He had already thought of how to deal with his questions, and how to leave Emperor Daqi speechless¡¡
However, matters went in apletely different direction.
Ye Kuluan¡¯s gaze darkened, he felt dejected and his face started to hurt even more. The cuts were still dripping blood, ¡°Didadida¡± as they dripped on the grass beneath him.
Want to read ahead?Join Kittyjiu¡¯s patreon for $3 to ess 63advanced chapters of various novels [The Cannon Fodder and Viin¡¯s Happy Ending]
Ch.179 Qin Jiu was satisfied! (1) ¡ªupdate
Ch.178 Faking it all this time (5)
Ch.177 Faking it all this time (4)
Ch.176 Faking it all this time (3)
[The Struggles of Being a Mother of Viins]
Ch.141 Piano Battle (3) ¨Cupdate
Ch.140 Piano Battle (2)
Ch.139 Piano Battle (1)
[Rebirth of the Tyrant¡¯s Pet]
Ch.563 Exposed (2)
Ch.562 Exposed (1)
Ch.561 Don¡¯t force me (2)
Ch.560 Don¡¯t force me (1)
Ch.559 She seemed to be full of affection, but she¡¯s actually not (2)
+25 More chapters!
[Daily Life of a Viin¡¯s Mother]
Ch.294 He Han¡¯s Past (1) ¡ªupdate
Ch.293 Great Grandson (5)
Ch.292 Great Grandson (4)
Ch.291 Great Grandson (3)
Ch.290 Great Grandson (2)
[The Male Lead¡¯s Substitute Wife]
Ch.343 The Past (1) ¨Cupdate
Ch.342 A Father¡¯s Regret (2)
Ch.341 A Father¡¯s Regret (1)
Ch.340 Birthday Surprise (2)
Ch.339 Birthday Surprise (1)
Ch.338 Illness (2)
Ch.337 Illness (6)
Ch.336 You Still Care About Her? (2)
[Married to the Protagonist]
Ch.182 Bitter Su Ran (1) ¨Cupdate
Ch.181 Do you want a Daughter? (3)
Ch.180 Do you want a Daughter? (2)
[The Female Lead Has No Cheats]
Ch.259 When will you and Mama get married? (6) ¨Cupdate
Ch.258 When will you and Mama get married? (5)
Ch.257 When will you and Mama get married? (4)
Ch.256 When will you and Mama get married? (3)
Ch.255 When will you and Mama get married? (2)
[I¡¯ll Be The Male Lead¡¯s Sister-In-Law]
Ch.158 Empty (4) ¨Cupdate
Ch.157 Empty (3)
Ch.156 Empty (2)
Ch.155 Empty (1)
Chapter 176 Cfv Ch.176 Faking It All This Time (3)
This sound was infinitely amplified in his ears, like someone was pping him on the face over and over again, his face felt like it was burning from it.
Ye Luluan had never experienced such a big setback in life.
Qin Jiu slowly walked past Ye Luluan. When she passed by him, she deliberately looked down at him, her lips moved, as she said silently: Serves you right.
Without waiting for Ye Luluan to react, she pressed on her horse¡¯s belly and rode towards Gu Zezhi cheerfully. She was in a very good mood: her way of picking fights with others is to quickly block the person after dissing them, never giving them the opportunity to talk back!
Ye Luluan was already fuming with anger, and felt even more irritated by Qin Jiu¡¯s words, he then said with much hate, ¡°Qin, Jiu.¡±
His teeth rattled.
For Qin Jiu, Ye Luluan gave off a veryplicated vibe.
In the beginning, it was because of thepound bow.
On the day of the Thousand Autumn Festival, he was amazed when he saw thepound bow in the Imperial Garden.
As someone who grew up on a horseback, thepound bow for sure attracted him. Hence, he asked Emperor Daqi to let him marry Qin Jiu. Since he was nning to have a marriage alliance with Daqi, it would be even better if he could marry a woman that he was fond of.
In the end, Emperor Daqi refused his request.
Ye Luluan was never a person who easily gives up, so when he ran into Qin Jiu that day, he seized the opportunity to confess his feelings, and wanted to force her to agree, but his n was ruined by Gu Zezhi.
At that time, Qin Jiu didn¡¯t say anything back, but Ye Luluan knew that it was a silent rejection.
Ye Luluan didn¡¯t need the person to be Qin Jiu, but it was different now¡¡
Ye Luluan stared closely at Qin Jiu¡¯s side profile as she smiled.
¡°Big brother, General Yu and you should be the winner of today¡¯s night hunt!¡±
Qin Jiu talked to Gu Zezhi with a smile, as she shook the whip in her hand, her eyes sparkled. The emperor said before that the winner of today¡¯s night hunt would be greatly rewarded.
Gu Zezhi smiled and shrugged, he then reached out and said, ¡°Give me the whip.¡±
Gu Zezhi wasn¡¯t holding on to the reins, his white horse had it in its mouth as it slowly carried his master forward.
Ah?! Qin Jiu looked at Gu Zezhi with her mouth slightly open then reluctantly gave him the whip.
Gu Zezhi took the whip and fiddled with the winding on the handle of the whip.
Qin Jiu noticed that the decorative winding on the handle of the whip was loose.
His fingers were slender and as white as a jade bamboo, with hints of the bear¡¯s blood stained between them, he skillfully weaved the loose ends. These simple movements gave off an indescribable elegance and dexterity.
After rearranging them, Gu Zezhi handed the whip back to Qin Jiu, ¡°Take it.¡±
Qin Jiao took it back again, her heart trembled slightly, as if something had slipped past it, and the corner of her lips curled up involuntarily.
Ye Luluan looked at Qin Jiu, and then at Gu Zezhi, as veins appeared on his clenched fists.
It¡¯s just a woman, the more unattainable she is, the more he wants her.
Since Gu Zezhi values
Qin Jiu so much, he for sure wouldpete with Gu Zezhi for her!
Hmph, the more challenging things are, the more it is worth a try, isn¡¯t it?!
Ye Luluan¡¯s pupils seemed to be burning with fire.
After reattaching the whip back on her waist, Qin Jiu smiled and said: ¡°Thigh¡¡cough cough, big brother,¡± she raised her eyebrows and nced in Zheng Feng¡¯s direction, as she said tentatively, ¡°That Zheng Fengmitted suicide¡¡ ¡°She wanted to ask if Zheng Feng¡¯s suicide would ruin Gu Zezhi¡¯s ns.
Gu Zezhi: ¡°Thighs?¡±
Qin Jiu smiled tteringly, as she said solemnly: ¡°It¡¯s a respectable title!¡±
¡°¡¡¡± Gu Zezhi looked at her in silence, and when he noticed that Qin Jiu was feeling guilty, he said softly, ¡°It¡¯s better that he¡¯s dead.¡±
Gu Zezhi had already guessed that Zheng Feng wouldmit suicide, but he didn¡¯t stop him.
A guard from the Forbidden Army with such a background, had a bright future, but he was so loyal to Prince Duan, as if he was prepared to sacrifice. This was already unusual.
Duan Manor has the military power, and also death warriors, and these death warriors were even ced by the emperor¡¯s side, no matter how tolerant he was, the emperor will for sure be vignt of this.
Qin Jiu: ¡°?¡±
Qin Jiu didn¡¯t understand, but because Golden Thigh was so capable, he must have long known that someone was plotting something against him, so he went along with it.
Want to read ahead?Join Kittyjiu¡¯s patreon for $3 to ess 63advanced chapters of various novels [The Cannon Fodder and Viin¡¯s Happy Ending]
Ch.180 Qin Jiu was satisfied! (2) ¡ªupdate
Ch.179 Qin Jiu was satisfied! (1)
Ch.178 Faking it all this time (5)
Ch.177 Faking it all this time (4)
[The Struggles of Being a Mother of Viins]
Ch.142 Golden Finger (1)
Ch.141 Piano Battle (3) ¨Cupdate
Ch.140 Piano Battle (2)
[Rebirth of the Tyrant¡¯s Pet]
Ch.564 Incest (1)
Ch.563 Exposed (2)
Ch.562 Exposed (1)
Ch.561 Don¡¯t force me (2)
Ch.560 Don¡¯t force me (1)
+25 More chapters!
[Daily Life of a Viin¡¯s Mother]
Ch.296 He Han¡¯s Past (3) ¡ªupdate
Ch.295 He Han¡¯s Past (2)
Ch.294 He Han¡¯s Past (1)
Ch.293 Great Grandson (5)
Ch.292 Great Grandson (4)
[The Male Lead¡¯s Substitute Wife]
Ch.345 The Past (3) ¨Cupdate
Ch.344 The Past (2)
Ch.343 The Past (1)
Ch.342 A Father¡¯s Regret (2)
Ch.341 A Father¡¯s Regret (1)
Ch.340 Birthday Surprise (2)
Ch.339 Birthday Surprise (1)
Ch.338 Illness (2)
[Married to the Protagonist]
Ch.183 Bitter Su Ran (2) ¨Cupdate
Ch.182 Bitter Su Ran (1)
Ch.181 Do you want a Daughter? (3)
[The Female Lead Has No Cheats]
Ch.260 Mama Doesn¡¯t Love Papa? (1) ¨Cupdate
Ch.259 When will you and Mama get married? (6)
Ch.258 When will you and Mama get married? (5)
Ch.257 When will you and Mama get married? (4)
Ch.256 When will you and Mama get married? (3)
[I¡¯ll Be The Male Lead¡¯s Sister-In-Law]
Ch.159 Empty (5) ¨Cupdate
Ch.158 Empty (4)
Ch.157 Empty (3)
Ch.156 Empty (2)
Chapter 177 Cfv Ch.177 Faking It All This Time (4)
Qin Jiu¡¯s thoughts were all written on her face. Gu Ze immediately knew what she was thinking, but he just smiled, and a glimmer of light shed across his eyes.
When he smelled the ¡°Yin Xiong San¡±, Gu Zezhi knew that someone was about to make moves on him.
Hence, when the ck bear appeared, he was already on guard, and was able to sessfully handle the cold arrow shot by Ye Luluan.
Later, when Zheng Feng exposed himself, Gu Zezhi could confirm that the people who wanted his life were not only Ye Luluan, but also Gu Chenzhi, because it was impossible for Beiyan toy such a pawn in the Forbidden Army. For a sessful military candidate in the imperial provincial examination to be in the Forbidden Army, at least one of them had to be from Daqi, with a clean family record.
Gu Zezhi didn¡¯t intend to exin this to Qin Jiu, he raised his hand and touched the top of her soft hair, as he said with a smile: ¡°Good girl.¡±
His ¡°good girl¡± was said with a hint of joy and yfulness.
Qin Jiu: ¡°?¡±
She isn¡¯t a kid!
Qin Jiao pouted childishly, raised her hand and touched her head, the sticky sensation that she felt caught her off guard.
She quickly put her hand down, only to see hints of blood on her palm.
It was red, moist, and fresh blood.
Of course she wasn¡¯t hurt, so the blood belonged to Gu Zezhi.
If the blood was from the bear, it should have dried by now.
Was he hurt?
This thought appeared in Qin Jiu¡¯s mind, her eyes widened slightly, as she tightened her grip on the reins nervously.
¡°Big Brother¡¡¡± She nced at Gu Zezhi¡¯s right hand and she noticed that there was not only blood between his fingers, but also on his clothes, and it was at his abdomen!
Qin Jiu¡¯s brows furrowed, and recalled the arrow that had just ¡°shot¡± Gu Zezhi, and the shattered jade pendant.
Could it be that¡¡
Gu Zezhi also noticed Qin Jiu¡¯s gaze and followed her gaze to the pool of blood on his abdomen.
He immediately got hold of the situation.
He didn¡¯t say anything, and just covered his abdomen with his right hand¡¡
Qin Jiu¡¯s eyes widened, as she noticed more blood seeping from between his fingers, which looked so eye-blindingly red against his pale white fingers.
Qin Jiu confirmed that he was indeed injured!
Moreover, he was trying to deceive someone, so he pretended to be okay?!
Qin Jiu sat upright in full alert, her thoughts raced: Was he trying to trick Ye Luluan, or maybe, her eldest brother?!
In any case, Gu Zezhi had his own reasons for doing this, so she shouldn¡¯t expose him!
During the rest of their journey, Qin Jiu tried her best to act as if nothing had happened. She smiled and talked to Gu Zezhi, but she didn¡¯t dare to look back at Ye Luluan, in fear that he might pick up something.
The journey back to the hunting pce was very smooth, and when they exited the hunting ground, the second shift hadn¡¯t even started yet.
At the hunting tform, the emperor looked back at Ye Luluan, who was riding in silence behind him.
The blood on Yeluluan¡¯s left cheek had solidified, and the skin on the wound slightly turned outwards, that half of his face was soaked in blood. Under the mes from the torch, he was as hideous as a ghost.
The emperor said with a faint expression: ¡°Someone, summon the royal physician to take a look at Prince Yelu.¡±
¡°There¡¯s no need for that.¡± Ye Luluan interrupted the emperor¡¯s words bluntly, and cupped his hands before his chest in a casual manner, ¡°I¡¯ll apply the medicine myself. Emperor, I¡¯ll now excuse myself.¡±
Without waiting for the emperor¡¯s response, Ye Luluan pulled on the reins and turned away.
Since Ye Luluan said that there was no need for the imperial physician, the emperor would not force him into it, and ordered themander: ¡°Blow the trumpet.¡±
When the people in the hunting ground hear the sound of this horn, they will know that the bear for sacrificial use was hunted down, that is to say, the night hunt was over.
Immediately a guard raised a huge horn, and the sound of it echoed through the mountains and forests.
Seeing that they were not going to disperse anytime soon, Qin Jiu nced at Gu Zezhi, who was still covering his abdomen beside her. He looked weak, and thoughtfully pointed to the direction of the perg and suggested: ¡°Big brother, do you want to sit there??¡±
Gu Zezhi nodded, rolled over and got off the horse.
Chapter 178 Cfv Ch.178 Faking It All This Time (5)
Qin Jiu got off her horse too, and subconsciously wanted to help him, but she remembered that he ¡°didn¡¯t want people to find out that he was hurt¡±, so she quickly put her hands down. She looked caringly at him with her pair of apricot eyes, in fear that he would lose too much blood.
Gu Zezhi sat down in the perg. Qin Jiu first sat opposite of him, and then felt that something wasn¡¯t right. After thinking about it, she asked, ¡°Big brother, would you like some water?¡±
Gu Zezhi nodded slightly.
Qin Jiao ran towards the field, untied a water bag from her horse, and ran back quickly.
¡°Big brother, have some water.¡± Qin Jiu opened the water bag and handed it over.
The water sac stayed in mid-air.
Gu Zezhi¡¯s left elbow rested on the stone table, his left hand supporting his face, as his right hand covered his abdomen. He looked really weak, and didn¡¯t take the water sac over.
Qin Jiu: ¡°?¡±
Qin Jiu resignedly took another step towards him, leaned over and ced the mouth of the water bag to his lips, while carefully holding the bottom of the water bag, and said: ¡°Big brother, have some water.¡±
After Gu Zezhi drank a few sips of water, Qin Jiu asked again: ¡°Would you like something to eat?¡±
Although they did have dinner before entering the hunting ground, Qin Jiu thought that since Gu Zezhi had to fight both mentally and physically tonight, he must have used up a lot of his energy. Now that he was hurt, he needed something nourishing.
Gu Zezhi: ¡°That would be nice too.¡±
So, Qin Jiu ran to the field again, took off the leather bag from her horse, and ran back.
Qin Jiu rummaged through her bag, and took out a few bottles¡¡
Gu Zezhi: ¡°¡¡¡± How many things did this girl bring into the hunting ground?
He looked at them with much interest, pointed to a white jade jar that was only half the size of her palm, and asked casually: ¡°What is this?¡±
¡°Mint leaves.¡± Qin Jiu replied with a nce, ¡°You chew a piece of it after having a meal.¡± It¡¯ll keep your breath fresh!
¡°What about this?¡±
¡°Al¡¡ I mean cape aloe.¡± Aloe vera is also called cape aloe. If you get bitten by insects, you can apply it.
With that said, Qin Jiu took out a small box from her bag.
This box was the size of a bowl, there were not many snacks in it, only six in total.
She originally thought that as night hunts usually end at midnight, so she was worried that she would be hungry by then, and brought a box of snacks.
Qin Jiu remembered that he didn¡¯t like food that was overly sweet, so she used a handkerchief to hold a piece of rose-flower glutinous-rice cake and fed it to him.
¡°Big brother, this is really delicious.¡±
Gu Zezhi took a bite of the rose-flower glutinous-rice cake in her hand.
It was soft and sweet, with a hint of rose fragrance, it tasted pretty good.
Qin Jiu herself also ate a piece of peach blossom pastry cake, which was crispy and delicious, with distinctyers, but it was on a sweeter side.
She picked up the water sac and subconsciously wanted to have a drink of water, but as soon as she ced the water sac to her lips, she suddenly remembered that Gu Zezhi had just drank from it, and then stiffly put the water sac down, pretending that nothing had happened. ¡°Haha¡± sheughed dryly, and then said: ¡°Big brother, how about, you just let the imperial physician take a look at you?¡±
¡°Don¡¯t be like Ye Luluan and ignore your injuries. He¡¯s thick skinned. Let¡¯s notpare ourselves to him.¡±
¡°Or, did you bring the golden sore medicine? I¡¯ll get it for you, okay?¡±
Qin Jiu remembered that he should have gold sore medicine. When she first saw him in Yao Qing County, he was injured too, and it wasn¡¯t a minor injury, but he dealt with it on his own.
Gu Zezhi ate another piece of rose-flower glutinous-rice cake from her handkerchief, raised his eyebrows, and asked, ¡°Why should I see the imperial physician?¡± There seemed to be a faint smile in his voice.
Qin Jiu: ¡°You¡¯re hurt.¡± You shouldn¡¯t refuse medical help!
Gu Zezhi looked at her with a smile, his smile was as gentle as the spring breeze, and her heart seemed to stop beating for a moment from the sight of this.
The next moment, she saw Gu Zezhi move away his right hand and said, ¡°This injury?¡±
There was a small cut on his right palm, about an inch and a half long, the cut was quite deep, and blood continued to ooze out, but this was definitely nothing serious.
Qin Jiu: ¡°???¡±
At that moment, Qin Jiu seemed to have understood something, her eyes widened.
Golden thigh has been faking it all this time to get free stuff?!
Want to read ahead?Join Kittyjiu¡¯s patreon for $3 to ess 63advanced chapters of various novels [The Cannon Fodder and Viin¡¯s Happy Ending]
Ch.182 Qin Jiu was satisfied! (4) ¡ªupdate
Ch.181 Qin Jiu was satisfied! (3)
Ch.180 Qin Jiu was satisfied! (2)
Ch.179 Qin Jiu was satisfied! (1)
[The Struggles of Being a Mother of Viins]
Ch.143 Golden Finger (2) ¨Cupdate
Ch.142 Golden Finger (1)
Ch.141 Piano Battle (3)
[Rebirth of the Tyrant¡¯s Pet]
Ch.566 With everyone against you (1)
Ch.565 Incest (2)
Ch.564 Incest (1)
Ch.563 Exposed (2)
Ch.562 Exposed (1)
+25 More chapters!
[Daily Life of a Viin¡¯s Mother]
Ch.297 He Han¡¯s Past (4) ¡ªupdate
Ch.296 He Han¡¯s Past (3)
Ch.295 He Han¡¯s Past (2)
Ch.294 He Han¡¯s Past (1)
Ch.293 Great Grandson (5)
[The Male Lead¡¯s Substitute Wife]
Ch.346 Confronting the Past (1) ¨Cupdate
Ch.345 The Past (3)
Ch.344 The Past (2)
Ch.343 The Past (1)
Ch.342 A Father¡¯s Regret (2)
Ch.341 A Father¡¯s Regret (1)
Ch.340 Birthday Surprise (2)
Ch.339 Birthday Surprise (1)
[Married to the Protagonist]
Ch.184 Bitter Su Ran (3) ¨Cupdate
Ch.183 Bitter Su Ran (2)
Ch.182 Bitter Su Ran (1)
[The Female Lead Has No Cheats]
Ch.261 Mama Doesn¡¯t Love Papa? (2) ¨Cupdate
Ch.260 Mama Doesn¡¯t Love Papa? (1)
Ch.259 When will you and Mama get married? (6)
Ch.258 When will you and Mama get married? (5)
Ch.257 When will you and Mama get married? (4)
[I¡¯ll Be The Male Lead¡¯s Sister-In-Law]
Ch.161 Love (2)
Ch.160 Love (1) ¨Cupdate
Ch.159 Empty (5)
Ch.158 Empty (4)
Chapter 179 Cfv Ch.179 Qin Jiu Was Satisfied! (1)
Upon seeing Qin Jiu in shock, Gu Zezhi¡¯s smile deepend, as if he was coaxing a child, he said: ¡°Good girl, get me another piece of rose-flower glutinous-rice cake.¡±
Qin Jiu: ¡°¡¡¡±
She chuckled and picked up a piece of rose-flower glutinous-rice cake from the box, ¡°Do you want this?¡±
Before he could answer, she threw the cake directly onto his face, then turned and ran away.
Gu Zezhi looked at the little girl¡¯s figure from the back, catched the piece of cake with his hands, and chuckled softly. There was an indescribable joy in his heart: Why is this girl so interesting, she always made him happy.
Qin Jiu ran back to him after running a few steps away, and said nkly to Gu Zezhi, ¡°Stretch out your hand.¡±
Gu Zezhi steadfastly stretched out his injured right hand.
On his jade-like palm, the cut was still bleeding, and the wound was stained with fine grass clippings and mud.
Qin Jiu took his right palm and ced it on the stone table with one hand, took the water sac in another, poured water on his palm, and cleaned his wound.
After that, Qin Jiu took out a clean handkerchief and carefully wiped the area around the wound. Then, she wrapped his right palm with another primrose coloured handkerchief and tied it down in a bow.
He looked at her quietly, without a word.
The corners of her lips were pursed tight, she looked fierce, but her actions were very soft.
Her hands were small, seemingly only half his size, her fingers slender and pale, and her delicate fingernails shimmered with a faint pearl-like glow. He took a closer look and noticed that she had calluses on the centre of her palm, just like him.
After Qin Jiu bandaged his wound, she picked up the water bag and snack box and just ran away without saying a word.
Gu Zezhi looked down at the handkerchief that was tied on his right palm, and the corners of his lips rose high.
The silver moonlight shone on him, reflecting his dark pupils, as his expression softened.
Not long after, people started to return from the forest on their horses.
They all returned hurriedly after hearing the sound of the horn. Some of them brought back their catch with high spirits, but most of them were empty-handed. Most people didn¡¯t expect the night hunt to end so quickly.
Everyone gathered around the hunting tform, and their eyes naturally looked at the bear on the hunting tform.
That bear was bigger and much more burly than ordinary bears. Even if it was just lying there silently, it resembled a hill, which made people cautious. It was a king bear, so it for sure won¡¯t be easy to hunt down such a bear.
Everyone pointed at the bear excitedly, and the atmosphere gradually heated up.
When everyone was almost there, the emperor stepped onto the tform and announced in a loud voice:
¡°The winners of today¡¯s night hunt are Gu Zezhi and Yu Fuyun.¡±
As soon as these words came out, everyone looked at Gu Zezhi and Yu Fuyun, with mixed expressions, envy, jealousy, admiration, and curiosity.
Under everyone¡¯s scorching gaze, Gu Zezhi and Yu Fuyun got onto the hunting tform to ept their prize.
Qin Zening only managed to hunt down a deer and a pheasant this time. He didn¡¯t even get toe across a bear. At this moment, he looked at the bear on the hunting tform with envy, and sighed: ¡°Yu Fuyun is really extraordinary, during the winter hunt four years ago, although I wasn¡¯t there, I¡¯ve heard that he hunted down a bear all by himself.¡±
¡°Gu Zezhi¡¯s continuous shots are even more outstanding. With the two of them working together, even the king bear didn¡¯t stand a chance.¡±
Qin Jiu thought so too, and excitedly talked to Qin Zening about the bear hunt just now. He was deep in envy, and thought grimly: Why didn¡¯t get to see it happen with his own eyes!
Qin Jiu told him what she could, and also mentioned how Ye Luluan¡¯s face was scratched by the bear¡¯s ws. However, she omitted Zheng Feng and the matters about Prince Duan.
Qin Zening raised his eyebrows and directed these words at Ye Luluan: ¡°Serves you right!¡± How dare he eye on his sister!
At the same time, Gu Zezhi and Yu Fuyun, who was on the hunting tform, had epted the emperor¡¯s huge reward, and thanked him in unison.
Gu Zezhi turned and got down from the hunting tform, then he looked towards Qin Jiu.
Their eyes met.
Qin Jiu, who was excited at first, smiled stiffly. She was still angry at him, so she flicked her head away and stomped off.
Qin Zening originally wanted to ask further about what had happened to Ye Luluan, but before he could say anything, Qin Jiu suddenly ran away and he blinked in confusion.
Qin Zening: ¡°???¡±
Want to read ahead?Join Kittyjiu¡¯s patreon for $3 to ess 63advanced chapters of various novels [The Cannon Fodder and Viin¡¯s Happy Ending]
Ch.183 Qin Jiu was satisfied! (5) ¡ªupdate
Ch.182 Qin Jiu was satisfied! (4)
Ch.181 Qin Jiu was satisfied! (3)
Ch.180 Qin Jiu was satisfied! (2)
[Rebirth of the Tyrant¡¯s Pet]
Ch.567 With everyone against you (2)
Ch.566 With everyone against you (1)
Ch.565 Incest (2)
Ch.564 Incest (1)
Ch.563 Exposed (2)
+25 More chapters!
[The Struggles of Being a Mother of Viins]
Ch.144 Golden Finger (3) ¨Cupdate
Ch.143 Golden Finger (2)
Ch.142 Golden Finger (1)
[Daily Life of a Viin¡¯s Mother]
Ch.298 He Han¡¯s Past (5) ¡ªupdate
Ch.297 He Han¡¯s Past (4)
Ch.296 He Han¡¯s Past (3)
Ch.295 He Han¡¯s Past (2)
Ch.294 He Han¡¯s Past (1)
[The Male Lead¡¯s Substitute Wife]
Ch.347 Confronting the Past (2) ¨Cupdate
Ch.346 Confronting the Past (1)
Ch.345 The Past (3)
Ch.344 The Past (2)
Ch.343 The Past (1)
Ch.342 A Father¡¯s Regret (2)
Ch.341 A Father¡¯s Regret (1)
Ch.340 Birthday Surprise (2)
[Married to the Protagonist]
Ch.185 Because of Love (1) ¨Cupdate
Ch.184 Bitter Su Ran (3)
Ch.183 Bitter Su Ran (2)
[The Female Lead Has No Cheats]
Ch.262 Mama Doesn¡¯t Love Papa? (3) ¨Cupdate
Ch.261 Mama Doesn¡¯t Love Papa? (2)
Ch.260 Mama Doesn¡¯t Love Papa? (1)
Ch.259 When will you and Mama get married? (6)
Ch.258 When will you and Mama get married? (5)
[I¡¯ll Be The Male Lead¡¯s Sister-In-Law]
Ch.162 Love (3) ¨Cupdate
Ch.161 Love (2)
Ch.160 Love (1)
Ch.159 Empty (5)
Chapter 180 Cfv Ch.180 Qin Jiu Was Satisfied! (2)
Gu Zezhi looked at Qin Jiu¡¯s figure from the back, her steps were as light as a deer, he ced his right fist on his lips, and chuckled silently.
His right hand was still wrapped up with Qin Jiu¡¯s primrose-colored handkerchief. This handkerchief that obviously did not belong to him, caught Empress Wei¡¯s eyes.
Empress Wei sighed: a woman of age still has to be married off and leave the house.
The second prince, Gu Jing, also looked towards Gu Zezhi, a strange light shed in his eyes. He never expected that Gu Zezhi would be able to return unharmed, but also be the winner of tonight¡¯s night hunt.
In that case, both Prince Duan and Ye Luluan had failed?
Such a good opportunity, how could this be¡¡
¡°Father.¡± Gu Jing stepped forward and greeted the emperor, he smiled as if he didn¡¯t know about anything, he was nning to pry over what had happened, ¡°I should have gone with you, so I could witness Uncle Ze and General Yu¡¯s outstanding performance. Father, I¡¡¡±
¡°Please leave, I¡¯m exhausted.¡± The emperor said with a solemn face, not wanting to deal with Gu Jing now, and waved his hand.
Gu Jing lowered his gaze, stepped aside, and didn¡¯t ask further. He thought in his heart: It seems that he still has to ask Ye Luluan about this.
The emperor gave some words of encouragement to the people present, and then dismissed them off to have some rest, Empress Wei and him then proceeded to leave first.
Everyone bowed, and sent the emperor off.
The night was chilly, when the emperor returned to Yong An Manor in the center of the hunting pce, he summoned the Embroidered Uniform Guard¡¯smander, Yuan Minggang and instructed: ¡°Yuan Minggang, send someone to the Duan Manor and pass on my message, ask Emperor Duan toe to the capital with his first son.¡±
After a pause, the emperor added: ¡°Just say that I have decided on Gu Zezhi¡¯s marriage alliance, and wanted to invite them here to talk about it.¡±
Yuan Minggang immediately sped his fists and epted his orders, he vaguely guessed that the emperor invited them over for something else, and Gu Zezhi¡¯s marriage was just an excuse. Embroidered Uniform Guards were the emperor¡¯s trusted followers, so naturally he didn¡¯t say much.
Yuan Minggang left, leaving only the emperor and the eunuch, Zhou Xin in the study.
After sitting at his table, the emperor murmured at the longbow hanging on the wall: ¡°About the prince, I can no longer let Emperor Duan handle it on his own. He¡¯s obviously biased, otherwise, he would have already stripped him of his title.¡±
Zhou Xin heard it too, but he pretended not to, as he smiled and said: ¡°Emperor, it¡¯s gettingte, please rest.¡±
The emperor¡¯s precious body has only gotten better recently, he shouldn¡¯t tire himself out.
The emperor rubbed his eyes and let Zhou Xin assist him to rest.
There will be a sacrificial ceremony tomorrow morning, the emperor will not be able to rest for long. And two hourster, he got up again.
The ceremony this morning will begin around 5am to 7am and the emperor will perform it himself.
Everyone kept this in mind, and came to the hunting tform on time, once again the ce was filled with people.
The horn sounded again, and at dawn when the sun slowly rose, the atmosphere was filled with vigour and vitality.
The emperor got on the hunting tform, and the guards from the Forbidden Army followed along with all the catches from yesterday night. Among them, there was not only the ck bear, but also roes, deers, wolves, and wild boars, making up to five animals.
Below the hunting tform, everyone knelt down.
The emperor looked up in the direction of the rising sun, read the sacrificial text aloud, and used the five animals as a sacrifice to the heavens and their ancestors.
Immediately afterwards, the five animals were thrown into the bonfire, the fire was burning strong, consuming the sacrifices in a swift second.
Under the host¡¯s lead, everyone shouted in unison: ¡°Long live the emperor, may the country be in peace and the people kept safe, God bless Daqi!¡±
Their shouts shook the sky, it was so loud that the sky seemed to tremble along.
At this point, today¡¯s sacrificial ceremony was over.
Next, they will stay in the hunting pce for another ten days before leaving for the capital.
After the emperor left, the scene suddenly became lively. Some people hurried into the hunting grounds, such as Qin Zening; some were busy riding their horses, such as Qin Zeyu; some girls chatted about going fishing and swimming together at theke¡¡
As for Qin Jiu, she nned to go shopping together with Du Ruo, but before she could even strap on her horse, she saw Gu Zezhi walking towards her.
Chapter 181 Cfv Ch.181 Qin Jiu Was Satisfied! (3)
She pretended not to see him, and went in another direction, thinking to herself: she should just head back to Lu Qin Court for some sleep.
Qin Jiu buried her head down and walked forward, she then touched her stomach and felt slightly hungry. She was in a hurry this morning, and only had half a bowl of millet porridge and three steamed dumplings before rushing over, so she might as well ask Du Ruo to reheat her breakfast when she gets back¡¡
As she walked along, deep in thought, with no more than a few steps, someone blocked her way, and she almost almost hit her head on the person.
As soon as she looked up, Gu Zezhi¡¯s handsome face came into her vision, with a smile on his face.
¡°¡¡¡± Qin Jiu¡¯s eyes twitched, as she said to herself: Perks of being tall!
Qin Jiu held her chin up and looked at Gu Zezhi who was a head higher than her, she felt as if her heart had suffered 10,000 critical blows: Hmph! She was only fourteen years old, she will still grow!
Gu Zezhi took out something from his sleeves and handed it to Qin Jiu, ¡°For you.¡±
Hanging on his finger was a green straw parrot, but it was only the size of a baby¡¯s fist, with its wings slightly spread, as if it was about to take flight.
As soon as the wind blew, the straw parrot swayed slightly under Gu Zezhi¡¯s palm. It was incredibly cute. Its wings seemed to be scratching on Qin Jiu¡¯s heart.
How cute!!
Qin Jiu had absolutely no resistance to cute items like this, her eyes shined.
She was still angry, the consequences of pissing her off are pretty serious, it¡¯ll not be this easy to handle her!
The little straw parrot was ced before her eyes as he gave it a light shake. Qin Jiu tried not to look, but no matter which direction she turned her head to, the little parrot kept appearing in front of her, its little wings seemed to be moving, which made her heart tingle.
¡°Give it to me!¡±
Atst, Qin Jiu couldn¡¯t help it anymore, she reached out to take it and started to y with it in her palms.
Gu Zezhi: ¡°Do you like it?¡±
Qin Jiu nodded without much thought, ¡°I like it!¡±
She was smiling happily, her face filled with joy.
Gu Zezhi chuckled twice, and said in his heart: She¡¯s so easy to coax!
Qin Jiu: ¡°It¡¯s a pity that it¡¯s made of straw, so it won¡¯tst long.¡± Her little face filled with sorrow.
Gu Zezhi flipped his palm over, and there was another parrot made of green silk in his palm.
¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± Gu Zezhi said as he lowered his body and attached the winding on Qin Jiu¡¯s waist, it matched the purse with a yellow embroidered lotus she had on today.
Qin Jiu was satisfied, and a pair of shallow dimples appeared on the side of her lips.
She was busy admiring the winding on the parrot that she didn¡¯t notice at all. From a distance, a pair of eyes that were as dark as ink, was staring at her and Gu Zezhi.
It was Princess Yingluo.
Yingluo was standing under a big tree, with a smirk of disdain.
Qin Jiu had lived in markets since she was a child and was raised by such despicable and low ss people. Under such influence, she for sure would be shameless. How could she tantly seduce him in broad daylight, does she think everyone else is blind?!
What was even more disgusting was that she chose Gu Zezhi, guess she was just jealous of Sister Xin and wanted to win her in something, so she chose the uncle of the second prince, who was also the third prince of the Duan Manor.
Gu Zezhi also had bad taste, he had been helping Qin Jiu and supporting her all this while.
Yingluo squinted her eyes as she clenched her fists, but quickly said to herself, so what if she let Qin Jiu enjoy herself for now!
After all, Qin Jiu had a very narrow mindset, she wasn¡¯t smart at all!
She never thought of the fact that as Sister Xin was her elder sister, and she will definitely marry the second prince in the future, how could Qin Jiu marry Gu Zezhi? How could a pair of sisters marry both the uncle and the nephew?
Even if Gu Zezhi was attracted to Qin Jiu now, their seniority in their families wouldn¡¯t allow it, and Qin Jiu would get dumped!
Thinking of this, Yingluo felt happy, and a faint smile appeared on her face.
¡°Yingluo.¡±
A soft female voice came from behind her.
A young girl in a lc skirt and a purple cloak walked slowly to Yingluo¡¯s side.
Chapter 182 Cfv Ch.182 Qin Jiu Was Satisfied! (4)
<< Prev
The girl was about fourteen years old, with a small heart-shaped face, innocent looking, along with a slender figure, she looked soft and weak, as if a gust of wind could blow her away.
The fewdies beside Yingluo bowed and greeted the girl one after another: ¡°Third Princess.¡±
Yingluo came back to her senses and smiled at the girl, smiling as she called out, ¡°Changning.¡±
The third princess, Changning, followed Yingluo¡¯s gaze and looked at Gu Zezhi and Qin Jiu, who were not too far away from them. She saw that they were talking andughing on their horses, before riding towards the forest on the northwest of the hunting tform.
Changning¡¯s arched eyebrows furrowed, as she softly advised: ¡°Yingluo, don¡¯t bring trouble to Third Lady Qin anymore. Mother likes her.¡±
Yingluo pursed her lips and smiled, but she didn¡¯t say a word, a touch of disapproval shed across her eyes.
Of course she knew that Empress Wei was fond of Qin Jiu, so what?!
She was the daughter of the dignified prince, the emperor¡¯s niece, and princess of the imperial court. Would Empress Wei punish her just because she had a little fight with Qin Jiu?!
Others might go easy on Qin Jiu because of Empress Wei, but she wasn¡¯t afraid!
Changning noticed Yingluo¡¯s face of disapproval, and continued: ¡°Yingluo, why bother to upset your mother¡¡.¡±
¡°Changning,¡± Yingluo interrupted Changning, as she tucked the green silk that had fallen off behind her ears, ¡°It¡¯s not me who should be worried now, it¡¯s you.¡±
Yingluo¡¯s gaze was bright, with a hint of pity.
¡°¡¡¡± Changning looked at Yingluo suspiciously.
Yingluo said in a calm manner: ¡°The second prince of Beiyan came to Daqi not only for a peace talk, but also for a marriage alliance.¡±
¡°He has picked Qin Jiu for now, but if Qin Jiu doesn¡¯t agree, who will be the one to take her ce?¡±
¡°The eldest princess¡¯s marriage has been decided, and their wedding date is approaching; the second princess is very close to the empress and she treats her like her daughter, then the only suitable candidate left is you, Changning.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t you agree?¡±
The third princess was already fourteen years old, and it seems that she will be of age in a few months. Her biological mother was not favored in the pce, as she didn¡¯t even have the chance to speak in front of the emperor and empress.
Chang Ning¡¯s pinkplexion faded instantly, as her slender figure trembled, like a delicate flower in the wind and rain.
Last month, when Ye Luluan came to the capital, Changning heard her mother mention that Bei Yan was here to set up a marriage alliance.
During the founding emperor¡¯s time, there was a princess from Daqi, who was married off to Nanban. Three years after she got married, she died. These barbarians were used to drinking blood and sleeping on the ground, they¡¯re even worse than Daqi¡¯smon folk!
During this period of time, Changning had been worried that she would be picked as the princess for the marriage alliance.
Yingluo¡¯s words touched on Changning¡¯s deepest fears.
Yingluo took over the reins from the maid, gently stroked the white horse¡¯s long neck twice, and said, ¡°Changning, it would be great if Prince Yelu married Qin Jiu, right?¡±
Changning: ¡°¡¡¡±
The atmosphere turned cold.
As Changning¡¯splexion didn¡¯t look all too good, a round-faced girl in pink cleared her throat and said in an attempt to help the situation, ¡°Princess, don¡¯t scare the third princess.¡±
Yingluoughed ¡°pfft¡±, her delicate and bright face filled with a spring-like smile, ¡°Yes. I was just scaring you, Changning, that¡¯s because you never follow us into the hunting ground, even after I¡¯ve invited you so many times.¡±
She smiled brightly, as if she was just joking with Changning.
The otherdies alsoughed, the sound of theirughter resembled silver bells, and the atmosphere slowly rxed.
Another girl in a blue dress also tried to liven up the atmosphere: ¡°Princess, the third princess has a weak body. The forest will be freezing cold in the morning, if she catches a cold, that¡¯ll not look pretty.¡±
¡°You have a point.¡± Yingluo smiled slightly, as if relieved, andforted Changning with kind words, ¡°Changning, don¡¯t worry, you¡¯re a princess, the emperor won¡¯t let you be part of the marriage alliance.¡±
Changning: ¡°¡¡¡±
After a pause, Yingluo smiled and continued: ¡°It¡¯s just that this matter has yet toe to a conclusion, so it¡¯s quite worrisome. It would be great if they could just pick someone as soon as possible.¡±
¡°Hey, I heard that in the wildnds like Beiyan, they have a tradition whereby the son takes over his father¡¯s wife, and the brother takes over his sibling¡¯s wife.¡±
Changning¡¯s face turned pale when she heard this, her hands clenched into fists.
Want to read ahead?Join Kittyjiu¡¯s patreon for $3 to ess 63advanced chapters of various novels [The Cannon Fodder and Viin¡¯s Happy Ending]
Ch.186 Marriage alliance with Beiyan (3) ¡ªupdate
Ch.185 Marriage alliance with Beiyan (2)
Ch.184 Marriage alliance with Beiyan (1)
Ch.183 Qin Jiu was satisfied! (5)
[The Struggles of Being a Mother of Viins]
Ch.147 I Married A Rich Husband (1) ¨Cupdate
Ch.146 Golden Finger (5)
Ch.145 Golden Finger (4)
[Rebirth of the Tyrant¡¯s Pet]
Ch.570 Unleash her anger (1)
Ch.569 p (2)
Ch.568 p (1)
Ch.567 With everyone against you (2)
Ch.566 With everyone against you (1)
+25 More chapters!
[Daily Life of a Viin¡¯s Mother]
Ch.301 Payback (3) ¡ªupdate
Ch.300 Payback (2)
Ch.299 Payback (1)
Ch.298 He Han¡¯s Past (5)
Ch.297 He Han¡¯s Past (4)
[The Male Lead¡¯s Substitute Wife]
Ch.350 I Will Always Be Waiting for You (1) ¨Cupdate
Ch.349 I Will Always Be Waiting for You (1)
Ch.348 Confronting the Past (3)
Ch.347 Confronting the Past (2)
Ch.346 Confronting the Past (1)
Ch.345 The Past (3)
Ch.344 The Past (2)
Ch.343 The Past (1)
[Married to the Protagonist]
Ch.188 Because of Love (4) ¨Cupdate
Ch.187 Because of Love (3)
Ch.186 Because of Love (2)
[The Female Lead Has No Cheats]
Ch.265 Mama Doesn¡¯t Love Papa? (6) ¨Cupdate
Ch.264 Mama Doesn¡¯t Love Papa? (5)
Ch.263 Mama Doesn¡¯t Love Papa? (4)
Ch.262 Mama Doesn¡¯t Love Papa? (3)
Ch.261 Mama Doesn¡¯t Love Papa? (2)
[I¡¯ll Be The Male Lead¡¯s Sister-In-Law]
Ch.165 A ferocious tiger (3) ¨Cupdate
Ch.164 A ferocious tiger (2)
Ch.163 A ferocious tiger (1)
Ch.162 Love (3)
<< Prev
Chapter 183 Cfv Ch.183 Qin Jiu Was Satisfied! (5)
<< Prev
Yingluo nced at Changning calmly, grabbed the reins and got on the horse in a swift move, she then said to thedies with a smile: ¡°Let¡¯s go, if Changning doesn¡¯t want to go, let¡¯s not force her. Let¡¯s head to the hunting ground, even if we can¡¯t hunt down a bear, we can hunt down deers, pheasants or something of the sort.¡±
The otherdies also got on their horses, and rode towards the hunting ground as they chatted happily.
Only Changning stood there quietly, as she looked at their figures from the back.
The mountain breeze in the early morning was very cold, as it blew towards her face, her cloak bulged up, and the corners of her cloak soared along with the wind, it made her look even weaker.
The tree above her also swayed along with the cold wind, which casted a shadow onto Changning.
Changning clenched her fists even tighter, bit on her lower lip, until they turned slightly pale.
Her mother did not apany her to the hunting pce, so now she doesn¡¯t even have someone to talk to.
Yingluo¡¯s words echoed in Changning¡¯s ear over and over again.
Xin¡¯an was under the Empress¡¯s care ever since she was a child, and she was no different from Empress Wei¡¯s real daughter. If they had to choose a princess for the marriage alliance, she would be the most likely candidate. No, to be exact, she is the only candidate.
Beiyan was and for the savage, where people were rude and uncultured, and, as Yingluo said, they have a tradition whereby the son takes over his father¡¯s wife, and the brother takes over his sibling¡¯s wife.
Just thinking about it, Changning felt her chest tighten, and she subconsciously grabbed onto the hem of her clothes.
¡°Hey!¡±
A man¡¯s voice suddenly came from behind her, which startled Changning.
She turned around and saw Ye Luluan standing three or four steps away from her, with gauze on his left face, she could faintly see bright red blood oozing under the gauze.
The shadow casted down by his tall figure almost enveloped her, and he just stood there, giving off a domineering aura.
Changning nced at him, then looked away anxiously.
Ye Luluan raised his eyebrows and asked casually: ¡°Are you the emperor¡¯s princess?¡±
The emperor¡¯s princes and princesses, he had met all of them.
Changning lowered her face timidly, nodded quickly, without a word, she was like a frightened little bird.
Ye Luluan then said: ¡°Have you seen Qin Jiu?¡±
Changning¡¯s eyshes trembled slightly, as she whispered, ¡°Uncle Ze and her went in that direction.¡±
She pointed in a direction, but still didn¡¯t look at Ye Luluan.
It was Gu Zezhi again! Ye Luluan¡¯s brows furrowed, his expression darkened instantly, and the wound on his face began to hurt again.
He will for sure seek revenge on Gu Zezhi!
Changning clenched tightly on the handkerchief in her hands, her body was tense and she was being very cautious, neither did she dare to look at Ye Luluan nor speak much to him.
Ye Luluan sneered.
The girls in Daqi are so boring. Most of them are timid. Inparison, Qin Jiu was much better, like an untamed wild horse.
Now that he got what he wanted, Ye Luluan ignored Changning and left.
Changning was still standing at the same spot, she then slowly looked up at Ye Luluan¡¯s figure from behind.
Ye Luluan was tall and strong, he was a head taller than the average, as he walked in big strides.
Changning bit her lower lip and suddenly called out, ¡°Prince Yelu, do you have feelings for Qin Jiu?¡±
After all, she hasn¡¯t gotten married yet. She grew up reading ¡°Indoctrination of Daughters¡± and ¡°Admonitions to my daughters¡± ever since she was a child. After holding back for a long time, only then she blurted these words. Her face was red and it felt like her face was on fire.
Ye Luluan stopped in his steps.
Changning gritted her teeth and said quickly: ¡°I¡¡I can help you ask her out¡¡¡±
Having said that, she no longer spoke, her voice got softer and softer, as she hurriedly said: ¡°I¡¡I¡¯ll leave first.¡±
Changning turned around and heard Yeluluan¡¯s voice from behind: ¡°Okay.¡±
Changning stopped for a moment, but she didn¡¯t turn back to look at Ye Luluan.
She squeezed the handkerchief in her hand and ran away.
But not long after, she returned to the hunting tform and sat in one of the pergs.
From time to time, she looked in the direction of the forest, only until noon, she finally saw Gu Zezhi and Qin Jiu.
<< Prev
Chapter 184 Cfv Ch.184 Marriage Alliance With Beiyan (1)
Changning squeezed the handkerchief in her hand, suddenly stood up, and walked towards Qin Jiu and Gu Zezhi.
¡°Uncle Ze, Third Lady Qin.¡±
Changning greeted the two elegantly.
Qin Jiu also greeted her gracefully.
Changning smiled at Qin Jiu, and said in a gentle tone, ¡°Third Lady Qin, I have something to say to you.¡±
What she meant was that she wanted to talk to Qin Jiu in private.
Qin Jiu lived in Fengluan Manor only for some time, but she was closer with the second princess, Xin¡¯an. As for the third princess, Changning, she only came to greet Empress Wei a few times, so they didn¡¯t know each other well.
Changning quickly nced at Gu Zezhi, and said with a pleading tone: ¡°Third Lady Qin, it¡¯ll just take awhile.¡±
Qin Jiu then followed Changning to the red pine trees near them, and waited for her to speak.
Changning squeezed the handkerchief in her hands, looked at Qin Jiu hesitantly, as she bit on her lips.
Qin Jiu furrowed her eyebrows, and started counting silently in her heart, she decided that until the count of 20, if she still hasn¡¯t said a word, she¡¯ll leave.
¡°Third Lady Qin,¡± after a long while, Changning whispered while squeezing on her handkerchief, ¡°You have to be careful, Yingluo¡¡she¡¯s nning something against you.¡±
Qin Jiu: ¡°?¡±
Changning looked into Qin Jiu¡¯s clear apricot eyes, and said with a serious expression: ¡°Yingluo wants you to be part of the marriage alliance with Beiyan.¡±
In fear that Qin Jiu wouldn¡¯t believe her, Changning immediately said: ¡°It¡¯s true, I¡¯m not lying.¡±
¡°Yingluo said, as long as you and Prince Yelu get together, you would no longer stand in the way of the second princess.¡±
Qin Jiu¡¯s eyes widened slightly when she heard what she said, ¡°Third princess, did she really say that?¡±
¡°Yes.¡± Changning nodded eagerly, ¡°Third Lady Qin, you might not know this, but when Yingluo was seven, she sneaked out of the pce once to look atnterns, and was almost abducted by a kidnapper. It was Second Lady Qin who saved her.¡±
After that incident, Yingluo and Second Lady Qin got very close, as close as biological sisters.¡±
¡°For Second Lady Qin, Yingluo will for sure do all that it takes.¡±
Changning looked at Qin Jiu with a sincere gaze, her dark eyes were as clear as water, staring right at her.
Qin Jiu smiled, ¡°Third princess, thank you for telling me this.¡±
Changning pursed her lips, and said softly: ¡°I shouldn¡¯t be saying this behind her back¡¡ I just didn¡¯t want you to suffer.¡±
With the emperor behind her back, Yingluo doesn¡¯t even respect me as a princess. Third Lady Qin, please be careful.¡±
Qin Jiu: ¡°Thank you for your kind reminder, I¡¯ll stay alert.¡±
¡°Third Lady Qin, I¡¯ll definitely try to ask around. When I get news, I¡¯ll immediately inform you.¡± Changning breathed a sigh of relief, her lips curled slightly, and there was a touch of shyness in her smile, ¡°Goodbye for now.¡±
After she said this, Changning smiled at Qin Jiu again, then turned and left.
The cloak that she had on swayed along with the mountain breeze, she gave off a weak impression, which was very attractive.
Qin Jiu looked at her slender and weak figure from the back, pursed her lips, and slowly walked towards Gu Zezhi.
Gu Zezhi didn¡¯t ask about what had happened and just silently handed her the reins, Ta Qing neighed twice and rubbed itself against Qin Jiu¡¯s arm affectionately.
Qin Jiu took out a grease-proof wrapping from her bag, got a piece of pine nut candy, fed it to Taqing, she also had one for herself. She then tilted her head and said, ¡°Do I look like a fool that¡¯s so easy to coax.¡±
Gu Zezhi raised his sharp eyebrows, and said to himself: Well, not a fool, but pretty easy to coax.
His gaze stayed for a moment on the parrot next to Qin Jiu¡¯s bag, his smile deepend, as he desperately emphasised: ¡°Of course not, you¡¯re so smart and clever!¡±
Qin Jiu liked what he said, and passed the unfolded grease-proof wrapping to Gu Zezhi, but she suddenly remembered that he didn¡¯t like sweets, so she added, ¡°Although these pine nut candies are slightly on the sweeter side, they are very fragrant.¡±
Want to read ahead?Join Kittyjiu¡¯s patreon for $3 to ess 63advanced chapters of various novels [The Cannon Fodder and Viin¡¯s Happy Ending]
Ch.188 Marriage alliance with Beiyan (5) ¡ªupdate
Ch.187 Marriage alliance with Beiyan (4)
Ch.186 Marriage alliance with Beiyan (3)
Ch.185 Marriage alliance with Beiyan (2)
[The Struggles of Being a Mother of Viins]
Ch.150 I Married A Rich Husband (4) ¨Cupdate
Ch.149 I Married A Rich Husband (3)
Ch.148 I Married A Rich Husband (2)
[Rebirth of the Tyrant¡¯s Pet]
Ch.571 Unleash her anger (2)
Ch.570 Unleash her anger (1)
Ch.569 p (2)
Ch.568 p (1)
Ch.567 With everyone against you (2)
+25 More chapters!
[Daily Life of a Viin¡¯s Mother]
Ch.304 Payback (6) ¡ªupdate
Ch.303 Payback (5)
Ch.302 Payback (4)
Ch.301 Payback (3)
Ch.300 Payback (2)
[The Male Lead¡¯s Substitute Wife]
Ch.353 Dreams of an Alternate History (1) ¨Cupdate
Ch.352 I Will Always Be Waiting for You (3)
Ch.351 I Will Always Be Waiting for You (2)
Ch.350 I Will Always Be Waiting for You (1)
Ch.349 I Will Always Be Waiting for You (1)
Ch.348 Confronting the Past (3)
Ch.347 Confronting the Past (2)
Ch.346 Confronting the Past (1)
[Married to the Protagonist]
Ch.191 Grand Wedding (3) ¨Cupdate
Ch.190 Grand Wedding (2)
Ch.189 Grand Wedding (1)
[The Female Lead Has No Cheats]
Ch.268 Can¡¯t you be a little romantic? (1) ¨Cupdate
Ch.267 Mama Doesn¡¯t Love Papa? (8)
Ch.266 Mama Doesn¡¯t Love Papa? (7)
Ch.265 Mama Doesn¡¯t Love Papa? (6)
Ch.264 Mama Doesn¡¯t Love Papa? (5)
[I¡¯ll Be The Male Lead¡¯s Sister-In-Law]
Ch.167 A ferocious tiger (5) ¨Cupdate
Ch.166 A ferocious tiger (4)
Ch.165 A ferocious tiger (3)
Ch.164 A ferocious tiger (2)
Chapter 185 Marriage alliance with Beiyan (2)
Ch.185 Marriage alliance with Beiyan (2)
Gu Zezhi was about to get one to try. However, at this moment, a middle-aged servant hurriedly walked over, smiled and greeted Gu Zezhi, "Third Prince Gu, the emperor wants to see you.¡±
So Gu Zezhi left with the middle-aged servant.
Qin Jiu was left alone, she stared at her empty right palm, as her eyes twitched.
He took all her pine nut candy with him!!
So, did he just steal from her?!
Qin Jiu, who had lost a whole bag of candy, had to head to the stables first to take care of Taqing, before heading back to Luqin Court.
She hung the little straw parrot on her window, and when the wind blew, the cute little parrot swayed along with the wind. Its small wings seemed to move.
The more she looked at it, the cuter it was!
With her hand below her chin, Qin Jiu looked at the little straw parrot as it danced in the wind, and asionally gave it a light tap on its wings.
Du Ruo served Qin Jiu some tea as sheplimented: "Mydy, you have such skillful hands, this little parrot looks so lifelike!"
Qin Jiu lightly tapped on the little parrot¡¯s wings again, and said with a smile: "It''s from big brother¡...I mean it¡¯s from Gu Zezhi."
Seeing Qin Jiu call after Gu Zezhi''s name so naturally, Du Ruo''s expression subtly changed, as she said to herself: They¡¯ll probably get married.
After Qin Jiu had her lunch, she went to take a nap. She closed her eyes and fell deep into sleep, not only until 3-5pm did she awake.
Upon hearing movementsing from inside of the room, Du Ruo then led a servant in to serve Qin Jiu, she said: "Mydy, the second princess came by just now, she said that there would be a small banquet in Diecui Courtyard tonight, and came to invite you to it."
¡°A small banquet?" Qin Jiu had just woken up, and was still a little sleepy, she yawned and let the servant dress her.
Du Ruo skillfully clothed Qin Jiu with a sleeved over-dress, as she smiled and said: "Mydy, this is a custom of ours. Every year on the third or fourth day of the winter hunt, the empress would invite all thedies from the noble families, but in recent years, the second princess would be in charge of this, but it was still done in the empress¡¯s name.
Qin Jiu nodded. She had a good rtionship with the second princess, since the second princess personally came over to invite her, of course she had to attend.
Qin Jiu sat down in front of her dressing table, as Du Ruobed her hair into a double t bun hairstyle, then picked two ga beads as essories, finally she ced a white jade ring that had a phoenix carved into it on the side of her waist.
Qin Jiu stroked her skirt and was about to leave. She then picked up the emerald green parrot on her dressing table and attached it on her waist.
Du Ruo watched silently from the side, even if she didn''t ask, she could guess where it came from, she eximed in her heart: Her future husband is so caring!
Qin Jiu noticed that it was almost time, and headed towards the Diecui Courtyard with Du Ruo.
The sun was setting, cing ayer of golden red gauze on the magnificent hunting pce.
Along the way, they saw manydies that were also going in the same direction as them, walking in pairs or groups as they chatted along happily.
While leading the way, Du Ruo smiled and started to talk about the small banquet tonight: "Mydy, tonight¡¯s banquet will be very lively. Not only will there be performances, there will also be many games to y, such as Touhu, Chuiwan, Shefu, Mushe, Shuanglu¡..." Du Ruo said while counting with her fingers.
Qin Jiu was somewhat distracted. She was not interested in what Du Ruo was talking about. She beckoned to Du Ruo and asked in a low voice, "Can I leave early?"
Du Ruo was taken aback, then eagerly leaned into Qin Jiu''s ear as she whispered, "You can slip out quietlyter."
Qin Jiu was delighted as she snickered, and exchanged a gaze with Du Ruo. The master and servant pair continued their walk.
When Qin Jiu arrived at Diecui Courtyard, many people were already here, the atmosphere was pretty lively.
Chapter 186 Marriage alliance with Beiyan (3)
Ch.186 Marriage alliance with Beiyan (3)
Qin Jiu followed the melodious sound of a lute to a smallke in the middle of the garden. The afterglow of the setting sun softly sprinkled the surface of theke, as the clear water sparkled with much radiance
On the clearing by theke, thedies gathered in groups, some talking, some feeding the fish, some ying, or merely just enjoying the music¡...
The liveliest section of the whole banquet was at the water pavilion by theke, the Bifeng pavilion, it was crowded with people, all dressed fancily.
The second princess, Xin''an, was also at the Bifeng Pavilion. She was the hostess of today''s banquet. She was surrounded by many nobledies, as they chatted along happily.
After Qin Jiu went over to greet Xin''an, they went to listen to the storytelling performance that was going on.
A female performer in a rose-red pce dress was sitting in the southwest corner of the water pavilion, with a lute in her arms. She strummed on the lute as she sang along.
Her voice was clean and angelic, as it ingeniously matched with the melodious and crisp sound from the lute. She seemed to be talking, but also singing at the same time.
It was the first time that Qin Jiu ever saw someone storytell with a lute, and only felt that both her singing and the sound of her lute were indescribably beautiful, a match made in heaven.
She was so fascinated by it that she didn''t even notice the third princess, Changning,ing to her side.
"Third Lady Qin." After the song, Changning called Qin Jiu softly, along with a soft and delicate smile on her face.
A servant came over to give Changning some scented tea, and also got Qin Jiu a new cup of tea.
Qin Jiu came back to her senses, she stood up and greeted: "Third princess."
Changning gave Qin Jiu a helping hand, then urged her to take a seat before shyly saying: "Third Lady Qin, I have always liked you, but I have a weak body and I always fall sick, so I never dared toe to you."
"Your Royal Highness, it¡¯s really easy to catch a cold in this freezing weather, you should take good care of yourself." Qin Jiu picked up the scented tea that the servant had just sent over, "This osmanthus rose tea is the best for this season. Osmanthus can help nourish your stomach, the rose helps to remove blood stasis and also helps with your breathing, you should have more.¡±
Changning then picked up the scented tea beside her and took a sip.
She was about to say something, but the mellow sound from the lute sounded again, and with the ethereal voice from the performer, she began to sing the second song.
Seeing that Qin Jiu was particrly interested in lute storytelling, Changning started to talk more about it: "Third Lady Qin, I heard that there is a theater troupe in the capital called the Lijia Troupe. The leader of the troupe actually invited someone from Qin to perform lute storytelling for the opening scene."
"I have never been to their shows in person, but everyone who did all says that they¡¯re really good. If you like lute storytelling, you should give it a try when we get back to the capital."
Qin Jiu nodded asionally.
As the two were talking, a girl in pink came over, bowed to Changning first, then smiled and said to Qin Jiu: "Third Lady Qin, the second princess is going to y Touhu, do you want toe along and join?"
The girl in pink pointed at an open space outside of the Bifeng Pavilion. There were a few binaural iron kettlesid on the ground. Many people were throwing bamboo arrows at the iron kettle. The scene was very lively.
Qin Jiu remembered who this person was. At the Qianqiu banquetst month, she introduced herself as the thirddy from Weiyuanbo Manor, her name was Jiao Niang.
But what was her surname?!
Qin Jiu thought about it for a while, but couldn¡¯t recall. She politely refused her invitation. After all, she knew nothing about the games that the nobledies yed.
Yun Jiaoniang was rather disappointed.
Changning helped ease the situation: "Third Lady Yun, Third Lady Qin promised that she would apany me through this lute storytelling performance......" Her smile was gentle and soft, and her way of speech was very sweet.
At this moment, a disdainfulugh interrupted Changning.
Chapter 187 Marriage alliance with Beiyan (4)
Ch.187 Marriage alliance with Beiyan (4)
The people in the water pavilion looked towards the direction of thatugh, and saw three to four nobledies walking in, along with Princess Yingluo.
Manydies went forward and greeted Yingluo, some sat in their seats as they nodded to her with a smile.
Yingluo suddenly became the focus of everyone''s attention.
Yingluo walked up to Qin Jiu and looked down at her condescendingly, as she sneered: "Yun Jiaoniang, don''t force her. She wouldn¡¯t know how to y the game!!"
¡°There are always such low ss people who think that she¡¯s better now because of her title, but she¡¯s actually just a sparrow, a mere toy that cats y with!"
Yingluo''s words were so mean, the banquet fell silent, and the atmosphere suddenly felt slightly weird.
The fewdies behind Yingluo smiled sullenly, and the others around them had subtle expressions on their faces. Some were curious of what would happen next, some didn''t want to be involved in it, so they simply turned away and talked to the friends next to them.
"......" Yun Jiaoniang was put in an awkward spot, and was flustered.
Changning tried to smoothen the situation again: "Third Lady Qin, Yingluo didn¡¯t mean any harm, don''t overthink the situation."
After a pause, she said again in a soothing tone: "Touhu is very simple game, let me teach you. No one was born knowing how to y it either."
Qin Jiu raised her eyebrows, and looked at Yingluo calmly.
"I never overthink, I just act." Qin Jiu went to grab her whip, but there was nothing there. Then she realised that she forgot to bring it along.
What a pity.
¡°How dare you!" Yingluo also saw her reach for the whip, and remembered what had happened thest time, she was fuming with anger.
"Yingluo, Third Lady Qin." Changning said in a flustered tone upon seeing this. "Don''t fight. If you spill the tea, you¡¯ll ruin your dress."
"Oh, so what if I do?!"
Yingluo picked up a cup of scented tea next to her, and poured it on Qin Jiu, hoping to seek revenge from that past incident.
"Ssh"
Qin Jiu would never let her ssh her with her own tea, and moved aside quickly.
However, at this moment, a lc-colored figure suddenly stood in front of Qin Jiu.
"Third Lady Qin, be careful!" Changning shouted nervously.
In the next instant, the cup of scented tea was sshed on her chest. Pieces of chrysanthemum and rose petals were stuck to her chest. The tea soaked through her clothes, and dripped to the ground, she was a total mess.
Changning staggered slightly as she lost bnce, grabbed Qin Jiu''s arm, and leaned against her.
The banquet fell silent, as the temperature dropped, and everyone was left dumbfounded.
Even Yingluo was left in shock, she wasn¡¯t nning to pour the tea on Changning.
At this time, Xin''an, who was ying Touhu, also came over. She looked at Changning then at Yingluo and scowled at Yingluo, "Yingluo, that¡¯s enough!"
Xin''an had heard of what had happened from the servant, and her beautiful face looked stern.
After a brief phase of shock, Yingluo came back to her senses and smiled mockingly, she didn¡¯t care about Xin''an at all.
In Yingluo¡¯s eyes, the second princess was just the child of a concubine.
Anyways, it was just a cup of tea, the empress would only slightly lecture her about it. Why should she feel scared?
Let¡¯s deal with the matter in an orderly fashion. Xin''an took a deep breath and hurriedly said to Changning, "Third sister, you should head on and get changed first, so you won¡¯t catch a cold."
Changning agreed, followed with a smile, and said apologetically to Qin Jiu: "Third Lady Qin, let¡¯s both get changed."
Changning looked at Qin Jiu''s left sleeve embarrassedly, as she leaned onto Qin Jiu''s body just now, the tea and petals on her got onto Qin Jiu.
Qin Jiu also looked at her wet sleeve, smiled softly, and said, "Okay."
Her personal servant quickly put a cloak on Changning to cover the tea stains.
"Lingxiang, get me a change of clothes."
Changning ordered her personal servant, and smiled softly at Qin Jiu: "Third Lady Qin, please."
Qin Jiu followed along as Changning led her out, and said as she walked, "Let''s go to Bibo Pavilion to change."
Nanyuan Hunting Pce was huge, it was the size of two pces. The nobledies often yed around here, so there were ces for them to change and rest. The Bibo Pavilion was one of them. From Bifeng Pavilion, it was only 100 metres away.
Chapter 188 Marriage alliance with Beiyan (5)
Ch.188 Marriage alliance with Beiyan (5)
Upon looking at Qin Jiu''s wet sleeve, Changning felt slightly annoyed. She sighed and med herself: "It¡¯s my fault for losing bnce, dragging you in this."
Qin Jiu smiled widely, and said nonchntly: "It''s fine, it''s just clothes, we just need to get changed."
"Third Lady Qin, you have such a good temper." Changning smiled shyly, like a delicate flower.
As she said this, Changning''s gaze fell on Du Ruo who was behind Qin Jiu again, and said softly: "This is Du Ruo who serves the empress mother right. Third Lady Qin, do you want Du Ruo to get you some clothes first?"
Qin Jiu let out a soft voice and said, "I almost forgot about that, Du Ruo, could you get me the rouge-colored sleeved over-dress with the butterflies and flowers."
Du Ruo widened her eyes slightly, then lowered her head, as she bent her knees and said, "I¡¯ll be back soon."
Du Ruo left in a hurry.
Qin Jiu walked along theke with Changning, and soon they arrived at Bibo Pavilion. It was a waterfront pavilion. Half of the pavilion was built on theke, and it ingeniously blended with the surroundingke and rockeries.
When they first entered the Bibo Pavilion, the servant, Lingxiang, also hurried back with two sets of clean clothes on the tray in her hand and passed it to Third Lady Qin."
"You¡¯re so thoughtful." Changning nodded, and smiled at Qin Jiu. "Third Lady Qin, I made this dress this year. I haven''t worn it yet. If you don''t mind, you can wear it first. Your manor is quite far from here, wearing a wet dress wouldn¡¯t do."
Qin Jiu epted it with much gratitude: "Thank you, Third Princess."
"Third Lady Qin, go to the room on your left, I''ll be on the right. See youter." Changning smiled again, and walked in the room by herself, while Lingxiang brought her clothes along and took Qin Jiu to the one on the left. .
The room was empty, and with just a nce, the wholeyout of the room came into sight. There was a Bogu shelf on the south, a chaise couch on the east, along with a five-fold screen and amode in one corner.
Lingxiang brought the clothes in, hung them on the screen one by one, and said with a smile: "Third Lady Qin, you can get changed into this first."
Qin Jiu said cheerfully: "Sure. Lingxiang, you may now head back to the Third Princess¡¯s side, I¡¯ll be fine on my own."
Qin Jiu quickly walked behind the screen. After a while, there was the sound of her undressinging from behind the screen, and then, a green lotus-colored sleeved over-dress was hung on the screen.
She¡¯s done her task!! Lingxiang stared at the embroidered twig and green calyx plum blossoms on the over-dress and felt relieved.
She was also worried about the three princesses, just in case...¡
It wasn''t convenient for her to be here either.
Lingxiang clenched her fists, and said, "Third Lady Qin, I¡¯ll excuse myself for the moment."
"Okay." Qin Jiu''s voice came from behind the screen.
Lingxiang walked out and slowly closed the door.
Lingxiang rushed to the room on the left and opened the door. Theyout of this room was generally the same as the one on the right.
At this moment, Chang Ning was sitting on the chaise couch, she had already taken off her cloak, and at a nce, the tea and petals from the scented tea were very visible on her dress, she looked a mess.
When she saw Lingxiang, Changning hurriedly asked: "How did it go?"
Lingxiang: "Your Majesty, I left only after seeing Third Lady Qin take off the outeryer of her outfit."
Chang Ning let out a long sigh of relief, her brows slightly rxed, and her soft and beautiful face revealed a cold temperament that was rather different from usual.
She asked further: "The clothes you gave Qin Jiu¡... it¡¯ll do its job right?"
Lingxiang: "When I went to get the clothes, I took a close look. The stitches at the waist area are about toe loose, with a touch, it¡¯ll break. Third Lady Qin would take a while to get changed. I¡¯ll help you get dressed first."
"Alright." Changning smiled as she stood up.
She gently brushed off a few petals on the cket of her dress, and walked behind the screen with light steps.
Although there were some things that didn¡¯t go to n, everything went rather smoothly.
Chapter 189 Marriage alliance with Beiyan (6)
Ch.189 Marriage alliance with Beiyan (6)
Changning tucked her hair behind her ears. Then, she opened her arms, her chin slightly raised, and Lingxiang helped her to remove her outer garment.
Her ck beautiful eyes shed with a strange gaze, and a sneer escaped from the corners of her lips.
How could she not know that Yingluo was using her as a pawn!
Yingluo didn''t like Qin Jiu, she wanted to use her to punish Qin Jiu, so as to make use of other people to get rid of her own enemy.
Hey, she was just an unfavored princess. Whether it was Yingluo, who was the daughter of the prince¡¯s first wife or Qin Jiu, who was backed by Empress Wei, she couldn¡¯t afford to offend any of them and she for sure didn¡¯t want to either.
In that case, she¡¯ll let Yingluo and Qin Jiu resolve their own matters.
Changning lowered her arms again and watched as Lingxiang hung the outer garment on the screen.
Just now, she deliberately ced the cup of scented tea on the table, and then spurred Yingluo and Qin Jiu with her words, so that they would quarrel. She then reminded them that there was a cup of scented tea near them. Next was just to wait for someone to ssh that cup of scented tea towards the other.
Yingluo has always been both spoiled and arrogant, she couldn¡¯t bear even the slightest of grievance, and as far as she knew, Qin Jiu''s temper was not much better. With Empress Wei¡¯s support, she for sure wouldn¡¯t give in.
Just now, Yingluo''s words were horrendous. Changning originally thought that Qin Jiu would be the one to use that cup of scented tea, but what she didn''t expect was that Yingluo was the one who seized the opportunity.
It''s a pity that Qin Jiu dodged so quickly. Seeing as the scented tea was about to go to waste, she could only use herself as a shield, so that all the scented tea would be poured on her body, and then pretended to have lost her bnce to pull on Qin Jiu, deliberately ruining her clothes. That is how she got it where she was now.
It was Yingluo who picked a fight with Qin Jiu.
Yingluo was also the one who poured tea on Qin Jiu.
Yingluo was the one who wasn¡¯t getting along with Qin Jiu.
Once something happens to Qin Jiu, everyone would think that Yingluo was the one behind it!
And she¡...
She tried to ease the situation just now, and she also blocked a cup of scented tea for Qin Jiu. No one would ever think that she was the mastermind behind all this from the very start.
Changning stroked the greence with her fingers gracefully, and the corners of his lips rose even higher.
When the timees, the emperor and the empress will be fuming with anger, and the one to bear the consequences would be Yingluo, and she can not only be the hero of the whole story, but also would be able to avoid the marriage alliance.
"Be quick." Changning urged, "Prince Yelu should almost be here by now."
She had promised Yeluluan that she would help him ask Qin Jiu out and they would meet in the room on the left, at the second floor of the Bibo Pavilion.
After a while, Yeluluan would push open the door in the left room, to see Qin Jiu with her disheveled clothes. As for her, as long as she walked over at the right moment, and "coincidentally" bump into this scene.
By then, Qin Jiu would have to be part of the marriage alliance!
"Qin Jiu¡¯s luck is not on her side." Changning sighed softly, his gaze flickering.
Lingxiang removed Changning''s mamian skirt, and said jokingly: "It¡¯s God''s will."
Changning raised her head slightly.
Actually, it didn¡¯t matter whether it was Yingluo or Qin Jiu who was sshed by the scented tea, this wouldn¡¯t change her n at all, as either one of them would be part of the marriage alliance. To be honest, she preferred that person to be Yingluo.
It really was God''s will, even the heavens wanted Qin Jiu to be part of the marriage alliance.
At this moment, Changning only had on a frost-colored undergarment on her body, but even her undergarment was soaked in tea, and the red loose covering for her chest was faintly visible under it.
She was about to speak when she suddenly heard the door faintly open from outside the screen.
Chapter 190 Arranged Marriage (1)
Ch.190 Arranged Marriage (1)
Changning¡¯s delicate willow eyebrows were furrowed as she muttered to herself, "Could it be Qin Jiu? She¡¯s done changing?"
Ye Luluan waste!
If Yeluluan''ste arrival made her n fail, it would be extremely troublesome.
No matter how dense Yingluo and Qin Jiu were, they wouldn¡¯t fall in the same trap twice!
Changning bit her lower lip slightly, the more anxious she felt as she thought more about it.
"Lingxiang, go take a look." Yingluo winked at Lingxiang and motioned for her to act on the asion.
"Yes, Your Highness." Lingxiang replied, and walked out from behind the screen.
At this time, the door to the room was already ajar, Lingxiang was just about to speak, but was left stunned.
"Lingxiang?" Changning asked aloud.
"Your¡...Your Highness.¡.." Lingxiang''s voice trembled in panic, she felt helpless. She turned around to look for Changning, but in a hurry, her right arm identally brushed againts the screen.
The screen instantly lost its bnce and fell forward.
Behind the screen, Chang Ning was taken aback, her eyes suddenly widened, she subconsciously raised her gaze and saw a tall and strong youth of a different kingdom, stepping over the sill into the room, it was Ye Luluan.
"Boom!"
The screen fell to the ground hard, making a thunderous sound.
Why is Ye Luluan here? !
Changning''s eyes widened in disbelief, and she quickly reacted. With only a thin undergarment on her, she quickly grabbed the sleeved over-dress hung on the screen and covered her body.
Her small face turned pale in fright, and a thinyer of cold sweat oozed from her back, she managed to control herself and not scream.
What was going on?
Why was Yeluluan here? Shouldn''t he be at Qin Jiu¡¯s?!
She was both shocked and frightened, not knowing what went wrong.
Yeluluan also saw Changning, his brows furrowed, his face filled with displeasure, and the left half of his face which was covered by a gauze looked rather ferocious.
He squinted his eyes, his gaze darkened, and he looked at Changning, who was only had on an undergarment from a distance away.
He felt that he had been led into a trap!
Earlier, the Third Princess sent someone to tell him that they had made an appointment with Qin Jiu and asked him to head to the room on the right of the Bibo Pavilion at this hour. He went in, but the room was empty and there was no one in there. Then, when he heard there was movement here, it seemed that there was someone in here, so he just merely assumed that the person who sent the message made a mistake, and came over.
Unexpectedly, Changning herself was here!
So¡ª¡ª
Did Emperor Daqi not want Qin Jiu to marry him, so he just simply pushed just any princess into his arms? !
Or was it because the Third Princess herself wanted to marry him, so she used such a scheme?
Ye Luluan¡¯s thin lips pressed into a straight line, his gaze turning darker and darker.
Is this a joke?! Are the princesses of Daqi finding it hard to marry themselves off!
Hmph, he was not even from Daqi, even if he sees the princess naked, can Emperor Daqi force him to marry her?!
Ye Luluan nced coldly at Changning, who was about to weep, and walked away without a hint of hesitation.
Seeing as Ye Luluan had finally left, Chang Ning felt relieved, she tightened her grip on the sleeved over-dress that was soaked wet in tea, and a thinyer of water vapor formed in her ck eyes. She was on the verge of crying.
At this moment, there was only one thought left in her mind: Why did this happen?!
However, her thoughts were all over the ce now that she couldn¡¯t think calmly at all, she just wanted to dress herself quickly.
Lingxiang also came back to her senses, she leaned over and picked up a fresh sleeved over-dress, and draped it over Changning with her slightly trembling fingers.
Lingxiang wanted to close the door, but she saw Ye Luluan who was about to cross the door sill, then stopped in her steps yet again.
Outside the door, Empress Wei showed up in the corridor with a group of courtdies and mamas, who blocked Yeluluan''s path.
"Your Majesty!" Lingxiang¡¯s face turned pale, her voice couldn¡¯t help but quiver, and her gazended on Qin Jiu, who was beside Empress Wei.
Qin Jiu naturally saw Ye Luluan in the wing room as he raised his eyebrows with interest.
From the very first moment Changning came to her during the day, Qin Jiu already knew that something was wrong.
She still remembered when Changning mentioned how much Yingluo hated her and wanted to frame her to be in the arranged marriage with Beiyan, that way she wouldn¡¯t be in Qin Xin¡¯s way. Thinking back at it, even if Yingluo really wanted to do this, she just had to do it, why would she tell this to Changning?
Chapter 191 Arranged Marriage (2)
Ch.191 Arranged Marriage (2)
At that time, Qin Jiu didn''t know Changning''s true intentions, so she felt that Changning was just treating herself as a fool and didn''t think much about it.
Right up until just now, when Yingluo and her had a quarrel in the Bifeng Pavilion, the words and phrasesing from Changning sounded awkward. On the surface, she seemed to be trying to ease the situation, but after some careful thought, it felt more like she was trying to cause even more conflict, especially when Changning mentioned that cup of scented tea out of nowhere, as if she was reminding them that there was a cup of tea there.
Yingluo sshed the tea towards her, and she obviously dodged it, but Changning had to run in front of her in an attempt to block it off, and used the excuse that she had lost her bnce, then soiled her dress.
Since she thought, from the start, that Changning was just trying to cause conflict between Yingluo and her, then after her skirt was soiled, she was sure that something else was bound to follow suit to this lineup of events!
When Changning proposed to have a change of skirts together, Qin Jiu could have politely declined. However, Qin Jiu felt that instead of waiting to be plotted against, she might as well deal with the problem as ites, and see what tricks Changning had up her sleeves, so she followed along with her every request.
On the way here, Qin Jiu also dismissed Du Ruo ording to Changning''s wish. By much coincidence, the moment they arrived at Bibo Pavilion, Changning''s courtdy, Lingxiang, had already prepared two sets of fresh clothes.
At that moment, Qin Jiu almost couldn¡¯t keep up her act, she could only secretly bash her in her heart: She got the clothes way too quickly, it¡¯s so obvious that they were prepared in advance.
Later, she pretended to change behind the screen, and then sent Lingxiang away. She then checked the new set of clothes that Lingxiang he brought. After some inspection, she found that the waist area had been tampered with.
So, Qin Jiu put her clothes back on again, then crawled out of the window and waited quietly outside the ce. Not long after that, she saw Ye Luluan enter through the door.
What else does she not understand?!
Qin Jiu saw Ye Luluan take a spin around the room and then went out, he then pushed open the door to the room on the right.¡..
Qin Jiu took a spin outside the ce, she was about to leave, but before she left Bibo Pavilion, she saw Du Ruo guiding Empress Wei here.
Then, she followed Empress Wei over here.
Upon seeing the chaotic scene in front of her, Qin Jiu could already guess what had gone down just now with even her toes.
Empress Wei''s gaze passed through Ye Luluan, and looked right at Changning in the back, her clothes were in a mess.
"¡..." Chang Ning was frightened, her sweet face turned pale, and her heart felt like it was plummeting uncontrobly, as her limbs went cold.
In contrast, Ye Luluan remained expressionless, as if he was just there for a visit.
He arched his hands towards Empress Wei casually, "Your majesty, I¡¯ll excuse myself for now."
"Daqi can¡¯t just shove me a random woman, I do have rather high standards for women!" At the exact moment he said this, he didn''t even look at Changning.
Changning''s face turned another shade paler when she heard this.
The head maid outside the door hesitantly nced at Empress Wei, she didn¡¯t dare to let Ye Luluan leave that easily.
Empress Wei was as calm as water, and said lightly: "Let him go."
Hence, the maids and mamas stepped back and gave way to Ye Luluan.
Ye Luluan was also slightly surprised at how Empress Wei let himself go that easily, his expression remained calm, as he walked out with his robe raised. When he walked past Qin Jiu, he nced at Qin Jiu, as if a wolf was staring at its prey, he was determined to have her.
Ye Luluan walked away with his head high, and this time, he didn¡¯t linger around.
Empress Wei crossed the door sill as she lifted her skirt, and looked at Changning steadily. It was hard to tell her emotions from her expression, as she naturally gave off a domineering aura.
Changning''s body trembled visibly, tears rolled in his eyes, as if she was about to faint.
"Your Royal Highness." Lingxiang helped support Changning''s weak body, which had gone limp.
Empress Wei walked to the chaise couch and sat down without a word. Qin Jiu stood beside Empress Wei, and was also silent.
A maid immediately served Empress Wei some tea, and the faint fragrance from it instantly filled the room.
The fragrance from the tea smelled refined, but at this moment, Chang Ning felt that the fragrance was so strong that she found it hard to breathe, as if there was arge boulder crushing her heart.
Chapter 192 Arranged Marriage (3)
Ch.192 Arranged Marriage (3)
After a while, she calmed herself down, straightened her new sleeved over-dress, and walked tremblingly to the front of Empress Wei with Lingxiang''s support, and knelt down directly with a plop.
"Mother."
Tears rolled in her eyes, as if she was a frightened white rabbit, she trembled in fear.
The next moment, a line of tears slipped from the corner of her eyes along smooth cheeks, she seemed both aggrieved and pitiful, which made people feel bad for her.
However, the servants who served Empress Wei had seen much in their lives, and they all remained expressionless.
Empress Wei slowly removed the foam floating on the surface of the tea with the lid. Her emotions remained a mystery, and she asked faintly: "Changning, what happened?"
Changning wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes with a handkerchief, looked at Empress Wei, and then at Qin Jiu, her eyes shed.
She looked down again and bit her lip softly, "Mother, it was.¡..Yingluo!"
"Yingluo wanted to frame Third Lady Qin."
"¡..." Qin Jiu looked at the top of Changning''s head, she had on a pair of pure gold butterfly beads in her bun. The thin wings that resembled a cicada¡¯s trembled slightly, the sight of her seemed extremely pitiful.
Changning lowered her head, as she stared at a torn rose petal on the ground.
In an instant, she had figured it all out.
Since Qin Jiu escaped safely, she must have realised that it was a trap. Now that Empress Wei was here, she would definitely help Qin Jiu. It would be conceivable that if she insists that Qin Jiu was the one who framed her, this would just worsen her current situation.
Thinking of what had happened just now, Changning''s gaze turned gloomy.
Everyone knew that Yingluo did not like Qin Jiu, so it was best to point her finger at Yingluo.
While talking, Changning tears were like rain, as they fell drop by drop on the ground like pearls on a broken string, pear blossoms bathed in the rain.
However, even after crying for some time, she didn''t see any response from Empress Wei, and couldn''t help but carefully look up at her.
Empress Wei raised her eyebrows, "Really?"
Her words sounded neither light nor heavy, neither hurried nor slow, which still confused people on her attitude about this issue.
"Mother, every word I said is true." Changning said in a hoarse voice, then exined how Cai Yingluo deliberately provoked Qin Jiu in public just now, and also mentioned that she had sshed tea towards Qin Jiu.
"Mother, only the Bibo Pavilion in Diecui Courtyard could let us have a change of clothes. Yingluo must have known that Third Lady Qin and I woulde here to change."
"It must be Yingluo who deliberately told Prince Yelu that Third Lady Qin was here. If Prince Yelu saw Third Lady Qin getting undressed, it¡¯ll definitely ruin her reputation¡..."
After a pause, Changning added: "Mother, I only got a hold of the situation when Prince Yelu broke in."
Changning''s dark willow eyes had just been cleansed by her tears, they looked extremely clear, sincere, and also soft.
"¡..." Qin Jiu almost apuded her.
Empress Wei remained unmoved, and asked again: "You said Yingluo was the one behind all this, is there any proof?"
Changning: "¡..."
Her hands that were hidden in her sleeves clenched tightly, she gritted her teeth, and said: "Mother, Prince Yelu must know who invited him here."
A light shed through Changning''s gaze and disappeared in a sh.
This kind of a scandal which involves two kingdoms should be hidden away and covered up as soon as possible. It was impossible for Empress Wei to confront Ye Luluan. This would only bring shame upon Daqi in front of the people of Beiyan. After all, she was a royal princess, and Yingluo was also a princess of the royal n. Daqi could not go through such humiliation!
Empress Wei looked at Changning in silence, without a word, her eyes that seemed to have seen through everything made Changning, who looked strong and confident on the outside, feel even more frightened and anxious.
She exhausted all her strength to not show a guilty conscience or timidity, and recalled what she had just said in her mind.
She was convinced that her logic made sense and there was no problem with her story.
Chang Ning said to herself in her heart, her body tensed up, and even the golden butterfly beads between her temples remained still.
At this moment, Chang Ning felt as if time had slowed down, and a thinyer of sweat oozed from the back of her neck.
After god knows how long, Empress Wei spoke again: "Kouzi, summon Princess Yingluo."
Kouzi quickly served his order and walked hurriedly past Changning, who secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Changning looked at Qin Jiu again, and said weakly, "Third Lady Qin, it¡¯s such good news to hear that you¡¯re alright, I''m relieved."
As she said this, she bit her lower lip again, her lips turned pale from it, timid and soft, with a look that was still in shock.
Chapter 193 Arranged Marriage (4)
Ch.193 Arranged Marriage (4)
Changning was optimistic. She knew that at this point, she only had to use Yingluo, then she would be the victim.
Qin Jiu: "¡..."
Qin Jiu was extremely impressed with the third princess, just look at her, she was only fourteen years old and already had such schemes up her sleeves, just amazing!
The room fell into silence, and all the maids and mamas held their breaths in.
Empress Wei was gracefully sipping on her tea, while Changning kept kneeling. Empress Wei didn''t ask her to rise, so she didn''t dare to get up, even if her knees felt numb and in pain, she didn''t dare to budge.
The atmosphere felt slightly tense.
As night fell, the maids lit the pcemps in silence, the orange lights illuminated the surroundings, and asionally the voices of the nobledies having fun in the distance could be heard. The courtyard outside aspared to this ce seemed to be two different worlds, one was moving and the other was still.
Not before long, Kouzi brought Princess Yingluo along with him.
Yingluo only knew that it was Empress Wei who had summoned her, up until she got to the outside of the room, when she saw Changning kneeling on the ground, she raised her eyebrows in much confusion.
Yingluo crossed the door sill, walked in, and greeted Empress Wei, "Your majesty."
Empress Wei asked in a straightforward manner: "Yingluo, Changning said that because you don''t like Jiu, you secretly came together with Ye Luluan, the second prince of Beiyan, to try and frame her"
"Nonsense!" Yingluo''s eyes widened as she blurted, she was left rather dumbfounded.
She did hate Qin Jiu, and she wouldn¡¯t hesitate to express her dislike towards Qin Jiu in public, but even if she was dissatisfied with Qin Jiu, she would never dirty her own hands, otherwise she would not have instigated Changning in the first ce.
Empress Wei continued to say: "Changning said that you deliberately sshed tea onto Jiu just now, just to create a trap to frame Jiu and force Jiu to get a change of clothes here."
"You also notified Ye Luluan toe here with the intention to run into Jiu¡..."
Following Empress Wei¡¯s every word, Yingluo''s eyes widened, and she felt that a breath of air was stuck in her chest, and she felt even more wronged than Dou E.
Yingluo was not stupid, catching the information revealed by Empress Wei, she quickly pieced everything together, and got a hold of the situation in no time.
Changning actually framed her!!
"¡..." Yingluo looked at Changning, who was kneeling beside her, in much disbelief. Changning still had her small face facing downwards, weak and helpless, her long eyshes trembled like a frightened butterfly.
Yingluo couldn''t believe that this was the Changning she knew. Her father, Prince Tai, was the younger brother of the current emperor. Although they were not from the same mother, he was raised by Empress Liu from an early age. Empress Liu treated her as if she was her grandmother. She had often hung around the imperial harem ever since she was a child, and interacted with the princesses.
She always thought that Changning was just a useless little white rabbit, but turns out, she was bitten by this little white rabbit.
Yingluo was so frustrated that she felt that she was about to vomit a mouthful of blood, subconsciously she raised her voice and said, "It''s not me, Changning was the one behind all this!"
Changning''s eyshes trembled, and tears immediately rolled down her cheeks again, as if they contained boundless grievances.
Her soft demeanour was in sharp contrast with Yingluo''s domineering aura, and anyone would think that it was Yingluo that was the bully.
As if adding fuel to the fire, Yingluo only felt a gush of anger fire rush to her head, and she was about to burst into mes.
Yingluo red at Changning fiercely, her gaze almost eating her up.
"It was Changning!" Yingluo gritted her teeth and said, "It''s because she doesn''t want to be in the arranged marriage with Beiyan, so she wanted Qin Jiu to fill up the spot."
"May your majesty be fair on your judgement, framing Qin Jiu, what good does that bring for me!"
Yingluo was not afraid of quarreling with Qin Jiu, since the empress would only say a word or two at most, but if she reckoned that this was her doing, then it wasn¡¯t as simple as going through an earful to end the matter.
What''s more, she didn''t do it, how could she admit to it!
Changning raised her small face and said aggrievedly to Empress Wei: "Mother, it really wasn¡¯t me!"
"Furthermore, father did not say that he wanted me to be part of the arranged marriage, so why should I be this anxious."
Yingluo really had the urge to tear Changning apart, and then said: "Your majesty, I for more don''t have the need to do so."
"¡..."
Empress Wei just looked at these two and kept silent.
Chapter 194 Arranged Marriage (5)
Ch.194 Arranged Marriage (5)
When they were done biting at each other, Empress Wei sighed and said: "The emperor once told me that he didn''t want the princess or any daughters of the royal n to be part of the arranged marriage. There was no guarantee that there would be no war even after the arranged marriage, so why bother!"
"I didn¡¯t expect that you guys wouldmit such misfits in order to avoid being in an arranged marriage!"
Empress Wei nced at both Yingluo and Changning, who were in front of her, withpassion.
"But now¡...sigh!"
Empress Wei did not finish her sentence, and ended with aplicated yet long sigh.
Changning''s eyes opened slightly, and she couldn''t help but think, what did the empress mean by her words?
Could it be that her father did not intend to have an arranged marriage with Beiyan, but now that Ye Luluan has seen her as she was changing, which shattered her reputation, so she had to marry even if she didn''t want to.
Ye Luluan¡¯s face appeared in Changning''s mind, which frightened her, her whole body was stripped of all strength, and his face was filled with despair.
She didn¡¯t want to be in an arranged marriage!
Yingluo was also terrified, her pupils shrank, and she couldn''t help but think about the hidden meaning behind Empress Wei''s words: Did the empress think that she was the one who wanted to harm Qin Jiu, so she wanted to persuade the emperor to let her be part of the arranged marriage?
Yingluo''s face instantly turned pale.
Empress Wei curled her lips with a smile, she didn''t care what thoughts they had in mind.
She stood up and called Qin Jiu to leave along with her. The servants also hurried along with them.
Only Changning and Yingluo remained in the room.
The night breeze blew in from the window, and the candlelights in thenterns flickered along with the wind, reflecting Changning and Yingluo¡¯s faces in a weird shade.
Suddenly, Yingluo moved. She grabbed the tea cup that Empress Wei had left behind and threw it at Changning, she gritted her teeth and said: "Changning, how dare you plot against me!"
Changning would not just endure her attacks, she dodged it with a sidestep and got up from the ground.
"Piak!"
The tea cup flew over her shoulder, smashed to the ground in pieces, Lingxiang and Yingluo''s maids all cowered in fear.
Changning pinched a handkerchief and wiped the corners of her eyes, she then gathered her hair with her hands and when she looked up again, her jade-white face waspletely clean.
She faintly said: "If you didn''t use me as your pawn and let me deal with Qin Jiu, would matters turn out this way?"
Yingluo:"!"
Chang Ning ced the handkerchief back in her sleeve pocket, and her beautiful and delicate face remained expressionless, as she said, "I will never be part of the arranged marriage."
"At this stage, Cousin Yingluo, do you think that father will believe me, or will he believe you?"
Changning raised her chin slightly and nced at Yingluo provocatively.
"Changning!" Yingluo looked at her in disbelief, as if she had just seen a ghost.
Based on her impression of her, the third princess, Changning, had always been weak and sickly ever since she was a child. She would be sick for half of the whole month, and the remaining half of the month, she was soft and delicate, like a vase that would shatter into pieces when touched, so Yingluo never bothered to y with her.
Yingluo never expected that Changning''s soft side was all pretend, she was so good at hiding it!
Yingluo never experienced such grievance, she stared right at Changning, her eyes flushed red and scorching fire burned in her pupils, she felt flustered and confused.
No matter how bad Changning was, she was the emperor''s biological daughter, and the emperor would definitely favour her.
If Empress Wei added on to this, then she¡...
"Don''t think about leaving." Yingluo saw as Changning turned around and wanted to leave, she grabbed Changning''s arm. However, before her fingers even touched Changning''s sleeve, she saw as Changning staggered, lost her bnce, and fell to the ground.
"Your Highness!" Lingxiang eximed nervously.
Changning fell to the ground embarrassedly, her right elbownded on the floor, her right hand stealthily grabbed a shattered porcin piece, and hid it in her palm, in a corner which was a blind spot to the others, she grabbed the broken piece of porcin and shed it on her forehead, then she fell to the ground.
Her right cheek pressed to the ground, and the broken porcin piece that was covered in blood hadnded beside her forehead¡...
"Your Royal Highness." Lingxiang knelt on the ground nervously, and helped Changning, who had fallen to the ground, up.
Changning¡¯s face turned pale, her right hand covered her right forehead, as red blood oozed from her fingers, and trickled down.
Drip drop, drip drop.
Lingxiang''s pupils shrunk as she let out a loud scream: "Your Highness, your face!"
Her shrill cry broke the dark silence.
Chapter 195 Scheming and Ambitious (1)
Ch.195 Scheming and Ambitious (1)
Empress Wei and Qin Jiu walked out of Bibo Pavilion.
Empress Wei didn¡¯t say a word, and Qin Jiu remained silent, she stole nces at Empress Wei from time to time, and somehow felt that she was angry.
Hmm, she must be mad at herself, I guess?
Qin Jiu nced at Empress Wei again.
Empress Wei stopped, sighed as she touched the top of Qin Jiu''s head, and said, "Jiu, you can¡¯t be this reckless anymore."
"You knew that Changning was plotting something against you, but you still rushed into it naively."
"If something happened to you, how can your parents rest peacefully in heaven!"
Empress Wei furrowed her brows deeply, and Qin Jiu pursed her lips as she smiled at her, with her pair of apricot eyes that were as bright as the stars.
Empress Wei looked at her, and couldn¡¯t stand to be angry at her, she poked the little girl''s forehead helplessly, and said, "You!"
Seeing as Empress Wei was cooling off, Qin Jiu grew courageous, and smiled: "Aunt, actually, instead of constantly being spied on and plotted against and to always be on guard, it¡¯s better to just cut it directly from its roots."
As she said this, she also raised her right palm and made a shing motion, along with a murderous look.
Empress Wei: "!!!"
This girl!
Empress Wei shook her head, she felt even more helpless, and said, "Jiu, you can alwayse to me."
"I forgot to." Qin Jiu smiled with her eyes.
Empress Wei felt sad and said to herself: This girl had been through so much ever since she was a child. She must be used to handling everything by herself.¡..
Seeing Empress Wei¡¯s face that was filled with distress and self-me, Qin Jiu blinked, she didn¡¯t say anything wrong, right?
In reality, she didn''t forget to inform her, she just felt that it was unnecessary.
She knew that her aunt was kind to her and loved her like she was her own daughter, it was for this exact reason, she shouldn¡¯t rely on her for everything and to let her step in.
Her aunt was the empress, the motherly figure of the nation and the most noble woman in Daqi, but the empress couldn¡¯t act just as she pleases. She had to be particr about her every action, this too applies to the emperor.
Since she could settle the matter on her own, then why should she trouble her aunt.
On the way to the Bibo Pavilion, when she sent away Du Ruo, she deliberately made up a piece of clothing that she didn''t own, just to remind Du Ruo that there was something off about Changning.
She originally thought that Du Ruo could bring along a few roughdies. If she was really caught up in trouble that she couldn¡¯t handle, Du Ruo could work together and protect herself, but she didn¡¯t expect Du Ruo to bring along Empress Wei.
Qin Jiu knew that Du Ruo was just worried that she might suffer, so she wasn¡¯t really angry at her, she only red at Du Ruo with a fake frown.
Du Ruo said pitifully, "I won¡¯t dare to do so anymore."
The empress had already gifted herself to her, and this girl was now her master, so she was at the wrong as she went to the empress without the girl''s permission.
"No more next time." Qin Jiu poked Du Ruo on the forehead like what the empress had done to her.
Du Ruo said in relief: "Okay."
Empress Wei did not stop Qin Jiu from disciplining her own men, even though she agreed that Du Ruo should havee to her, otherwise she wouldn¡¯t even know that her niece was being bullied!
"What happens after, Jiu, you don''t have to worry about it." Empress Wei said these words with much volume, as she caressed Qin Jiu''s sweet face lovingly.
The incident that happened between Yingluo and Changning today, Empress Wei could still understand where the two wereing from. It was nothing more than the fact that Yingluo wanted to use Changning to harm Qin Jiu, but she ended up reaping what she sowed and was even bitten by Changning in return.
These two, none of them were innocent!
If it weren''t for Jiu¡¯s cleverness, she would be the one who suffered today.
Thinking about Ye Luluan who left in anger, Empress Wei squinted her eyes, her gaze turned cold yet sharp.
Empress Wei stroked her sleeves and was about to walk forward. Suddenly, the sound of messy footsteps could be heard from Bibo Pavilion behind them, apanied by a female voice which spoke in panic: ¡°Your highness!"
Changning''s head maid, Lingxiang, chased after her with her skirt lifted, she bowed down to her knees towards Empress Wei, her sweet face all pale, and said, "Your highness, Princess Yingluo scratched the third princess¡¯s¡¡face!"
Empress Wei: "¡..."
Empress Wei said softly to Qin Jiu: "Jiu, the small banquet over at the Bifeng Pavilion is not over yet, go look for Xin''an and have some fun."
Qin Jiu obediently responded to her.
As for Empress Wei, she returned to the Bibo Pavilion with Lingxiang.
Chapter 196 Scheming and Ambitious (2)
Ch.196 Scheming and Ambitious (2)
As soon as she entered the room, Changningined to Empress Wei as she bawled: "Mother, cousin Yingluo pushed me down to the ground, she.¡..she even pushed me towards the broken tiles on the ground on purpose.¡.. my face¡..."
She panted slightly, choked, her hair was in a slight mess, and an inch-long blood stain could be seen on the right side of her silky white forehead, it was terrifying to look at.
"It wasn¡¯t me!" Yingluo screamed, as she stomped her feet hysterically.
"I beg you to seek justice for me!" Changning cried even louder, tears were raining down her face, the sight of her was rather pitiful.
"Your highness, Changning is falsely using me!"
Yingluo''s voice went up three octaves and sounded even sharper, her voice made Empress Wei''s forehead faintly hurt, and she said to herself: Fortunately, she had sent Jiu away.
At this moment, Qin Jiu had got to the outside of Bifeng Pavilion.
Du Ruo helped Qin Jiu remove her cloak, Qin Jiu couldn''t help but look back and nce in the direction of Bibo Pavilion, her gaze flickered.
Not only did Empress Wei notice it, but Qin Jiu could also tell what tricks Yingluo and Changning were ying at just now. To put it bluntly, it was just a dogfight. Hence, Empress Wei just let them bite at each other.
However, what was up with Ying Luo scratching Changning''s face?!
Qin Jiu was extremely curious.
The Cuidie Garden was rather chilly during the night, Qin Jiu didn''t stay under the eaves for too long, and turned around to walk into the water pavilion.
In the Bifeng Pavilion, the area was brightly lit, which illuminated the surroundings as bright as daylight.
Thedies were talking andughing, each having fun, and the atmosphere was as lively as before.
Only the second princess Xin''an was slightly absent-minded. She had been paying attention to the outside of the water pavilion, and immediately noticed that Qin Jiu was back, so she came over to talk to her.
"Jiu, are you okay?" Xin''an asked Qin Jiu in a low voice.
Just now, when the Kouzi summoned Yingluo away as per Empress Wei¡¯s orders. Xin''an coordinated the whole situation and didn¡¯t let the otherdies know. They all thought that Yingluo just went away to have a change of clothes, so they didn¡¯t put it at heart. They continued what they were doing, ying around, enjoying the music or even joking around.
Qin Jiu showed a soft smile and said lightly, "I¡¯m fine."
The word "I¡¯m fine" had a much deeper meaning in itself.
Xin''an knew that there were some things that can¡¯t be said out loud, so she didn''t ask further.
She smiled and pulled on Qin Jiu''s hand as she said: "You enjoy Pipa storytelling right, this song just started. It is a new songpiled by the music division, called "The fate of the paper kite", it¡¯s quite interesting."
Qin Jiu sat down with Xin''an and listened to the Pipa storytelling enthusiastically.
ording to "The fate of the paper kite", a schr, who went to the capital for an exam, passed by a garden by coincidence and noticed a broken paper kite drift out from there and got stuck on a treetop. The schr took down the paper kite and got acquainted with Wang Yinglian and her sister. The schr and Wang Yinglian fell in love with each other at first sight, and her younger sister, Wang Yingxuan became the matchmaker for them both, unfortunately, Wang Yinglian already had a fianc¨¦ of an arranged marriage.
The two met as they decided to elope, but Mrs. Wang got to know about this and separated the lover pair. The schr had no choice but to head to the capital to take the exam, and wanted toe back to propose to his sweetheart after passing the exam. However, Mrs. Wang decided to move Wang Yinglian''s wedding date forward. Wang Yinglian was devastated. Her younger sister, Wang Yingxuan, couldn''t bear to see her sister sad. On the day her sister got married, she drugged her sister and resolutely stood in as the bride.
Three monthster, the schr came first in the imperial examination, then proudly returned to marry Wang Yinglian, and the two spent the rest of their lives together.
Manydies were immersed in this story, as the story progressed, they felt nervous at times, they sighed, smiled, and even eximed in admiration from time to time¡...
Qin Jiu, who was focused on the Pipa storytelling as she munched on some melon seeds, didn''t notice that another person had sat down beside her.
After the song, Yun Jiaoniang tried to make conversation with Qin Jiu: "Third Lady Qin, this new song is quite interesting. The rtionship between the Wang sisters is really special."
This time, Qin Jiu finally knew that her surname was Yun, and said with a serious expression: "Miss Yun, I think that I would rather not have this kind of sisterhood!"
Yun Jiaoniang: "???"
Chapter 197 Scheming and Ambitious (3)
Ch.197 Scheming and Ambitious (3)
Qin Jiu: "Which sister would take the initiative to be the matchmaker for her sister and the schr, when she knew perfectly well that her sister was in an arranged marriage, for what purpose did she do so? Moreover, she secretly drugged her sister and stood in for her. Did she ask her brother-inw¡¯s opinion on this? So the brother-inw deserved to marry his wife¡¯s sister and deserved to be judged by the others?
Yun Jiaoning: ".¡.."
Yun Jiao Niang blinked, then blinked again, she nodded her head as if she agreed with her and said, "That''s right."
Severaldies next to them also overheard the conversation, the corners of their eyes twitched.
"Third Lady Qin, try this lotus cake, it¡®s quite good." Yun Jiaoniang handed the te of lotus cake, which was beside her, to Qin Jiu, with an awkward smile, she then exined, "Third Lady Qin, I really wasn¡¯t aware that you didn¡¯t know how to y Touhu.
Qin Jiu let out an "um" and took a bite of the piping hot piece of lotus cake.
Yun Jiaoniang said calmly: "You know perfectly well that I don''t like Qin Xin, so I never hang around with Princess Yingluo." Yun Jiaoniang was quite torn for a while, in fear that Qin Jiu would mistake her for being in the same circle as Yingluo.
Qin Jiu nodded as she ate the cake.
Seeing as Qin Jiu didn¡¯t bear a grudge againts her, Yun Jiaoniang breathed a sigh of relief, with a smile on her small face, she then said: "There is an opera troupe in the capital called Lijiaban who performs well. When we¡¯re in the capital, I¡¯ll invite you to one show."
"The swordsman in this Lijiaban is amazing, his skills are pretty neat!"
Yun Jiaoniang talked on and on, and didn¡¯t give Qin Jiu a slight chance to speak.
Many people around them also heard Yun Jiaoniang mention Princess Yingluo, their expressions subtly changed.
The fewdies who were well acquainted with Yingluo couldn''t help but whisper to each other, with their brows furrowed, they looked towards the entrance of the water pavilion, and thought to themselves: Why hasn''t Yingluo returned?
Changning and Yingluo have both been gone for quite some time. At this moment, many people have noticed that they haven''t returned in a long time, and could feel that something was wrong. The whispers of discussion be more and more frequent.
Even when the gongs sounded, and the small banquet at Bifeng Pavilion was over, Yingluo and Changning did not return.
By this time, most people were pretty confident that something that they were not aware of had happened, so some busybodies approached Qin Jiu to see if they could get any insider information.
"Third Lady Qin, didn''t you go along with the Third Princess to have a change of clothes?"
"Why hasn¡¯t she returned, is she unwell?"
"Third Lady Qin, Princess Yingluo''s temperament has always been this way¡..."
¡°¡¡¡±
There were some girls behind who were too shy toe over, but they all had their ears pricked up as they eavesdropped.
However, no matter how thesedies tried to pry, Qin Jiu just smiled and said nothing.
The more she kept her silence, the more curious the others were, and the more they felt that Qin Jiu was a person in the know, otherwise why would she avoid talking about it.
"Third Lady Qin¡..." A girl in blue wanted to ask on, but felt her cuffs tighten. A girl in green beside her pulled on her sleeve and pointed her other finger to the front right.
The girl in blue subconsciously looked in the direction her friend had pointed at.
Just four or five feet away, a young man who was dressed in full purple was standing next to an octagonal pavilion with antern in hand. The soft light of thentern illuminated his handsome face rather clearly.
Many nobledies knew him, Gu Zezhi, the third son of the Duan Manor, and was also one of the most outstanding yers of the night huntst night.
The third son of Emperor Duan was noble and was ranked high in terms of seniority. Those nobledies were somewhat in awe of him, they bowed at him and excused themselves from the scene.
What nice timing for her golden thigh to show up! Qin Jiu smiled happily, and felt that Gu Zezhi was her savior, she was bursting with happiness.
She stepped forward, and said with a smile: "Big brother, what a coincidence."
Gu Zezhi''s gaze fell on the string bag that Qin Jiu had on her waist, and he smiled slightly, he didn¡¯t mention that he came just to pick her up.
During the day, the emperor specifically called him over, and told him that he had already given out a decree to invite his father and brother to the capital, and that they should be here around early next month.
Gu Zezhi took a step forward and brushed off a flower petal on her shoulder. A light smile appeared in his slender and beautiful eyes, and he asked casually, "Was tonight fun?"
Chapter 198 Scheming and Ambitious (4)
Ch.198 Scheming and Ambitious (4)
Thinking back about everything that had happened tonight, Qin Jiu nodded her head in an eventful way: "Fun! It was extremely interesting!"
"I even had a delicious radish cake tonight. It was charred on the outside and soft on the inside. It smelled amazing and was extremely delicious. You would have loved it. What a pity¡..."
She paused for a while, and then slowly continued: "It''s a pity, you couldn¡¯t have some!"
As soon as her words fell, she didn''t wait for Gu Zezhi to react and ran away.
Looking at her figure from the back, as he listened to her smugugh, Gu Zezhi''s lips turned upwards, his smile was gentle, and his eyes radiated in the dim light.
With thentern in hand, he followed along.
The silver moonlight poured down, as it softly covered the buildings, flowers and trees, the flowers and trees swayed and danced along with the night breeze, as they made rustling sounds.
Under the moonlight, in Yong An Pce, Empress Wei was talking to the emperor about Changning and Yingluo.
The emperor and his wife had been married for 20 years, and they had a deep and connected rtionship with each other. Empress Wei never kept secrets from the emperor, and even told him about her own thoughts:
"The cause of this whole incident was because Yingluo wanted to frame Jiu, but in the end, she was dragged under by Changning."
"Yingluo and Changning are both guilty."
"I felt that they deserved to be punished, so I just let them fight it out, and let them stir things up, but what I didn''t expect was.¡.."
What Empress Wei didn¡¯t expect was that Changning would injure her face.
Empress Wei gave off aplex expression. She took a sip of hot tea, and then said: "Emperor, I reckon that the injury on Changning''s forehead¡... she probably did it to herself."
Empress Wei still remembered that when Changning was about four or five years old, she often fell ill. No matter where the emperor was, he would be summoned by Changning''s biological mother, Xu Anbi.
At first, Empress Wei also thought that Changning¡¯s body was weak, so she instructed the imperial physics to take good care of her, but even after more than a year of treatment, there was no sign of improvement, so she nned to bring Changning over to her ce for some time, to recuperate. After all, the expenses spent in the Fengluan Pce was much more than Xu Anbi¡¯s ce.
However, as soon as Empress Wei mentioned this, Xu Anbi bawled so much that she was on the verge of fainting, as if her intentions were to snatch her daughter away from her. Changning fell ill again that night.
From then on, Empress Wei came to a realisation.
As time passed, Changning grew up, and Xu Anbi stopped mentioning that Changning was sick, but Changning herself was always ill. Her fragile look made Empress Dowager Liu feel extremely distressed for her granddaughter.
There was some truth in this, the empress¡¯s heart was like a mirror, she was toozy to expose her, and it was nothing more than a means for the women to fight for the emperor¡¯s favor.
To put it bluntly, to build up a well known image of being weak as a girl, was not necessarily a good thing.
Empress Wei shed a mocking smile, and then said: "Yingluo, I watched this child grow up to be the person she is now. Although she has quite an unruly temperament, she''s careful. No matter how much she hates Changning, she won''t do it with her own hands." Just as how she provoked Changning to hurt Jiu.
The emperor believed Empress Wei¡¯s words.
The emperor made a fist with his right hand, and knocked on the side table twice, and said: "The children are all grown up now, and they have more thoughts going on in their minds¡..." The emperor''s words were not just referring to Changning and Yingluo.
Empress Wei sighed: "To be frank, I didn¡¯t handle the situation well."
Empress Wei''s words were not just for show.
When Yingluo and Changning were both using each other for colluding with Yeluluan in the Bibo Pavillion, Empress Wei was also annoyed. Changning and Yingluo were the daughters of the royal family after all, they represented the royal family, but they stooped to such a lowdown trick, which really tarnished Daqi¡¯s reputation.
They really brought shame upon them in front of Beiyan!
Therefore, even if Empress Wei clearly saw through the truth, she didn¡¯t punish them immediately.
If she punished them, it would confirm that Yingluo and Changning did use such schemes, and this would embarrass Daqi even further.
But she couldn''t just let the matter go that easily, so Empress Wei let them quarrel and bite at each other. She knew that the two would not let each other go, so this would be an even better way to seek justice for Jiu.
Even if the Empress didn''t say it in a straightforward manner, the emperor understood her, he smiled and patted her jade-like hands that she took much care of, "Rongrong, you did right."
Chapter 199 Scheming and Ambitious (5)
Ch.199 Scheming and Ambitious (5)
Empress Wei¡¯s lips curled up as she smiled at the emperor. Her usual graceful and dignified appearance seemed softer, and she suddenly looked a few years younger.
The emperor smiled and held Empress Wei''s hand.
"Emperor," Empress Wei said, "what should we do next?"
Empress Wei''s expression turned serious, and she was no longer talking about the drama between Changning and Yingluo.
The emperor said lightly: "Don''t worry about it for now."
"Zezhi is right. Beiyan is a defeated nation. Why should we fulfill their wishes and have an arranged marriage!"
"Whether or not to have an arranged marriage, we, Daqi, get the final say!"
The emperor smiled calmly, expressing a sense of vigor between each sentence.
Empress Wei looked at the emperor, smiled again, and nodded: "You¡¯re the boss."
As she said this, Empress Wei''s expression became weird again, "If Changning knew that she didn''t need to be part of the arranged marriage, would she regret scratching her own face¡..."
"Emperor," at this moment, the eunuch, Zhou Xin, walked in and said, "The imperial guard wishes to see you."
Emperor: "Let him in."
So, Empress Wei hid in the Bisha wardrobe behind them. Not long after, themander of the imperial guards, Yuan Minggang, walked in and bowed at the emperor with his fists folded and raised in front of him, and said: "Emperor, I¡¯m done with the investigation."
"Go on."
Yesterday, the emperor not only asked Yuan Minggang to send someone to summon Emperor Duan and his son to the capital, but also gave him orders to look into Zheng Feng. Yuan Minggang came to report on this matter.
"Emperor, Zheng Feng was born in Shuzhou, and hees from a military household in Shuzhou. He participated in the martial arts exam during the sixth year of Yuanhe and was chosen as the Wujinshi. After that, he entered the five army camp and was transferred to the standard-bearer in March of the previous year. Wei, as the assistantmissioner."
"Four years ago, Shuzhou was raided by water bandits. At that time, thousands of military households died as they couldn¡¯t fight back, including Zheng Feng''s father and uncle. His mother soon died of an illness¡..."
Yuan Minggang reported in an orderly manner, the emperor seemed expressionless, but in fact, the more he listened, the more frightened he was.
To take the martial arts examination, all candidates were required to have a clean family record for at least three generations. Zheng Feng, who was able to pass and be a Wujinshi, meant that there was definitely no problem with his ancestry. It¡¯s just that the emperor was still worried, so he asked Yuan Minggang to investigate, and it turned out to be so.
The emperor silently rubbed the embossed white porcin tea cup with his fingertips, then took a sip of tea from the tea cup, his thoughts spinning quick.
Zheng Feng not only came from a decent family, he also looked like he had no rtions at all to be tied with the Duan Manor.
But it was such a person, who was not only willing to be instigated by Prince Duan, but also to keep secrets, and was fearless, even death didn¡¯t scare him.
Zheng Feng, a dignified Fourth Grade Assistant Commander, with a promising future before him, was perfectly fine with the idea of death.
Yuan Minggang was done reporting about his findings, seeing as the emperor remained silent, he stood there quietly with his hands down.
Finally, the emperor ced down the tea cup in hand and said: "Send someone to visit Shuzhou again."
He paused, and his tone became slower: "Let''s see whether Zheng Feng will be reced by someone."
Yuan Minggang cupped both his hands together in front of his chest: "Yes!"
The emperor waved his hand, and Yuan Minggang left.
Empress Wei got out of the Bisha cupboard at the back, she walked behind the emperor, raised her hand and gently massaged his temples for him.
The emperor squinted his eyes in a rxed manner, and leanedzily on the back of the chair, as he said, ¡°I wonder how many spies Prince Duan had ced here to keep an eye on my every move."
The imperial army was the emperor''s own soldiers, they were directly under the emperor¡¯s jurisdiction, and were responsible for protecting the emperor along with keeping the capital safe.
If there was one, there would be a second one.
If there was a Zheng Feng, there would be a Wang Feng, a Zhao Feng¡...
Emperor: "Gu Chenzhi is quite scheming and ambitious."
Empress Wei asked softly: "Emperor, at that time, it felt like Zheng Feng was about to abduct Jiu?"
The emperor nodded. Zheng Feng was dead, and there was no one to answer their questions. The reason behind the intention to abduct Qin Jiu still remained unknown.
"Perhaps it was because of Ye Luluan." The emperor frowned slightly, as he guessed, deep in thought.
Empress Wei furrowed her eyebrows and said unhappily: "Ye Luluan really doesn¡¯t give up that easily."
It can¡¯t be helped if Ye Luluan doesn¡¯t want to let go.
However, Daqi''s princesses and royal daughters of the imperial family had to toss themselves into this mess, how stupid!
Chapter 200 Scolding (1)
Ch.200 Scolding (1)
Early the next morning, Empress Wei reprimanded Yingluo.
Hence, everyone in the hunting pce got to know that the third princess Changning and Princess Yingluo had fought over some issue, and Yingluo scratched Changning''s face in the midst of it.
Of course, Qin Jiu heard about the incident.
Qin Jiu woke upte in the morning, and got to know about this from Du Ruo.
"Maiden, do you reckon that Princess Yingluo was really the one who scratched the third princess¡¯s face?"
Du Ruo¡¯s face brightened with interest. From her point of view, the two of them deserved it. If they hadn''t nursed evil intentions plotted against each other, and even tried to hurt herdy, things wouldn¡¯t have ended this way!
Two words could be used to sum up her current mood: Extremely delighted!
Along with a few more words: Serves them right!
"I don''t think so." Qin Jiu casually chatted along with Du Ruo as she ate a bowl of millet porridge, "Yingluo does sound ruthless, and she speaks and acts arrogantly, but in fact, she was far from how cruel and unscrupulous the third princess was. "
Putting other matters aside, just looking at what had happened yesterday, everything that had happened intertwined into a perfect n, and if it was someone else who realised that her own n was about to fail, they would feel flustered, or beg for mercy, or even strongly deny against it, but the third princess was different. She made a quick decision and used Yingluo as the evil mastermind behind all of it.
Her quick sense to judge the situation was truly incredible!
Qin Jiuplimented Changning in her heart, and said: "I¡¯m 80% sure that the third princess was the one who scratched her own face."
"Why?" Du Ruo blurted out in surprise.
As a woman, appearance can be said to be as important as her own life, not to mention that Changning was even a dignified princess, and not just some barbarous man from Beiyan like Ye Luluan, who wouldn¡¯t care even if his face was hurt.
Qin Jiu wiped the corners of her mouth with a handkerchief, and said with a smile: "It¡¯s because she doesn''t want to be part of the arranged marriage."
"She probably thought that if she injured her own face, she wouldn¡¯t need to be part of the arranged marriage. Moreover, if Yingluo was the one that had caused it, then Yingluo should stand in her ce, it was the perfect way to kill two birds with one stone."
Qin Jiu spread out hands and said, "Look, this logic sounds smooth!"
Du Ruo: "!¡±
Qin Jiu: "However, it''s such a pity."
"Why is it a pity?" Du Ruo asked curiously.
Qin Jiu smiled without saying a word, she then got her chopsticks and picked up a soup dumpling, took a bite in a pretty manner, and smiled as she said, "Du Ruo, prepare a riding outfit for me, I¡¯m nning to head outter."
Her golden thigh told her that he would take her to a nearby town to watch BaiXi today.
She heard that the group of BaiXi performers came from the Western Regions!
After she was done with her meal, Qin Jiu put on a primrose-colored riding outfit, and brought her Taqing to the hunting tform. Du Ruo was quick-witted and didn¡¯t follow along.
From a distance, she saw that Gu Zezhi was waiting under a few red pine trees. His white horse was leisurely munching on some grass on its own, and asionally stomped its hooves.
The red pines were rough and tough, as if they were reaching towards the sky with high spirits, which formed a sharp contrast with the elegant and sweet Gu Zezhi.
"Come over here."
Gu Zezhi beckoned to Qin Jiu, and Qin Jiu trotted over happily.
The cloak that was hung on Gu Zezhi''s right arm, he naturally ced it around her.
Qin Jiu looked up and smiled at him, she didn¡¯t wasn¡¯t to trouble her golden thigh, and quickly tightened the belt of the cloak by herself.
After putting the cloak around her, her whole body warmed up, and she urged impatiently: "We better go now, Linpu Town is about a dozen miles away from here."
Her eyes were shining, and she was about to mount the horse as she stepped on the stirrup.
When she hopped on the horse, the cloak was somewhat of a hindrance. Gu Zezhi lifted the back of the cloak for her, then whistled, and his white horse came running over to him.
As soon as Gu Zezhi got on his horse, he heard amotioning from the forest, with the frantic sound of horse hooves.
Both Qin Jiu and Gu Zezhi, with the lead ropes in hand, looked back subconsciously.
Chapter 201 Scolding
Ch.201 Scolding
Just then, five gorgeously dressed young boys, who were only about twelve, stumbled out of the forests, they were all out of breath.
They were all in a total mess, their expressions could not hide how flustered they felt. Some of the boys¡¯ hair were slightly ruffled, their body was covered in dust, and some even had blood stains on their robes.
Theylso noticed Qin Jiu and Gu Zezhi.
The expressions on the teenagers¡¯ faces changed, some frowned, some hesitated, some flustered, some worried¡... Their gazes all focused on Qin Jiu.
The few young boys pushed and shoved at each other, they were hesitant.
Qin Jiu also noticed how weird this group of teenagers were acting, she squinted her eyes, took them in, and noticed two familiar faces among them.
Last month, the little rascal in the family didn¡¯t return home for the whole night. When Qin Zening and her went to the theater to look for him, she saw them there. It seemed that one of them was the son of the Zhang manor and the other was from the Shunning Hou manor. They were both reputable yboys in the capital.
Her gaze moved down, and fell on the blood stains on their robes, her brows slightly furrowed.
Qin Jiu slightly pinched the horse''s belly, and Ta Qing strode towards the teenagers.
It was like the few boys saw some kind of monster, they stealthily stepped back, step after step, as they tried to flee. However, two boys only managed to run a few steps, and were held by the cor by a big pair of hands, one in each hand, and the poor teenagers couldn¡¯t even budge as if they were being held up by the neck like a small kitten.
¡°Let¡¡"
One of the boys in blue was about to yell, when he heard a gentle male voice interrupt him: "No running away."
The man''s voice sounded gentle, as calm as the wind, but in the ears of the two teenagers, it felt like he was the cat that was teasing the mouse from high up above.
Both teenagers froze and did not dare to move.
The other young boys stopped in their steps after seeing their friends being caught, and seemed to feel that if they just ran away, it would seem rather unloyal.
Qin Jiu strode over as she rode on Ta Qing to the front of the blue-clothed boy, she looked down at him, and asked casually, "Where is Qin Zeyu?"
It was just a casual question from Qin Jiu, but the few teenagers seemed to have been pped in the face. Theirplexions didn¡¯t look too good, and some of them even looked away with a guilty conscience.
Qin Jiu: "!"
Qin Jiu looked at the two people that she recognized, and when she saw them in a panic, she knew that something was wrong. She purposely mentioned Qin Zeyu to kick start the conversation in hopes to squeeze something out of them.
She hasn''t even started to get serious, but these rascal were already acting guilty.
Qin Jiu urged impatiently: "Speak up!"
The teenagers trembled in fear, shrank their necks, and looked at Qin Jiu like frightened rabbits. Their expression seemed to say to her, "Don''t hit us!"
Qin Jiu: ".¡.."
Even if Qin Jiu didn¡¯t know how to read minds, she could tell at a nce what these rascals were thinking.
If Qin Zeyu was here now, Qin Jiu would have already rewarded him with a hit on the head.
Qin Zeyu, what the hell did he say to his friends? !
Qin Jiu took out the whip attached to her waist, and pulled on it with a smile. The whip made a "Piak! Piak" sound.
Her smile was as pretty as a flower, but the intimidation from her actions were beyond words.
The blue-clothed boy gulped subconsciously and quickly said: "We don''t know anything, we separated and lost touch with the rest!" Qin Zeyu was right, his sister was really scary!
Once someone started, the other teenagers were relieved and started joining in: "We went into the hunting ground with Qin Zeyu at dawn¡..."
"Who would think that we would be this unlucky and actually bumped into a huge white tiger in the woods. We were so frightened that we didn''t even have time to care about the horses, scattered around and fled the scene, then we lost touch with each other."
"Later a few of us met at the foot of the mountain outside the forest, but after waiting for around the time of a stick of incense there, we didn''t see Qin Zeyu."
"We got worried that something happened to him, so we want to return to the hunting pce first to ask the emperor for help¡¡"
Chapter 202 Scolding (3)
Ch.202 Scolding (3)
"We aren¡¯t unloyal friends."
The teenagers all chimed in.
Looking at the whip in Qin Jiu''s hand, the blue-clothed boy shrank away again.
In fact, when they saw Qin Jiu at first, they wanted toe over and tell her about this, but then they remembered that Qin Zeyu had mentioned that her sister was extremely fierce, si they didn''t dare toe over for fear of being beaten up by Qin Jiu.
Qin Jiu¡¯s brows were tightly furrowed, as she asked angrily: "Why didn''t you mention this when you saw me?"
Another boy in green, who was pulled back by Gu Zezhi, confessed, "We were worried that we would be given a beating."
The other teenagers nodded one after another.
Qin Jiu: "¡..."
Gu Zezhi pulled on the boy''s back cor, "Where did you guys see the tiger?"
The boy in green hurriedly said, "There is a small stream at the foot of the Jiufeng Mountain as the water from the mountain spring flows down. We followed along the direction leading towards mountain spring and went up the mountain. We probably walked up for about a mile¡..."
They originally thought that the wild animals in the forest would definitelye to the water to have a drink. They never would have thought that they didn¡¯t even see any hares, pheasants or even deers, but they actually ran into a ferocious tiger!
"You guys went up Jiufeng Mountain? Who allowed you guys to enter Jiufeng Mountain?" Gu Zezhi raised his eyebrows slightly.
Jiufeng Mountain was no longer part of the hunting ground¡¯s periphery, but was the center of the hunting ground. The beasts were all in Jiufeng Mountain.
These little kids, who were no more than thirteen years old at most, were practically still kids. They should have only been able to y outside the forest, not allowed to enter Jiufeng Mountain without a grown up taking the lead.
¡°¡¡¡±
¡°¡¡¡±
¡°¡¡¡±
The rascals were all speechless.
It was all because they felt rather unhappy after being in the forest for more than an hour but had not hunted down anything, so they sneaked into Jiufeng Mountain, thinking in their hearts that there should be no beasts on the periphery of Jiufeng Mountain.
Seeing how guilty they looked at the moment, Gu Zezhi didn''t ask any more questions. There were priorities to follow, and now was not a good time to teach these rascals a lesson.
Gu Zezhi said: "You all stay here, none of you are allowed to go anywhere."
They looked at each other, and stood right at that spot.
Qin Jiu found a young militant of the imperial army who was guarding the area nearby and asked him to tell Qin Zening about the news of Qin Zeyu''s disappearance in Jiufeng Mountain.
Qin Zening was in front of the imperial court and also knew them very well, so the young militant immediately agreed to it.
At the same moment, Gu Zezhi let go of the two boys, turned back and got on his white horse again. The white horse seemed to have read its master''s intention, and its two front hooves eagerly lifted.
"I¡¯ll go look for him."
As soon as Gu Zezhi''s words fell, Qin Jiu immediately said, "I¡¯ll go with you."
Gu Zezhi didn''t persuade her not to, and just said: "Follow me closely, don''t be too far from me."
Qin Jiuplied happily, and followed Gu Zezhi into the forest, and was about the distance of two horses behind him.
Qin Jiu was still slightly rusty at horse riding, and didn''t ride fast. Gu Zezhi guided the way in front as he matched her speed, and pointed in a direction:
"Jiufeng Mountain is in the southwest. I know a shortcut. It should take less than half an hour to reach the foot of the mountain."
There were dense trees everywhere in the forest. Qin Jiao felt that every corner just looked the same. After a while, she lost her way. Everything just looked the same to her, so she could only follow Gu Zezhi¡¯s lead and moved forward blindly.
"Be careful."
"Be careful of the thorns beside you."
"We should be less than two miles away from Jiufeng Mountain."
¡°¡¡¡±
Along the way, Gu Zezhi reminded Qin Jiu from time to time and pointed in the right direction for her.
Gu Zezhi had always been a reliable person. He said it would take half an hour and it really did take half an hour. It was almost noon when Qin Jiu heard the faint sound of "huahuahua"ing from the mountain spring.
Qin Jiu immediately thought of the mountain spring that few kids had mentioned, his eyes brightened, and he subconsciously pressed against her horse''s belly, prompting Ta Qing to speed up again.
Chapter 203 Scolding (4)
Ch.203 Scolding (4)
Passing through the wild pine forest where they were, a clear view of the sky suddenly appeared. A clear mountain spring gurgled down along the rocky gap of the mountain stream in front. The crystal clear spring water was glistening under the sun, and the spring water trickled¡...
"Be careful, the road is quite steep."
Gu Zezhi rode his horse forward and went upwards along the gurgling spring. There was no road in the mountains, and the gap between the trees were only wide enough for one horse to pass through. Qin Jiu followed Gu Zezhi from behind, and was about a distance of three feet away from him.
Gu Zezhi looked back at her from time to time, as she observed the surrounding environment.
After walking about a mile up the mountain, Gu Zezhi pulled on the lead rope and his white horse came to a stop.
The surrounding area was in a slight mess, with torn shrubs along with flowers and nts that were trampled in mud everywhere. Even Qin Jiu could roughly judge that this was probably the ce where Qin Zeyu and his friends came in contact with the tiger.
Gu Zezhi got off his horse swiftly, and checked around, looking for traces and footprints left behind by a human or a tiger.
Qin Jiu also followed Gu Zezhi and looked around. All she could see was that there was no blood around, and that no blood meant that no one or animal was injured.
Qin Jiu¡¯s heart slightly rxed, but it was still hanging.
Gu Zezhi looked at the footprints on the ground for a while, then took down a piece of cloth that was among the bush of thorns, and then he picked up a broken branch and looked at it, his steps were both calm and graceful.
Qin Jiu followed behind, and she had no mood to care about her surroundings. She could only follow him blindly. The mountain path was difficult to walk on. After a while, a thinyer of sweat appeared on her forehead, but Gu Zezhi still remained the same.
Suddenly, that purple figure came to a stop in front, Qin Jiu couldn¡¯t stop in time, and almost ran into him.
Gu Zezhi grabbed Qin Jiu''s right arm with one hand and helped her regain bnce. Then, the index finger of his right hand pressed lightly on his thin lips as he made a "hush" gesture to signal Qin Jiu to keep quiet.
Qin Jiu shut her mouth quickly and nodded again and again.
Gu Zezhi pulled Qin Jiu to the back of a thick tree trunk, and then pointed his right arm to the front right.
Qin Jiu looked in the direction he was pointing, and saw that six or seven feet away, a big white tiger was wandering around a birch tree. His sharp ws asionally scratched at the tree trunk, as it growled impatiently.
"Ow!"
The birch tree shook slightly, and the leaves fell like rain.
Qin Jiu''s gaze moved upwards, and saw a familiar figure on the birch tree. Qin Zeyu hugged the tree like a ko. His clothes were in a mess, and he looked both pitiful and silly.
If it weren¡¯t for the inappropriate asion, Qin Jiu would haveughed out loud.
Even if Qin Jiu could hold herself back, Taqing who was behind her couldn''t. The roar from the king of the forest made Taqing neigh restlessly, as it started pacing around, it seemed to feel anxious at the sight of the king of the forest.
However, Gu Zezhi''s white horse was much more calm, flicked its tail lightly and stood still.
"Sister~~"
Qin Zeyu, who was on the tree, noticed Qin Jiu and Gu Zezhi because of Ta Qing¡¯s neigh. As if he saw a savior, his eyes lit up, and he yelled out pitifully.
He had been hanging onto this tree for at least half an hour, his hands were slightly numb, and he couldn''t hold it anymore. If he fell down, he would change from being the hunter to the prey. Thinking about this, he felt that he was rather pitiful.
Seeing as this rascal was still alive and active, the corners of Qin Jiu¡¯s lips curled upwards, as her eyebrows loosened.
"Roar!"
The fierce tiger also heard the sound and looked in the direction of Gu Zezhi and Qin Jiu. Its bloodthirsty eyes bursted with a fierce light, as it opened its mouth and let out a low roar, to threaten these two ignorant human beings.
It arched its back, and its front paws shed on the ground twice, its sturdy body was like a bowstring pulled to the very end, and was ready to go.
Taqing was even more restless, its hooves stomped on the ground as it let out an uneasy neigh, Qin Jiu touched its head, in hopes to calm its emotions.
Chapter 204 Scolding (5)
Ch.204 Scolding (5)
Gu Zezhi smiled slightly, without the slightest panic in his expression, and gently said, "Cover your ears."
Qin Jiu: "?"
She hurriedly covered her ears as instructed.
As soon as Gu Zezhi raised his right hand, something shot out towards the direction of the tiger. In the next instant, she heard a loud "bang", and that thing suddenly exploded in front of the tiger, a cloud of gray smoke covered the air.
The explosion sounded like thunder, and even the ground seemed to be shaking along with it.
The tiger had never seen such a thing, it got frightened, and ran away with its tail between its legs, as it sprinted towards the depths of the forests, and disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Qin Zeyu was also taken aback, and almost fell from the tree, he tightened his grip on the tree trunk, and secretly said to himself: Fortunately, he had great moves!
But¡¡
Qin Zeyu looked down at Gu Zezhi who was below with scorching eyes, as he wondered what the thing he threw just now was. If he saw it correctly, it was shot from Gu Zezhi''s sleeve.
Such a small gadget holds that much power?!
Qin Jiu was also curious, but unlike Qin Zeyu, who had never seen much of this world yet, her expression was quite calm, she kept recalling the past in her mind, and wondered: Were there handguns in the cold weapon era?
Was her history subject taught by her sports teacher?
"It''s a sleeve gun." Gu Zezhi exined simply, "I¡¯ll let you have a go at it when we get back to the hunting pce."
Qin Jiu was satisfied, her eyes crooked with a smile, and when she looked up at the rascal who was still hanging on the tree, her pretty face stiffened and urged: "Come down."
Qin Zeyu climbed down from the birch tree, his pair of curious eyes aimed straight into Gu Zezhi''s cuff, as if he hadpletely recovered from the thrill of just now.
"Did your legs give way?" Qin Jiu folded her arms around in front of her chest and raised her eyebrows.
Qin Jiu spoke as she looked at this rascal that always made her worry, the hem of his sleeves and robe were slightly torn, and there were some bruises and blood stains on his face, but he wasn¡¯t missing an arm or a leg.
"How would my legs give way?" Qin Zeyu touched his neck and unfastened the longbow on his back. "I was ready, and was just waiting for the opportunity to shoot the big worm in the eye! By then, it would naturally run away in defeat!"
"Your legs didn¡¯t give way?" Qin Jiu twitched the corner of her lips andughed leisurely, "Look at your tears."
Qin Zeyu hurriedly wiped his cheek with the back of his hand, his mouth still stunned: "I didn''t cry!"
Qin Jiu took a step closer to him, and said lightly, "Do you remember what I saidst time?"
Qin Zeyu: "¡..."
He doesn''t remember, his third sister has said so much, and he wasn¡¯t allowed to do so many things!
He thought hard for a while, and suddenly said eloquently: "You didn''t say I was not allowed to enter the woods!"
"So you¡¯re right?" Qin Jiu''s lips curved even higher.
Qin Zeyu was scared of being beaten up, and subconsciously hugged his head, he bounced up all of a sudden, and quickly hid behind Gu Zezhi.
He thought it all out in his heart. Gu Zezhi seemed to have a good temper, and would not sell him out like his elder brother.
Besides, the third sister finally coaxed a guy whose vision was blurred, and she would definitely not dare to use violence in front of Gu Zezhi. Otherwise, if she scared him off, she won''t be able to marry herself off!
Qin Zeyu hid behind Gu Zezhi, then surreptitiously looked towards Qin Jiu¡...
His elder sister hadn¡¯t even moved yet, Gu Zezhi had already lifted him up by the back cor with ease and brought him to the front of his elder sister.
Qin Zeyu was left dumbfounded: "???"
Before he could even react, Qin Jiu had snapped a branch that was neither too thick nor too thin from the tree next to her, and drew it directly at him, "Pop!"
"Ah!"
"Sister, sister, I was wrong!"
Qin Zeyu cried out loud as he hugged his head, he wanted to escape, but he was caught by Gu Zezhi and couldn''t.
Qin Jiu: "Did aunt ever mention that you are not allowed to enter the woods?!"
"Are there any rules in the hunting pce that day that little kids like you are not allowed to run deep into the hunting ground without adult supervision?¡±
Chapter 205 Scolding (6)
Ch.205 Scolding (6)
"And you still think you¡¯re right?!"
Qin Jiu became even more angry and mmed Qin Zeyu''s butt twice with the branch, and felt that if she didn¡¯t keep an eye on this little kid for one day, he would take down the whole house!
Qin Zeyu hugged his head pitifully and yelled: "I was wrong, I was wrong! I really made a mistake!"
Qin Jiu gave him another vicious hit, and said, "I should have let the tiger eat you."
Qin Zeyu: "¡..."
Seeing as Qin Jiu''s anger almost dispersed, Gu Zezhi pulled on her hand that was holding onto the branch as an act, and smiled gently and persuaded: "You already hit him." Don''t tire yourself out.
Qin Jiu gave it some thought and agreed, she threw the branch aside, and gently pped away the dust on her hands.
Qin Zeyu looked at Gu Zezhi with much emotion on his face. When his third sister hit him in the past, even his eldest brother didn''t help him.
From now on, he will be his brother-inw!
He can refuse to acknowledge this sister of his, but that was not the case for his brother-inw!
Qin Zeyu¡¯s clothes and hair were already in a mess. Now after being punished by Qin Jiu, he was even more so, as if he had just crawled out of a pit.
Gu Zezhi personally helped Qin Zeyu adjust his clothes and became the peacemaker, "Your sister was just worried about you."
Qin Zeyu was even more moved, and felt that his future brother-inw was the only reasonable one!
He came clean and said to Qin Jiu: "Sister, it was my fault."
Although Gu Zeyu was yful, and was pampered and spoiled ever since he was a child, he was not a person who really couldn¡¯t tell the good from the bad.
Of course he knew that if his third sister wasn''t really worried about him, why would shee into the forest to look for him?
He didn¡¯t treat his third sister well at all, and she could just not care about him and let him fend for himself.
His third sister was different from Qin Xin¡..
His butt hurt from being spanked, and he was totally exhausted from being chased by a tiger, but Qin Zeyu couldn''t help but recall one incident.
At that time, he was just seven years old.
Qin Xin brought him out to y in a vige in the suburbs. They suddenly encountered a vicious dog. He attracted the attention of the vicious dog and it chased after him. He ran around in a panic and also climbed up a tree like what he did today, he hid for an hour, only then did the vicious dog leave.
Later, he returned to the vige all exhausted, and Qin Xin hugged him so hard as she bawled in tears, saying that she was extremely worried about him.
At that time, he was extremely moved, and felt that his second sister was really kind to him.
But now as he thought back about it, Qin Xin¡¯s makeup was not smudged, and her clothes were spotless, as if she had just walked out from a painting.
Looking back at his third sister, although she got a hold of him and gave him a round of beating, her hurried look clearly showed that she was worried about him.
As expected¡¡
The corners of his lips twitched, and with mixed emotions: Does this count as gaining a clear insight on things after getting a round of beating?
Wrong!
If this was true, doesn¡¯t it mean that he deserves to be beaten? !
Qin Zeyu felt that he was probably blurred from all the hits on him.
Or was it like what Zhang Erhou, the Taoist, said, that this year was not a good year for him, and that he would be unlucky until the end of the year?
He gave it some thought, it really seemed that he was quite unlucky this year!
But it wasn¡¯t the twelfth lunar month yet¡...
Qin Zeyu twitched his eyes, and suddenly remembered something, as he muttered: "Would there really be a blizzard?"
"What Blizzard?" Gu Zezhi asked.
Qin Zeyu replied smoothly: "The day before I set off for the winter hunt, I went to see my second sister.¡.. I overheard her instructing the maid to pass on some words to the second prince. She said that there would be a huge storm and blizzard around the 20th of this month. If he doesn''t set off early to head back to the capital, she was worried that he would be trapped at the hunting pce, and it would be difficult to get anywhere."
Chapter 206 Blizzard (1)
Ch.206 Blizzard (1)
Gu Zezhi raised his eyebrows when he heard this, and asked Qin Zeyu, "How did Second Lady Qin know of this?"
Qin Zeyu shook his head.
At that time, after he greeted his grandmother, he saw Qin Xin in the garden as he walked out. He had originally nned to personally bid his farewell to Qin Xin, and then ask her if she actually viewed him as a younger brother.
But in the end, he still didn''t head over and talk to Qin Xin, and overheard while he was being hesitant.
Qin Zeyu said: "I always felt that she''s pretty amazing¡... From the small beginnings, one can predict how matter will develop." This idiom can be used this way, right?
"What do you mean by that?" Gu Zezhi asked.
With a smile on his lips, his expression was gentle, and the way he looked at Qin Zeyu did not make Qin Zeyu feel that his words were actually extremely naive.
Qin Zeyu was in the mood, and chatted away: "The year beforest, she helped second aunt to deal with household matters and had advised her to buy more rice, but she didn''t listen to her. Later, a flood hit Huaizhou, and the price of rice that year had more than doubled, and it even became priceless in the market at some point. The second aunt regretted her decision."
"And also the year before that, she said that Li Renyu, the official from the Ministry of Official Personnel Affairs, was about to go down. In the end, Li Renyu and his family were indeed sentenced to exile in Lingnan!"
"There''s more¡..."
Qin Jiu: "......"
This girl who was given another chance at life really didn''t let her advantage go to waste!
They walked all the way back, and Qin Zeyu talked on for the entire journey, he treated it as just a casual conversation with the person he regarded as a good guy. Gu Zezhi gave off a slight smile, but his slender gaze turned more and more solemn.
Qin Zeyu was just a teenager, but what he said didn¡¯t sound like a joke.
The seconddy from the Qin family was indeed weird.
If she could really "predict the future", then, in a few days, will there really be a blizzard?
This is quite interesting.
Qin Zeyu talked on and on like a little sparrow along the way. The more he talked, the more he felt that his future brother-inw was extremely good tempered, but it was a pity that he had questionable taste.
However, his mood was soon ruined, as halfway through, they bumped into Qin Zening.
After Qin Zening got the news, he went into the hunting ground to look for him. He was relieved when he saw that his younger brother was safe, and then came up to them with much anger, and gave Qin Zeyu a good earful.
Qin Zeyu could only obediently take it all in, and when they walked out of the hunting ground, Qin Zening finally stopped. Maybe he was done with the scolding, or he wanted to save him some face in front of his friends.
The little rascals who were waiting near the hunting tform immediately swarmed over.
"Qin Zeyu, are you okay?!"
"You haven''t been bitten by a big bug, have you?"
"I don''t think he has any wounds on his body, he wasn''t bitten by the tiger... Qin Wu, did your sister beat you?"
¡°¡¡¡±
The little rascals were unscrupulous, and even if Qin Jiu was by their side, they still asked in a straightforward manner.
Qin Jiu: ".¡.." Her younger brother really deserved a good beating!
Gu Zezhi put his right fist on his lips. He didn''t smile. For some reason, Qin Jiu felt that she heard a soft chuckleing from him.
"You guys, all of you make a horse stance, none of you are allowed to go back." Gu Zezhi said softly.
All the little rascals, including Qin Zeyu, were stunned, then stood up straight and squatted obediently into a horse stance afterwards.
Qin Zening also knew these little rascals, who were friends with Qin Zeyu, quite well. Seeing as they were all obedient when faced with Gu Zezhi, he raised his eyebrows in surprise.
Qin Jiu raised his head and looked at the sky. It was now about 3 p.m. to 5 p.m, it was already this hour, and it would be impossible to head to Linpu Town for the performance now.
Her disappointment was naturally shown on her face. Gu Zezhi could see through her and said sweetly, "Let''s go watch Baixi tomorrow."
Qin Jiu nodded hurriedly, and smiled with his lips pursed.
Gu Zezhi smiled at her again, and his handsome face seemed softer with this smile, gentle and graceful like a spring breeze, exceptionally beautiful, even Qin Jiu was dazzled by him.
Chapter 207 Blizzard (2)
Ch.207 Blizzard (2)
Qin Zening squinted his eyes and looked at both of them, with aplex expression on his face.
He thinks that Gu Zezhi''s consecutive arrow shots were beautiful, but this does not mean that Gu Zezhi is qualified to marry his sister! No, he had just reunited with his sister, for two years¡...no, for the next five years, she won¡¯t get married!
Gu Zezhi adjusted Qin Jiu''s cloak, and said with a smile: "I¡¯m going to leave now."
Qin Zeyu, who was struggling with his friends in the back, heard this and their eyes lit up.
These teenagers were still young of age, and they were not the eldest sons in their family. They were mostly spoiled, how would they suffer through this kind of pain? After being in a horse stance for a while, their legs and feet felt sore, and sweat started to seep from their foreheads.
Qin Jiu said with a smile, "I''ll help you watch over them!" As she said this, she cheerfully took out her horse whip and gave it a swing on purpose.
Qin Zeyu''s face almost copsed, and he felt that his sister was indeed his nemesis!
The other teenagers hurriedly threw a nce at Qin Zeyu, indicating that he should quickly beg for leniency to his sister.
The corners of Qin Zeyu¡¯s eyes twitched, but this way has to be workable. He secretly adjusted his posture, and felt that his butt that had just been pped by his sister was still hurting faintly.
He silently looked at Gu Zezhi''s back as he walked away, hoping that Gu Zezhi would turn around and beg for leniency for him.
Unfortunately, even until Gu Zezhi''s figure from the back disappeared at the entrance of the hunting pce, he did not look back.
Gu Zezhi led the white horse to the stable and made a gesture, then an ordinary-looking man in green walked out from behind the stable.
Gu Zezhi: "Keep an eye on Gu Jing." If Gu Jing really believes that there would be a blizzard, she should spring into action within these few days.
The man in green epted the order and excused himself.
The next day, Gu Zezhi brought Qin Jiu back to the pce after watching Baixi in Linpu Town and had gotten a reply.
So, he walked to Yong''an Pce leisurely, asking to meet the Emperor.
The great eunuch, Zhou Xin, personally greeted him, and said with a smile: "Third Prince Gu, the Second Prince is currently meeting the Emperor."
Gu Zezhi justughed and didn''tment further on this. When he walked to the curtain, he heard Gu Jing''s voice sounding from inside: "Father, the weather has gotten colder these days. I think it would be better to leave for the journey back to the capital as soon as possible......"
A servant draped the curtain for Gu Zezhi, and Gu Zezhi walked in.
Gu Jing also saw Gu Zezhi and pursed his lips slightly. He hesitated, not knowing whether to continue or wait until after Gu Zezhi had left.
But the Emperor motioned him to continue with his gaze.
Gu Jing could only continue and said: "Father, I noticed that the weather has been rather offtely, the temperature has been changing drastically, and the wind rages violently at night, so I sent someone over to the nearby Linpu Town to ask around on this and I also read the county annals. It says that a blizzard would hit this area almost every ten years. Before the blizzard hits, the weather is often extremely cold, along with cloudy days, raging winds, and insects would start to relocate. The weather changes in the past few days have just solidified my concerns."
"I also asked the Imperial Astronomer to observe the night sky and they also mentioned that there may be heavy snow in the next few days, but the date is uncertain."
Gu Jing said, while carefully observing the emperor''s expression.
He also knows that his close rtionship with Ye Luluan will make his father unhappy. This matter is the key to his change of image in his father¡¯s eyes. He must make his father feel that his dealings with others were based on his objective judgement and not based on his emotions towards certain people, that the fact he had befriended Ye Luluan was not a foolish decision, nor is it for his own selfish motives, but for the overall wellbeing of Daqi.
Chapter 208 Blizzard (3)
Ch.208 Blizzard (3)
The emperor slowly turned the white jade thumb ring with a carving of an auspicious dragon in his hand, with a cautious look on his face.
Gu Jing had requested to meet him for a cup of tea and the first sentence he said was that a blizzard would hit this area. The emperor¡¯s first reaction was that he didn¡¯t believe him.
However, Gu Jing had clear justifications to back him up, and was obviously not on the spur of the moment. He asked the Imperial Astronomer, themon folks, and checked the county annals, which was quite detailed of him.
The emperor still knew his son well, he was ambitious, but he was able to be patient on matters and was rather quick-witted.
One year, Li Renyu, the official from the Ministry of Official Personnel Affairs, moved to a new ce in the capital. Many officials gave him housewarming gifts. Gu Jing could tell that he was epting bribes. At that time, the emperor asked Gu Jing how he knew about it, thus he started speaking of housing prices in various parts of the capital, and also of Li Renyu¡¯s sry and Mrs. Li¡¯s dowry. With the Li family¡¯s wealth, if he didn¡¯t go down a crooked path, he wouldn¡¯t be able to afford that new ce in the capital even if he worked for several lifetimes.
After a thorough investigation by the Dali Temple, Li Renyu was indeed engaged in embezzlement and epting bribes.
Gu Jing could tell that the Emperor¡¯s intentions had swayed, and was delighted, and then said: "Father, I think that you and mother should return to the capital as soon as possible, so as not to encounter a blizzard and hinder the journey back."
The emperor still did not speak, as if he was considering the proposal.
Gu Jing was even more delighted, he could tell that his father was still satisfied with his performance. Perhaps he may not fully believe that there would be a blizzard in the next few days, but at least he knew that he had done some things to look into this and this would ultimately change his impression of him.
It doesn''t matter whether they do embark on their journey back. After a few days when the blizzard hits as what Qin Xin had predicted, his father would approve of him even more, for being cautious and thoughtful.
Gu Jing has full trust in Qin Xin''s words, Qin Xin''s predictions have never gone wrong, just like before, this time round, it would not be an exception.
With Qin Xin''s help, he will surely be even more outstanding, and his father willpletely change his view of himself and acknowledge his capabilities.
Compared with the Six Prince, who was still breastfeeding, he was more suitable to ascend the throne!
The Emperor suddenly looked at Gu Zezhi who was standing aside, and asked, "Zezhi, what do you think?"
Gu Jing''s gaze shed, he curled his lips mockingly, and pursed in a calm manner.
Gu Zezhi was a narrow-minded person and would definitely refute his proposal. Unfortunately, this time Gu Zezhi¡¯s words would just backfire on him.
Gu Jing was looking forward to what was about to unfold all of a sudden, and this could perhaps make the Emperor grow unfond of Gu Zezhi¡...
He was thinking about this, and that was when he heard Gu Zezhi¡¯s gentle voice sound in his ear: "Your highness, since the second prince has investigated this matter thoroughly, there might really be a blizzard iing. As the saying goes, it¡¯s always wise to y safe. To be cautious, it is better to leave for the capital as soon as possible."
Gu Jing: "???"
Gu Jing couldn''t help but look at Gu Zezhi, his expression couldn¡¯t hide the sense of surprise he felt.
Gu Zezhi didn''t even bat a nce at Gu Jing, and suggested to the emperor: "Emperor, you should summon Zhen."
The emperor raised his eyebrows in surprise, thought for a while, and let the servant head out to summon Gu Zhen.
Gu Jing was even more surprised. He looked at Gu Zezhi with confusion, not knowing what n did he have in mind, what could he possibly do by summoning a five-year-old child.
Gu Jing felt that Gu Zezhi was quite a hard character to deal with, his gaze was dark and he nned to first observe the situation for the time being.
The emperor gave a seat to both of them, and an in-house attendant served tea to Gu Zezhi and Gu Jing.
Chapter 209 Blizzard (4)
Ch.209 Blizzard (4)
The emperor smiled along as he had a small chat with Gu Zezhi, and asked what he had experienced in the past few days, Gu Zezhi then told him about the incident where the little rascals sneaked into the hunting ground in a few short sentences.
Hearing that they were punished, the emperorughed, and said happily, "These children deserve to be punished!"
While talking, a little servant led the Sixth Prince, Gu Zhen into the room.
Gu Wei was still young and was afraid of the cold. He wore a thick coat and the white mink fur at the neckline made his small face look round and cute.
He greeted the emperor, Gu Zezhi and Gu Jing solemnly.
After Gu Zhen sat down, Gu Zezhi smiled and asked, "Zhen, A blizzard will hit about a dozen miles around the hunting pce in theing days. What do you think of this?"
Gu Jing¡¯s eyes widened in slight surprise, and could guess what he was up to, his gaze suddenly darkened.
The emperor was also slightly surprised, but didn''t interrupt.
Gu Jing took a quick nce at the emperor, his face was firm as a rock, but he too, was silent.
Gu Zhen was still young, his voice sounded cute, as he asked: "Uncle Ze, are there any viges and towns nearby?"
He went to y with his cousin Jiu early this morning. Du Ruo said that cousin Jiu went to the nearby town for an opera performance.
"If there was a blizzard, would themon folks nearby suffer in the cold?" He frowned deeply, his little face looked worried.
The emperor was startled again, and looked back at Gu Zhen and Gu Jing thoughtfully.
He originally thought that Gu Jing was the one who was considered serious and rigorous in his actions, but afterparing Gu Zhen with him, there was an obvious gap.
His Zhen¡¯er had the innocent heart of a child!
The emperor''s gaze flickered, and his expression as he looked at Gu Zhen softened, he then nodded and said: "Yes. There are quite a number of houses that were destroyed by blizzards, Zhen¡¯er, what do you think we should do about this?"
"Destroyed houses?" Gu Zhen tilted his head and gave it some thought, "Father, the people nearby should be moved away as soon as possible and shifted to a warmer ce."
"Father, if people are afraid of the cold, the crops and cattles are too, right? Shouldn¡¯t the imperial court also make relevant arrangements to help these crops, cattles and sheeps?"
Although Gu Zhen¡¯s words were rather whimsical with a hint of childishness, they could tell that he was giving this matter much thought, and he was trying to think from themon folk¡¯s perspective.
The smile on the emperor''s face deepened, and he didn''t point out where Gu Zhen had made a mistake. He smiled and nodded again and again, with a slight relief. The Empress had taught Zhen¡¯er very well, with the people in his heart, he would make a wise emperor.
Gu Jing couldn''t put on a show anymore, his expression changed, and his fists could not help but clench together.
This was supposed to be his credit to take, but Gu Zezhi arrogantly helped Gu Zhen to snatch his credit away from him before his very eyes!
Gu Jing couldn''t help but think of Qin Jiu again. Gu Zezhi had obviously fallen for Qin Jiu, and Qin Jiu was the Empress¡¯s niece. So, is Gu Zezhi nning to help Gu Zhen now?!
Gu Jing took a few deep breaths, and soon calmed down again, as if nothing had happened.
At this moment, Gu Zhen was also done.
The emperor smiled with joy and praised: "Zhen¡¯er is all grown up now and can share my worries!"
Gu Zhen smiled even more innocently, he took the warm tea from the servant, and took two sips contentedly.
Gu Jing continued behind the emperor¡¯s words and said impatiently: "Father, the disaster relief can be handed over to the local officials. It¡¯s freezing cold. It¡¯s better for you to return to the capital as soon as possible to avoid being trapped at the hunting pce or on the journey back as a result of the blizzard."
"Second brother, the hunting pce is huge, even if we were trapped here for a while, we¡¯ll be fine. However, it is different for themon folks. Father often said that the people depend on the heavens for food." Gu Zhen retorted in a serious manner, "If there was really a blizzard, they may not survive.¡±
Chapter 210 Blizzard (5)
Ch.210 Blizzard (5)
His words are quite naive, but they were genuine, innocent and sincere.
The emperor looked at Gu Zhen with a smile, his smile then deepened, as he praised: "Zhen¡¯er is so attentive."
Everything was extremely well prepared for this winter hunting trip. In this hunting pce, there was plenty of food and daily supplies, there was no shortages for any items. Even if they were trapped here for a month or two, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem, the only thing was that their travel was limited, but it was a different story for themon folk.
If there was really a blizzard, the blizzard would damage the houses and freeze the crops, cattles, sheeps and poultries to death. Since ancient times, there were quite a number of poor folks who couldn¡¯t survive the cold winter and froze to death.
Gu Jing noticed the emperor''s bias, and became even more anxious, he then said hurriedly: "Father, if you are trapped here, who will deal with the imperial matters?"
"Father, you are the backbone of this kingdom, please think this through!"
Gu Jing hated Gu Zezhi even more in his heart. He could have used this to please his father, but now Gu Zezhi had ruined his opportunity.
"Your highness," Gu Zezhi said calmly, "You should head back to the capital first, and keep some men here to deal with the blizzard."
When the emperor heard this, he couldn''t help butugh. Well, he was so distracted by Gu Jing and Gu Zhen, this pair of brothers, that he was almost sidetracked.
Gu Jing''s eyes, who had seemed somewhat frustrated at first, immediately noticed an opportunity from Gu Zezhi''s words.
He asked hurriedly: "I ask for your permission for me to stay and preside over the situation!"
This is something he could do, but the five-year-old Gu Zhen couldn¡¯t!
Moreover, if he could handle this matter well, no matter it being in the imperial court or amongst themon folk, it would be of great prestige, especially in the imperial court, those ministers will know that he could participate in imperial matters.
Not only that, he was the one who had noticed this blizzard, and his father would be able to witness his capabilities from this.
This was a great opportunity, one that he must not miss.
In order to persuade the emperor, Gu Jing continued to add on a bargaining chip for himself: "Father, I have visited Linpu Town in person a few days ago to check the county annals of nearly 30 years, and also asked around the town along with the county magistrate, hence I do have quite the understanding in terms of the people¡¯s sentiments, and would be able to handle the situation properly."
The emperor didn''t speak for a long time, as heturned the jade thumb ring on his thumb.
When Gu Jing finished speaking, the emperor looked at Gu Zezhi again with a smile, and asked, "Zezhi, what do you think?"
The emperor was more and more satisfied with Gu Zezhi, especiallypared to his elder brother Gu Chenzhi¡...
Gu Zezhi thought about it briefly and suggested: ¡°I recall that Liu Shijing, the official from the Ministry of Industry, is rather skilled at this type of practical work. He has been in Jiangnan twice to deal with floods and has dealt with it effectively. He is also from Liaozhou. It snows heavily there, so he might have experience in dealing with snowstorms and blizzards."
"Okay, then we¡¯ll go with Liu Shijing!" The emperor felt that Gu Zezhi''s words sounded reasonable. He smiled and said, "Zezhi, you stay too."
Gu Zezhi stood up, epted his orders, and then proposed: "Emperor, how about letting Zhen to stay as well?"
".¡.." Gu Jing couldn''t intervene at all. He didn''t expect things to develop in apletely different direction.
The emperor was shocked by Gu Zezhi''s proposal again, and subconsciously moved his gaze towards Gu Zhen, who was snacking on the side, and couldn''t help but wonder if Gu Zezhi had forgotten that Gu Zhen was only five years old.
Emperor:"¡¡¡±
Gu Zezhi could naturally tell what was going through the emperor¡¯s mind, and said with a smile: "Emperor, just for him to experience such a situation."
Gu Zhen looked at the emperor expectantly, his ck-and-white eyes were shining, filled with hope, all that was left was to ask him to stay.
Chapter 211: Blizzard (6)
Ch.211 Blizzard (6)
The emperor saw as Gu Zhen acted this way, his heart softened, he then gave it another thought: Yes, instead of asking Gu Zhen to constantly study, it''s better for him to experience more things in the world. Although he was still young, he would remember some of the things he has seen with his very own eyes and heard with his own ears.
"Zezhi, you have to take good care of Zhen¡¯er."
The implied meaning of the emperor''s words was that he agreed to this idea.
Gu Zhen blinked, and couldn''t help but confirm this fact yet again: "Father, can I really stay here?"
The emperor was amused by his surprised look, and nodded: "Do you want to stay?"
"Yes!" Gu Yu nodded vigorously.
Seeing how lovely the father and son pair were, Gu Jing''s heart sank little by little, and his heart went cold.
This Gu Zezhi was going against himself for every single matter. If he really became the crown prince, doesn''t it mean that Gu Zhen would have yet another powerful support?!
Gu Jing settled down and rmended himself again: "I can stay too, and help take care of the Sixth Brother."
As long as he can stay, he still has the opportunity to take credit for this matter. As long as the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty could see his contributions, the emperor couldn¡¯t just wipe away his merits.
However¡ª¡ª¡ª
"There¡¯s no need for that." The emperor vetoed his proposal without hesitation, and said in an unquestionable tone, "You can return to the capital with me."
"Father!" Gu Jing''s face turned pale, as if he had been pped on the spot.
He waspletely excluded from this matter. He spent so much thought on this, wouldn''t it mean that he was handing over all his blood, sweat and tears to someone else?!
The emperor raised his hand and made a gesture, indicating that there was no need to say anything more.
Gu Jing could only keep silent, his thin lips pursed into a straight line.
The emperor¡¯s gaze wasn¡¯t on him anymore, and directly ordered: "Zhou Xin, pass on my verbal order, we¡¯ll set off to the capital in three days."
So, on the same day, the whole of the hunting pce had heard the news.
ording to previous years¡¯ practices, they would stay in the hunting pce at least until the 21st of the month. Now that it has suddenly been pushed forward for so many days, everyone would inevitably gossip and discuss amongst themselves in private, but no one dared to ask the emperor about this and could just start to pack.
The emperor¡¯s verbal statement did not mention anything about the blizzard, but it only took a few hours before the whole of the hunting pce knew that it was the second prince who checked the county annals and spected that a blizzard would hit anytime now. Only then did the emperor decide to head back to the capital and ordered Liu Shijing, Gu Zezhi and the Sixth Prince to stay back and preside over the situation.
Hence, someone immediately suggested that the Sixth Prince was too young of age, and it was not appropriate for him to stay in the hunting pce to call the shots. It would be more appropriate for the second prince to take up this role, but the emperor had rejected all these suggestions.
Following this, many ns and honoraries also raised this issue.
All of a sudden, the original peace in the hunting pce no longer existed, and chaos unfolded.
Several princesses rushed to look for Empress Wei, and wanted Empress Wei to help persuade the emperor. In result, Empress Wei only listened calmly, but didn''t say a word, as if she didn¡¯t hear them at all.
Empress Wei was not as calm as she seemed. Gu Zhen was only five years old. This would be the first time for him to leave her side.
In contrast, Gu Zhen was not worried at all and was excited.
Empress Wei was not someone who couldn¡¯t differentiate what was good and what was bad. She knew that Gu Zezhi proposed to keep Gu Zhen back in the hunting pce for Gu Zhen¡¯s own good.
Gu Jing was a prince who was about to reach adulthood, and Gu Zhen was still a child. Although he was the son of the emperor¡¯s legitimate wife, in this dynasty, they focus more on the superiority of the capable, this kingdom also doesn¡¯t crown a young emperor. It will not be easy for Gu Zhen to fight over him.
Chapter 212: She was a gift (1)
Ch.212 She was a gift (1)
Empress Wei repeatedly advised Gu Zhen: "Zhen¡¯er, you have to listen to Uncle Ze."
"If there¡¯s something that you¡¯re confused about, just ask Uncle Ze."
"Yes, mother." Gu Zhen nodded, "I will definitely learn much from Uncle Ze."
Whatever the Empress said, Gu Zhen would agree.
The more Qin Jiu looked at Gu Zhen, the cuter he seemed, and she could only dream of exchanging Qin Zeyu, that little rascal, for him.
She enthusiastically fed Gu Zhen with a snack, "Cousin, try this custard pastry, it''s delicious!"
Gu Yu obediently picked up a piece of custard pastry from the te.
The smile on Empress Wei''s graceful face seemed even softer, and her thoughts were clear: No one helps another for no reason. Gu Zezhi should be helping Zhen¡¯er only because of Jiu.
Empress Wei patted Qin Jiu''s head gently, with a touch of kindness.
At this moment, You Bai reported: "Your majesty, Concubine Zhuang wishes to see you."
Prince Zhuang is the emperor''s uncle, and even if Empress Wei was the empress, it was difficult for her to shut the elders of the n like Concubine Zhuang out.
Empress Wei raised her eyebrows, as she wondered why Concubine Zhuang was here, and said lightly: "Another one here to persuade me¡..."
Qin Jiu asked curiously in a casual manner: "Aunt, are there that many people who are on the second prince¡¯s side?"
Empress Wei exined with a smile: "Concubine Zhuang''s surname is Zhang, shees from the Pingyang Manor, and her mother, Lady Pingyang¡¯s surname is Liu, she is the Emperor¡¯s mother¡¯s cousin."
Because of this level of rtionship, Prince Zhuang and his wife, Concubine Zhuang, have always favored the second prince, Gu Jing, a little more.
"Moreover, Gu Jing gets along with people pretty well."
Empress Wei was calm, her expression rxed, as she smiled jokingly: "It''s a good thing, those imperial envoys who are clever talkers and tend to cause chaos every now and then are all in the capital, these people in the hunting pce won¡¯t be able toe out with any tricks."
Qin Jiu was amused by her words.
"Jiu, bring Zhen¡¯er out to y." Empress Wei then said, she didn''t want to make the two children stay here and listen to how Concubine Zhuang nags at her.
Gu Zhen smiled happily and said: "Mother, I invited cousin Yu to y, I¡¯ll leave with her now."
As he said this, he ordered the servant to bring along the custard pastry, saying that he wanted to bring it for Qin Zeyu to have a bite.
Just as the cousin pair walked out, they happened to meet face-to-face with the oing Concubine Zhuang.
Concubine Zhuang was about fifty years old, she had on an autumn coloured gourd aquarius printed sleeved over-dress, her hair was tied up with silver threads in a round bun, along with a pair of mutton fat white jade hairpins, her round face gave off a hint of arrogance.
"Sixth Prince." Concubine Zhuang slightly nodded at Gu Zhen, as a form of greeting, and took Qin Jiu¡¯s figure in with a judgmental gaze.
"Grandaunt." Gu Zhen lifted his hands at Concubine Zhuang.
Concubine Zhuang stroked her sleeves and said in an admonishing tone: "Sixth prince, although you are still young, you should know how things work by now, matter in the imperial court¡..."
"Cousin, we should go now." Qin Jiu directly interrupted her, and said to Gu Zhen with a smile, "Your cousin Yu is waiting for us."
Concubine Zhuang: "???"
Concubine Zhuang watched as Qin Jiu left along with him, with a dazed expression on her face, she didn''t expect a dignified concubine like her would be ignored in such a way.
When she came back to her senses, Qin Jiu and Gu Zhen had already gone far, and it was impossible for Concubine Zhuang to get off her high horse and yell at them, she still had to keep her image intact!
Princess Zhuang gave her sleeves a flick and could only continue to head inside, she nned to look for Empress Wei and talk about her unruly niece.
Qin Jiu brought Gu Zhen along and went to look for Qin Zeyu, who was near the hunting tform.
"Third sister¡..."
The moment Qin Zeyu saw Qin Jiu, he almost blurted out the words, why was she here, but gritted his teeth and swallowed the rest of his words in the end.
Chapter 213: She was a gift (2)
Ch.213 She was a gift (2)
Qin Zeyu originally wanted to take Gu Zhen to walk the horses, but now that Qin Jiu was here, he wouldn''t dare to do so even if he had been given much courage.
"Cousin," Qin Zeyu could only ask faintly, "what do you want to y with?"
Qin Zeyu just threw the handle after the de, he couldn''t enter the hunting ground anyways, nor could he take the horses for a walk, whatever they decided to y with would be the same.
Gu Zhen took his preciouspound bow from the servant, then raised the bow enthusiastically and suggested, "Cousin Yu, let''s go for a few rounds of archery."
"Master Wang praised that my archery skills had improved tremendously in recent times. Seven out of ten arrows that I shot out would be able to hit the target!"
As soon as Qin Zeyu saw thepound bow, he was also hyped up, he said without shame: "Let¡¯s go, we¡¯ll have apetition. I won¡¯t take advantage of you. I¡¯ll stand on the hundred step mark, and you stand on the fifty step mark, I¡¯ll show you what a sharpshooter looks like!"
The two ordered the attendant to set up a target and went over to y.
Qin Jiu looked at the two of them by the side.
The servant immediately prepared a small red y stove, and started to boil some tea for his masters, and also prepared some snacks.
Qin Jiu drank the hot tea, and her whole body warmed up all at once. At this moment, Qin Zening sat down on her right.
Qin Jiu warmly greeted Qin Zening and offered him some tea and snacks. Qin Zening picked up a piece of the egg yolk pastry, but then ced it down again when it was by his mouth, then he looked at Gu Zhen with aplex expression, and asked: "Jiu, is there really going to be a blizzard?"
Qin Zening heard that Qin Zeyu was going to take Gu Zhen out to y, so he came over to take a look as he was worried, in fear that his bold brother would do something out of the ordinary with the Sixth Prince, but he didn''t expect Qin Jiu to be here.
Qin Jiu took another sip of tea and said, ¡°You¡¯ll know in a few days."
Qin Jiu knew in her heart that Qin Xin was given a chance to be reborn, and that she was capable of such a thing. If Qin Xin said that there was going to be a blizzard, it was 90% likely to be true!
Qin Zening was silent, and his gaze passed through Qin Jiu as he looked at Qin Zeyu and Gu Zhen who were giggling around in front of him.
"Shoo!"
Qin Zeyu let go of the bowstring and shot an arrow, the shot was sharp and clean, which hit the bullseye.
Qin Zening slightly curled his lips and said, "I feel that there¡¯s something off with Qin Xin¡..."
Before he could finish his words, he was interrupted by Qin Zeyu''s cheers: "Cousin, look, I hit the bullseye!"
"Am I not gifted!!"
Gu Zhen pped for him cooperatively, and they two ??cheered along together.
The corners of Qin Zening¡¯s eyes twitched, he covered his forehead, and murmured with a headache: "Yu is five years older than Zhen, but he acts just like Zhen¡... This little rascal has to be taught well."
Qin Zening wondered which academy in the capital would be suitable for him, that was when he heard Qin Jiu say: "Brother, Yu loves martial arts, let him go in that direction."
Qin Zening: "¡..."
Qin Zening raised her eyebrows, stared at the feather arrow that hit the bullseye for a moment, and then shouted at Qin Zeyu: "Yu, your third sister said that she¡¯ll find you a master to teach you martial arts when we get back."
Qin Zeyu looked in the direction of Qin Zening and Qin Gui in disbelief, he raised hispound bow and cheered: "Good, good, good!"
"My third sister is the best!"
Qin Jiu: "¡..."
Had it not been known that Qin Zeyu had told all his friends that she was a tigress, Qin Jiu would have truly believed him.
This little rascal had learned how to speak in different situations and to different people.
In the next two days, Qin Zeyu was extremelyw-abiding, and he served Qin Jiu as if she was Buddha.
Chapter 214: She was a gift (3)
Ch.214 She was a gift (3)
But the nobles from the ns were restless. They didn''t get the response they wanted from Empress Wei, so they ran to look for the emperor, and tried to persuade the emperor to let the Second Prince stay at the hunting pce to preside over the matters regarding the disaster relief. The emperor remained unmoved by this and even refused to see them altogether in the end.
On November 17, The emperor left for the capital from Nanyuan Hunting Pce, leaving only Gu Zezhi, Gu Zhen, Liu Shijing and nearly a thousand forbidden troops.
When the emperor and his royal troops arrived at the
Cuiwei Mountain area a few dayster, a report came in stating that the area surrounding
Nanyuan Hunting Pce and Linpu Town was hit by a blizzard. Roads were closed down due to the blizzard, hence, in order to wait for more detailed news about the blizzard, they actually stayed for one more day in that same spot before resuming their journey.
On November 21st, they arrived at the capital, and the officials weed them.
Qin Zening had an errand to run, so he followed the emperor to the pce, whilst Qin Jiu and Qin Zeyu went back to the manor directly.
The siblings went to pay their greetings to Madam. Qin, Qin Xin was also there.
"Yu!"
Qin Xin saw Qin Zeyu and stood up with a joyful expression on her face.
She wanted to go over, but immediately stopped in her steps, she looked at Qin Jiu with a nervous expression. She seemed to be afraid of Qin Jiu, that¡¯s why she didn''t dare to approach Qin Zeyu, but her eyes kept staring at Qin Zeyu, and it was hard for her to hide away her worrying expression.
Qin Zeyu: "......"
He used to think that Qin Xin was really nice to him.
But now as he looked at Qin Xin, he felt awkward around her, and a word inexplicably appeared in his mind: hypocritical.
Qin Zeyu thought of the aunt in their family that Zhang Erhou had mentioned. She was always acting in a way as if the others owed her something, that the others wanted her to harm her, and the others despised her. She was even more dramatic than a performer!
For Qin Jiu, it doesn''t matter what Qin Xin does.
She was the female lead of the novel, so it was unlikely for Qin Xin to be knocked down that easily
As long as Qin Xin didn''t mess with her, Qin Jiu would ignore her presence, she would just sit aside with a smile as if she hadn''t seen her.
Madam Qin hadn¡¯t seen Qin Zeyu for many days. She missed him dearly. She took her grandson¡¯s hand and gave it a thorough look. She said that he had grown thinner and tanner, and then said in a somewhat admonishing tone: "Brother Yu, your second sister had missed you so much for the past few days, why didn¡¯t you even greet her! You heartless little kid!"
Qin Zeyu smiled, he couldn¡¯t refute her, and did not answer.
Qin Xin clenched the handkerchief in her hand, her eyshes trembled slightly, and her feelings were seemingly hurt, she secretly lowered her head, and sat back down again.
Madam Qin looked at Qin Zeyu then at Qin Xin, she frowned slightly, and then said, "Brother Yu, you have addressed her as Sister Xin for so many years now. Just think about it, how much does your sister pamper you, she always thinks of you when she has something nice. She has been talking about you for the half month since you left, worrying that you would get injured in the hunting pce¡..."
At this moment, Qin Jiu stood up and said with a smile: "Grandma, we still have to unpack our luggage as we just got back, so we will leave first."
Madam Qin''s face slightly stiffened.
Qin Jiu beckoned to Qin Zeyu, "Yu."
Qin Zeyu hurriedly stood up upon hearing this, and followed Qin Jiu out without a word, as if he was a cute little tail.
Only Madam Qin and Qin Xin were left in the room, the atmosphere was silent.
Qin Xin twisted the handkerchief in her hands, and a faintyer of mist formed in her eyes, as she tried her best to suppress the grievance she felt, and this sight made Madam Qin feel distressed.
Madam Qin sighed in secret, her eyebrows furrowed.
She was getting old, the age where one of her feet was already in the coffin, and she wanted her family to be happy and live peacefully together, but Qin Jiu refused to give way.
At first, Madam Qin was also angry with Qin Xin.
Chapter 215: She was a gift (4)
Ch.215 She was a gift (4)
In her eyes, Qin Xin had always been an innocent and caring child, she did not expect Qin Xin to make so many mistakes over and over again.
However, a few days ago, she suddenly felt unwell, she vomited and had diarrhea, and was extremely weak. It was Qin Xin who was by her side to treat her every night, serving her tea, feeding her the medicine and also cleaning her body. She did this all on her own, and had slimmed down quite a lot after a few days.
Gradually, Madam Qin¡¯s anger subsided.
No matter how wrong Qin Xin was, she was still the granddaughter she had raised by her own hands, and her filial piety towards herself was genuine.
"Grandma, don''t worry," Qin Xin got up and walked to Madam Qin''s side, as she sat herself affectionately against her, and said softly, "I will own up to my mistakes with the third sister, and I will not fight with her again¡...I will not you worry about us ever again."
Sister Xin was ultimately still the one who cares for her! Madam Qin was extremely appreciative that she took Qin Xin''s hand and patted, "Good child, I''m so sorry that you have to go through all this."
"You and Sister Jiu are both at the right age for marriage. If you both can support and help each other, it will be good for you both when you¡¯re at your husband''s in the future."
"It¡¯s normal for sisters to fight and to have an argument. You will know after you marry someone that you will be someone else¡¯s daughter-inw, and you won¡¯t be as carefree aspared to living in your own home."
Madam Qin nagged on, she couldn''t help but think of the family that her daughter-inw Su had mentioned to her before.
Although that sessful candidate¡¯s family was slightly poor, the twenty-year-old boy could be deemed as a young talent. If he focused on his studies for two years, he would definitely be a schr.
She heard that hees from a farmer¡¯s background, and from a decent family, his family members only consisted of his mother who was a widow and younger sister. The structure of his family couldn''t be any simpler, and it saves her fromplicated rtionships. People like this most probably wouldn¡¯tin that Sister Jiu grew up in the countryside.
The more Madam Qin thought about it, the more she felt that this marriage was a good arrangement. Her parents were not by her side so as her grandmother, she could decide on Sister Jiu¡¯s marriage.
She would look for a chance to talk to Sister Jiu about this, and let them meet as soon as possible.
Sister Jiu was about to reach that age, and this marriage should be settled earlier, so she could feel at ease.
"Ah choo!"
Qin Jiu, who had just walked out of the ce, sneezed into the oing cold wind, her nose felt itchy.
Du Ruo was worried that she would catch a cold, so she quickly put a cloak on her, and ced a hand warmer into her hand.
Qin Zeyu, who was two steps behind her, craned his neck and walked over quietly. While a round-faced maid ced a cloak on him, he carefully observed her facial expression, as he wanted to see if she was unhappy.
As soon as Qin Jiu turned around, Qin Zeyu immediately looked away, as if nothing had happened, he reached his hand out to the round-faced maid cockily and asked for the hand warmer.
"¡..." The round-faced maid looked at Qin Zeyu with an embarrassed look. He always said that only girls would use hand warmers, so she didn''t prepare it for him.
Qin Zeyu: ".¡.."
Qin Jiu let out a chuckle, and gave Qin Zeyu the pumpkin-shaped warmer in her hands, then raised her hand and ruffled his hair, deliberately making his hair slightly messy.
Qin Zeyu was surprised, and stunned.
Du Ruo almost burst intoughter when she saw this.
Du Ruo was originally a maid from the Fengluan Pce, and Qin Zeyu often went there to meet Empress Wei ever since he was a child. Du Ruo has seen him many times, knowing that the young master of the Qin family was a fearless demon ever since he was a child, but he happened to meet her master, who was his nemesis.
Not long after the siblings left Ronghe Hall, they saw a familiar figure approaching them.
Chapter 216: She was a gift (5)
Ch.216 She was a gift (5)
Qin Zening had just returned from the pce.
"Big brother." Qin Zeyu, who was just coaxed by his sister, waved his hand at Qin Zening happily, and exposed his hand warmer outside his cloak, as he waited for his brother to ask him where he got the hand warmer from.
Qin Zening briefly nced at Qin Zeyu, he didn¡¯t even notice the hand warmer in his hands, and asked, "Jiu, Yu didn¡¯t cause any trouble to you, right?"
Qin Zeyu: "¡..."
Was he really his elder brother? !
Qin Jiu smiled and said a few good words about Qin Zeyu: "Yu was pretty well-behaved today."
With that said, she raised her hand and rubbed the top of Qin Zeyu''s head.
Seeing Qin Zeyu being ravaged by his younger sister, Qin Zening found the scene rather amusing, he then raised his hand and rubbed the top of his younger brother''s head.
Qin Zeyu, who was conscious that he might go bald, did not dare to fight back at all, after all, the master of martial arts that his brother had promised him wasn¡¯t here yet.
He endured through it!
Thinking of Qin Jiu¡¯s journey back to the capital, it must have been tough for her. Qin Zening was about to tell her to head back to rest, but was reminded of one thing, and changed his words: ¡°Jiu, a minister just came over and brought along a scroll and said that the second prince was attentive and observant as he could foresee that there would be a blizzard, which saved themon folks from such a disaster. He indeed made a contribution to the kingdom and the people!"
"He also said that the second prince was already seventeen years old, and he should be involved in imperial matters, to serve the kingdom, and share some of the emperor¡¯s worries and burdens."
Qin Jiao murmured softly, "So there¡¯s this segment."
When they were still at the hunting pce, Gu Jing had urged the nobles of the ns to create chaos for several days, and the chaos was endless.
However, thinking back about it, Gu Jing was the male lead. As the male protagonist, he must seize this opportunity, otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have the opportunity to participate in imperial matters after this, no one knew when the next chance would roll by.
After this, the imperial court would for sure be lively yet again.
Just as Qin Jiu had thought, the next morning, several ministers in the Jinluang Hall took turns to suggest the second prince to be involved in imperial matters, and every one of them were utterly eloquent and praised the second princevishly.
With the incident of a blizzard hitting the hunting pce, even some ministers who remained neutral were also moved.
After all, putting the fact of crowning a prince aside, the prince has alreadye of age, so sooner orter he will have to take part in imperial matters.
The emperor said that his officials¡¯ words were reasonable, and immediately said yes to it, but then he ced the second prince in the Ministry of Rites and the third prince in the Ministry of Industry.
When Gu Jing received the imperial decree, his chest felt stuffy, but could only send away the great eunuch, Zhou Xin, who hade to pass the decree with a forced smile. After that, he ran to Cheng''en Gong Imperial Manor.
"Grandfather, the emperor is too biased!"
"Not only did he take the credit that should be for me and gave it to Gu Zhen, he also dragged Gu Rui to the Ministry of Industry."
"Gu Rui is shabby and ipetent, all he knows is to recite poems, he doesn¡¯t know how to do any practical work!"
Moreover, Gu Rui was sent to the Ministry of Industry. The Ministry of Industry has recently received much attention from his father because of thepound bows. His Ministry of Rites only dealt with trivial matters, he would have no contact with the imperial court. Originally, he thought that he could at least be sent to the Ministry of Households or Officials.
Gu Jing could only vent his anger to his grandfather, Cheng¡¯en Gong.
"Second prince, be patient." Cheng¡¯en Gong stroked his beard to calm Gu Jing down, "You came to me as soon as you received the imperial decree, right? Sigh, you¡¯re way too impatient, there are so many pairs of eyes that are looking at you right now!"
Gu Jing was stunned, with a look of shame on his face: "You¡¯re right." He was indeed too impatient.
Chapter 217: She was a gift (5)
Ch.217 She was a gift (5)
Seeing that Gu Jing was willing to listen to him, Cheng¡¯en Gong seemed pleased, and said: "Your Royal Highness, you must know that there have been no father and son pairings in heaven even since ancient times, and no emperor would like his son to be eager of his title. This time, we can treat it as a test towards the emperor¡¯s intentions, we should take it slow from now on, and not be hasty."
"Since the emperor has sent down an errand for you toplete, you should do well in the Ministry of Rites, and not rush for the rest. As long as you perform well, the emperor will see this, and the civil and military officials will also notice this."
Gu Jing nodded slightly from time to time, and gradually calmed down.
Gong Engong took a sip of tea, moistened his throat, and said with a change of tone: "Also, that Second Lady Qin¡..." He sighed slightly, "Sigh, you knew that there was something off with that girl, but you still kept her by your side, I am afraid that even the Empress Dowager is annoyed at you."
When it came to this matter, Cheng¡¯er Gong was genuinely puzzled, as Gu Jing was clearly smart, how can he be foolish on matters involving Qin Xin! It was not worthwhile to make Empress Dowager Liu unhappy for the sake of Qin Xin.
Gu Jing said sternly: "Grandfather, Xin''er is different."
She was just a woman! Cheng¡¯en Gong didn''t think so, but he wouldn''t upset Gu Jing because of Qin Xin.
After all, Gu Jing was now at the age where he was young and energetic, and his vision was suddenly blurred by love, but there was no love amongst the royal family. Before that supreme position, all matters have to be left aside!
Gu Jing would soon understand this, it was just a matter of time! So why should he be the bad guy, and make Gu Jing hate him.
Cheng¡¯er Gong avoided talking about Qin Xin, and said with a smile: "Second prince, we should first head over to coax the Empress Dowager."
".¡.." Gu Jing''s eyes flickered, and was about to speak but was hesitant to do so. He actually guessed that his grandfather already had some sort of prejudice against Qin Xin.
But they didn''t know that Qin Xin was different. Like now, if It was Qin Xin, she would definitely be able toe up with a n for him.
She always could find another way to enlighten him, just like this blizzard, and many times before¡...
His Xin''er was different, she was a gift given to him by the heavens!
However, there were some things he couldn¡¯t say to Cheng¡¯er Gong.¡..
Gu Jing clenched his fist, and heard Cheng¡¯er Gong continue: "Second prince, what do you think of Yun Jiaoniang, the thirddy from Wei Yuanbo Manor?"
Gu Jing''s gaze condensed slightly.
Cheng¡¯er Gong continued meaningfully: "You should also get married with your imperial concubine as soon as possible. Only by getting married, you could then be titled a noble and leave the pce to establish a manor."
In this way, Gu Jing could then widely recruit men and gradually grow his power and influence.
The Sixth Prince, Gu Wei was only five years old, and Gu Jing had at least ten years to widen the gap between Gu Zhen and him and be a virtuous emperor.
Cheng¡¯er gong continued to say: "Wei Yuanbo has made huge contributions on the battlefield and is rather prestigious in the army, his wife is also the daughter of General Li in Minzhou. Third Lady Yun is Wei Yuanbo¡¯s only daughter."
"Your grandmother entered the pce two days ago, and even the Empress Dowager thinks that Third Lady Yun is a good choice."
What he meant by this is that this marriage would kill three birds with one stone. On one hand, he could win over the Wei Yuanbo Manor and also the Li Family. On the other hand, Gu Jing could also use this as a way to please Empress Dowager Liu.
Gu Jing was silent for a moment, and said, "You may have the say on this matter!"
At first, Cheng¡¯en Gong was worried that it would take him a long time to convince Gu Jing, so he breathed a sigh of relief.
Gu Jing also had his own factors that he took into consideration: After his big wedding, he would be able to bring Qin Xin into his manor in the open, and they could stay together, so Qin Xin would not have to stay at the Qin''s and suffer.
Just thinking about it, the corners of Gu Jing''s lips rose slightly, he was thrilled.
Chapter 218: Zezhis Marriage Arrangement (1)
Ch.218 Zezhi¡¯s Marriage Arrangement (1)
Early the next morning, Qin Xin learned the news that Gu Jing had specially sent in. She was left in a slight daze, as she sat stupidly by the window, and hadn''t recovered for a long time.
The head maid, Shuxiang, looked at her at a loss, she could only repeat herself, and softly advised: "Mydy, the second prince¡¯s feelings towards you are genuine."
She¡¯s just repeating herself! Qin Xin frowned impatiently.
Genuine? What''s the use of being genuine!
She went from being the second prince¡¯s dignified concubine to a nameless concubine, how could she be willing to ept this ending!
After all, the second prince treated her as if she was nothing¡...
Qin Xin bit her lower lip slightly, her gaze flickered.
As far as Qin Xin was concerned, the Qin family couldn¡¯t be depended on. The only person she could rely on now was Gu Jing.
When Gu Jing ascends to that supreme position in the future, she could still reach the skies in one step!
Qin Xin pursed her lips, and asked with gritted teeth, "Which family will the second prince get married to?"
Shuxiang carefully observed her expression, and replied, "Mydy, she is the Third Lady Yun Yan from the Weiyuan Manor."
Qin Xin: "Yun Jiaoniang?!"
Yun Yan''s nickname was Jiao Niang, and she was Uncle Weiyuan Bo¡¯s only daughter, and was extremely pampered in the Yun family.
However, Yun Jiaoniang always loved topete with her ever since she was a child but often lost to her, so she fell out with her out of anger.
If in the future, Yun Jiaoniang bes the first wife and she bes a concubine, wouldn''t it mean that Yun Jiaoniang would stand over her for the rest of her life?!
With Yun Jiao Niang''s ruthless temperament, she might think of ways topete with her!
This was all Qin Jiu¡¯s fault!
If it weren''t for Qin Jiu''s return, she would still be the second prince¡¯s fiancee, and the second prince¡¯s concubine would be one of the top nobledies in this capital, and even a figure that people would be envious of!
Thinking of this, Qin Xin''s gaze gradually turned gloomy.
After a while, Qin Xin asked again: "What else did the second prince say?"
Shuxiang shook her head.
She too didn''t get to meet the second prince, just his message sent by his servant.
Qin Xin gave it some thought and asked for some pen and ink: "I will write a letter in a while, and you can pass it to the second prince."
Shuxiang responded and asked the maid to prepare pen and ink. She then poured a cup of tea for Qin Xin and brought it to her andforted yet again, "Mydy, you are much better off than the thirddy in the Second Prince''s Manor, I heard that madam had looked for an ordinary schr family for her, and the family does not own muchnd. In the future, when the thirddy gets married over there, she would have to live a mundane life."
Shuxiang tried to say things that Qin Xin loved to listen to.
The corners of Qin Xin''s lips curled up slightly, and a smile appeared on her face.
There¡¯s more!
This schr was carefully selected by Madam Su.
She heard that he was indeed just a twenty-year-old man, he sounded like a young talent. It''s a pity that after thest time he lost to Sunsan, he stopped in his tracks, and spent his days lingering in brothels, as he posed as a lover of culture.
He also picked up on having a mistress and spent all of his family¡¯s wealth. In the end, he married off his own sister to a wealthy businessman in his fifties and got arge amount of dowry in exchange.
As for Qing Jiu, Madam Su was the aunt from a different branch hence she couldn¡¯t decide on her marriage, but her grandmother could! However, she was someone who was extremely easy to persuade, and believed that Madam Su had really chosen a good pick for Qin Jiu.
Qin Xin gracefully took a sip of hot tea, and felt much relieved, she then said with a slight sarcasm: "If my third sister had willingly got into the arranged marriage with Yeluluan, things might have turned out better. She could at least be part of the imperial family, a princess, etc., when she marries off to Beiyan in the future, she¡¯ll be the prince''s dignified concubine."
"It''s a pity, her desires were way too insatiable.¡±
Chapter 219
Chapter 219
Qin Xin gracefully took a sip of hot tea, and felt much relieved, she then said with slight sarcasm.
¡°If my third sister had willingly got into the arranged marriage with Yelu Luan, this might have turned out better. She could at least be part of the imperial family, a princess, or any title of a princess when she married off to Beiyan in the future, she¡¯ll be the prince¡¯s dignified concubine.¡±
¡°It¡¯s a pity, she¡¯s an insatiable person.¡±
¡°I wonder when grandmother will mention it to third sister.¡±
Just thinking about it, Qin Xin couldn¡¯t wait so after thinking about it for a while, she went to Matriarch.
Qin Xin quickly finished writing the letter and asked Shu Xiang to bring it out while she herself went to Ronghe Hall.
When it was dusk, Qin Jiu said goodbye to the empress and left with the Matriarch Qin along with Madam Hou and Madam Su.
Matriarch Qin described the family situation of the Chengs with a smile.
¡°He is six years older than you, although older, he only dyed his marriage for the sake of the imperial examination.¡±
¡°Your second aunt took a lot of trouble to pick such a suitable candidate, I think our family pick a day, you go and meet him, if you think it¡¯s good, let¡¯s book the marriage early.¡±
¡°What do you say, Jiu¡¯er?¡±
Qin Jiu: ¡°?¡±
What kind of weird thing are you talking about?!
The corners of Qin Jiu¡¯s eyes twitched and he pursed her lips as she smiled.
¡°Grandmother, there is no need to rush my marriage.¡±
¡°How can you not be in a hurry?¡± Matriarch Qin said patiently.
¡°Jiu¡¯er, you are already fourteen years old and for a noble family like ours, it will take more than a year to learn three books and six rites. By then, you¡¯re old enough to be ready to get married, you don¡¯t have to drag it on until you are seventeen or eighteen, right?¡±
It doesn¡¯t really matter if she waited until 17 or 18! Qin Jiu was anxious or in a hurry at all. Moreover, even if she had to follow the local customs, she would never ept this blind marriage!
Besides, what kind of person this schr Cheng was? Even if they talk good things about him as long as he has any rtionship with the Su family, they were definitely not a good candidate for husband-inw.
When Matriarch Qin saw Qin¡¯s unconcerned look, she became more anxious and continued to persuade her.
¡°Jiu¡¯er, you grew up in the countryside, so if you marry someone from an upper-ss family, you will be disliked by your inws.¡±
¡°The Empress is doting on you, but no matter how much she dotes on you, she doesn¡¯t have any control over the affairs that happens in your room, much less your mother-inw who wants you to follow the rules.¡±
¡°The Cheng family looks a little poor now, but you have the support of the marquis house, and the dowry, so you won¡¯t suffer, wait until Schr Cheng passes the imperial exam and bes a government official, and you will have a good life with your chin held up high as a wife of a high ranking official.¡±
¡°And since you are a young couple, once he gets rich in the future, he will remember your goodness.¡±
Qin Jiu got tired of hearing this and refused.
¡°Grandmother, an elder brother is like a father, although the eldest family¡¯s branch has no father or mother, but there is still an elder brother.¡±
She was close to saying that there was no need for Madam Tai and Madam Hou to concern themselves with her and just ¡°mind their own business¡±.
Qin Jiu then directly pushed her own marriage to Qin Zining, and then got up calmly after thanking them and telling them she would now resign for the night.
The curtain leading to the hall was lifted high and gently dropped, Madam Su was furious and said through clenched teeth.
¡°Mother, look at her, is she still following our customs and is well-behaved?
Matriarch Qin looked at the swaying curtain and sighed, saying.
¡°Since she is not willing to ¡¡¡±
Madam Su¡¯s shrill voice interrupted Matriarch Qin.
¡°Mother, this is a guardian¡¯s responsibility, there are also the matchmaker¡¯s words, not to mention that the uncle and sister-inw have been gone for many years. Even if they are still alive, it is only natural that you take care of her marriage as her direct grandmother. It¡¯s not up to the little girl whether she wants to or not!¡±
¡°But Jiu¡¯er is a person who has her own decision.¡± Matriarch Qin said hesitantly.
Although Qin Jiu has only been back in the capital for two months, Matriarch Qin already knows quite a bit about this granddaughter.
This granddaughter of hers was a person who can turn over the table at the first sign of displeasure, and if she has said she does not want to, how could she force her?
In case she leaves home again at the drop of a hat and goes to live in Fengluan Pce and doesn¡¯te back, then what should she do?
Madam Su¡¯s eyes shed slightly, she was not willing to return home with such a defeat. She added.
¡°Mother, ording to my daughter-inw, Jiu¡¯er still wants to marry into a noble¡¯s family.¡±
¡°But how can she have that idea, no one in the capital doesn¡¯t know that she grew up outside and doesn¡¯t know anything about instruments, chess, calligraphy, and painting¡ai plus the matter about Xin¡¯er just happened.¡±
¡°Mother, Xin¡¯er has be the second prince¡¯s concubine, how much is this reputation¡ which noble house is willing to marry a concubine¡¯s sister as the legal wife.¡± Madam Su said justifiably.
Hearing this, Matriarch Qin also thinks it makes sense, but there was still some hesitation.
¡°But Jiu¡¯er she¡.¡±
Madam Su came up with an idea: ¡°Mother, why don¡¯t we invite Schr Cheng here first and let them have a ¡®chance meeting¡¯, maybe after Jiu¡¯er meets him, she will change her mind.¡±
¡°That Schr Cheng I won¡¯t say anything other than he is really good-looking.¡±
¡°Mother, if we miss this time, it will be difficult to find another family that is a good match for Jiu¡¯er, and with her age, we cannot afford to dy ¡¡¡±
Matriarch Qin: ¡°¡.¡±
Matriarch Qin slowly twirled the string of Buddhist beads in her hand, think it through, and finally responded.
¡°Okay, let¡¯s do what you want.¡±
Anyway, it was only for the two children to meet first, if after meeting the person if Qin Jiu was still unwilling, they could discuss itter.
***
Chapter 220
Chapter 220
Anyway, it was only for the two children to meet first, if after meeting the person if Qin Jiu was still unwilling, they could discuss itter.
¡°Yes, mother.¡± Madam Su answered pleasantly.
She pondered inwardly that as long as Qin Jiu and that Schr Cheng ¡°see¡± each other, she would be able say to the public that Matriarch Qin has chosen a good husband for Qin Jiu.
And once this news spreads, if Qin Jiu does not marry him, it would be viewed as breaking the engagement and her reputation would be tarnish.
Whether Qin Jiu wants to or not, she could only marry!
Just thinking of this, Madam Su couldn¡¯t help but raised her lips at an angle that the other Madam could not see.
She was in a good mood, feeling that the turbidity of the past two months was instantly swept away.
Outside the mansion, the cold wind howls, after entering the end of November, the weather was getting colder and colder, it had snowed in the capital for three days in a row, turning the ce into a world of silver.
On November 29, the snow finally stopped, and Duan Wang Ye together with Duan Wang Fei entered the capital by decree.
On the same day, the Duan couple came into the pce to ask to see the emperor.
When the emperor met them in the imperial study, he raised his hand to excuse them and greeted them with a smile.
¡°Imperial uncle, imperial aunt, sit down and talk.¡±
However, Duan Wang Ye and Duan Wang Fei still made their manners adequate before they sat down.
As soon as she sat down, Duan Wang Fei asked with some impatience.
¡°Your Majesty, I heard that you have chosen a marriage for Zezhi?¡±
The emperor nodded and said, ¡°It is the empress¡¯ niece, the first-born girl and the third child of the Marquis of Zhongyi.¡±
The Queen¡¯s niece?
The Queen¡¯s niece must be a good one, as everyone knows that the Wei family was a good family and a noble family.
Duan Wang Ye frowned but did not say anything.
The emperor continued: ¡°The third child is 14 years old this year, in a few months she will reach a marriageable age. She has an outstanding character, intelligent graceful which make Zhen and the empress very fond of her.¡±
The more she hear, the more satisfied she were and the more a smile blooms on her face from the bottom of her heart. She couldn¡¯t wait for the marriage to be finalized.
Truth be told, she was not in a good health so Duan Wang Ye did not intend to bring her to the capital but when she learned that the emperor had chosen a marriage partner for her son, she muste to see it, even if the bumpy rides and horse made her feel even worse.
This difort was for the sake of her son¡¯s marriage, it was all worth it.
Because Duan Wang Fei insisted oning, Duan Wang Ye could only send a special letter to the capital to report the situation to the emperor and let his first son stay in charge of the overall situation.
Duan Wang Fei on the other hand didn¡¯t care about these things, she only had her son¡¯s marriage in her heart.
Seeing that her son was about to reach twenty but he had not been married, Duan Wang Fei was so worried that she tossed and turned every night and couldn¡¯t sleep but she couldn¡¯t do anything about it.
The only child she has in her life was Zezhi, and Duan Wang Fei doesn¡¯t want to force him to marry a random woman.
What¡¯s more, the kind of family Duan Wang Ye pick for him! It was either a daughter of a small rank official of the fourth and fifth, or a concubine of a wealthy family. How could Duan Wang Fei be willing to wrong her son.
So, the years just dragged on.
Now that the marriage was finally in sight, Duan Wang Fei was full of joy and smiles.
¡°Thank you, Your Majesty, the one Your Majesty picked is definitely good¡¡±
Before Duan Wang Feo could finish her words, she was interrupted by Duan Wang Ye at the side.
¡°Your Majesty, isn¡¯t this Third Miss Qin¡¯s status a little too noble.¡± Duan Wang Ye frowned slightly.
When these words came out, Duan Wang Fei¡¯s face, which was still smiling, suddenly stiffened.
Once upon a time, when Zezhi was only 13 or 14 years old, she wanted to give him a marriage, but no matter which family she picked, Wang Ye was not satisfied.
He would either be saying that the youngdy was too noble and many other excuses, such the other party has bad manners or they need the emperor¡¯s permission first and even saying that he could not marry someone who was outside of the fiefdom and so on.
To put it bluntly, the wang ye just doesn¡¯t want Zezhi¡¯s wife rank to be higher than that of his heir¡¯s consort!
After all, he wasn¡¯t able to think ahead. Before his eldest son bes the heir, he was only his eldest son so his consort was just the daughter of small official family!
After going back and forth, Zezhi was almost twenty when he travelled to the capital. When the heir was at this age, he already had two sons under his knees!
The eldest son of the heir was fifteen years old this year, and it was more important for wang ye to choose a grand-daughter-inw than a daughter-inw for Zezhi!
Duan Wang Fei sometimes spected with little malice that wang ye was deliberately dying Zezhi¡¯s marriage, just to have his grandson grow up and marry someone from an influential family and could have more backing!
In the past, it was just a matter of time, so he put up with it.
Now that the Emperor has picked such a good marriage for Zezhi, wang ye still wants to stop it!
Duan Wang Fei¡¯s hand holding the handkerchief tightened, and her chest kept heaving.
The emperor looked at the faces of the two people, and immediately understood something and said to himself:
The Duan Wangfu is really a veryplicated ce. Uncle Duan said he was not being partial at all but in fact his heart was already very partial.
Let¡¯s not mention Zezhi¡¯s marriage for the time being.
The emperor also remembered that thest incident in Qingyun County, Duan Wang Ye said he would be strictly investigating everything. And the results?! So far there was none, presumably he was trying toy low.
The emperor slowly turned the jade te finger on his thumb and looked calmly at the two.
Duan Wang Ye¡¯s gloomy face advised Duan Wang Fei with a dignified expression.
¡°¡the thirddy of the Qin family is too noble, if she marry into our door in the future, I¡¯m afraid she will looked down on the heir and his consort. When the timees, there will be a discord between sisters-inw and chaos in the inner court. It will appear that you are ipetent in running the family.¡±
Duan Wang Fei: ¡°¡¡±
***
TL: yeah~ the moment you are all waiting for (??¥î?)?*:??? the continuation keke¡ thanks to those who suggested to Fleeting and Fleeting¡¯s fast response here we are. So first rification, it is ShainaG¡¯s trantion from chapter 1-218 since aggregator saved her work, we were able to recover them and re upload the chapters into our site. Second, just like you all, I read the prev. trantions and I know there will be some confusion with the term and names in my trantionpared to the previous trantor but please bear with me and if you have questions you canment and let me know I¡¯ll answer them with the best of my capabilities¡î¡Ð(*£Þ-©b)v and if given time I will try to edit the trantion. Andstly next week I AM PLANNING to upload 6 chapters (2 per day) every week either starting Tue-Thur of Wed- Fri¡ See you(?£þ¨Œ£þ)??
Chapter 221
Chapter 221
Duan Wang Ye continued: ¡°Wang Fei, you have always been generous, so don¡¯t be rude. Zezhi¡¯s wife, let¡¯s take it slow¡.¡±
Duan Wang Fei¡¯s face turned blue to white as she endured and restrained herself. She almost didn¡¯t care if they were in front of the emperor and was about to p the table.
Not in a hurry!?
He was not in a hurry. Anyway, he has a son in this generation and several other sons, he maybe would soon hug his great-grandson next year, so of course, he was not in a hurry!!
But she was anxious!
She only has Zezhi!
Seeing the undercurrent turbulent between the husband and wife, the emperor couldn¡¯t continue watching them. He cleared his throat and said.
¡°Imperial Uncle, Imperial Aunt, although the third youngdy is the first daughter of the Marquis of Zhongyi, but¡ ai, this child is born under an ill star.¡±
¡°When she was young, she was abducted by the Marquis¡¯s spiteful ves and raised as amoner, it is only a few months ago that she just recognized her ancestors.¡±
So that¡¯s how it is ah.
Duan Wang Ye¡¯s face eased a little as a smile bloomed, after hearing what he wants.
So, that third young miss Qin grow up in the countryside?¡
Thinking about it carefully, even if the third young miss Qin has a noble background she could be considered as a gem that has ws. With this thinking, he¡¯s afraid that she was too mediocre and couldn¡¯t be presented to others but if this was the case then she couldn¡¯t bepared to the heir¡¯s consort.
Although the heir¡¯s consort was born into a small official family, she was still the daughter of a well-bred family that was carefully raised and well educated. She knows everything about instruments, chess, painting, and poetry.
Duan Wang Fei: ¡°!¡±
Duan Wang Fei was about to speak when she saw the emperor wink at her, signaling her to be calm.
Startled, her eyes shed slightly. Just now, the emperor must have seen the reluctance of Duan Wang Ye to this marriage, so the emperor said it on purpose?
She also has some understanding of the emperor and believes that the emperor would not casually point someone to Zezhi, at least, the emperor would be more conscientious than Duan Wang Ye.
So, Duan Wang Fei pursed her lips and fell silent, not saying anything.
The emperor smiled and continued: ¡°Moreover, Third Young Miss Qin has innate character, pure, very gentle, and graceful.¡±
When he said ¡°gentle and graceful¡±, the emperor thought of Empress Wei telling him that Qin Jiu had given Qin Zeyu a good beating and beaten him into submission, and he almost couldn¡¯t hold back hisughter.
¡°She will neverpete with the consort.¡±
After talking for a while, the emperor took a sip of the hot tea and contemted:
Duan Wang Ye is so partial, Xiao Jiu¡¯s temper is just right, she will surely not be bullied in the future!
Meanwhile, Duan Wang Ye thought and pondered for a while, if he really chooses a girl from a small family for Zezhi, Wang Fei would definitely not be happy.
s, in fact, the heir was also raised by Wang Fei when he was a child. He was of good character, he was filial, and caring to his younger siblings. And in the future, he would also be filial to his mother.
Then that¡¯s it, third young miss Qin it is.
This third young miss Qin was still a good match with Zezhi, after all, she was not well educated. In the future, she would always have to bow her head in front of the heir and his consort and would not dare to encourage Zezhi to go against his elder brother and make trouble.
After thinking for a moment, Duan Wang Ye finally responded, ¡°That¡¯s very good.¡±
Duan Wang Fei who got the Emperor¡¯s wink and didn¡¯t bother to argue about anything, but only asked.
¡°Your Majesty, what does Zezhi think?¡±
For Duan Wang Fei, everything else was second, and the will of her son was the most important.
The emperor smiled: ¡°Imperial aunt do not worry, Zhen has asked Zezhi, Zezhi is also very satisfied.¡±
Duan Wang Fei was relieved, and after thinking about it, she asked again.
¡°What about Third Young Miss Qin?¡±
The emperor: ¡°The empress has quietly inquired, and she is also very satisfied.¡±
After the empress asked Xiao Jiust time, she even told him that it was Xiao Jiu who thought Gu Zezhi was ¡°very good¡± and treated her ¡°very well¡±, so she must be very satisfied.
If it weren¡¯t for this, the Empress would be reluctant to marry Xiao Jiu into the murky waters of Duan Wangfu!
Duan Wang Fei said hurriedly, ¡°That¡¯s good! That¡¯s good!¡±
She only hoped that they were a loving and harmonious couple, that would be better than anything.
Third Young Miss Qin was chosen by the emperor and empress, her character must be good and that¡¯s all she wants.
Duan Wang Fei was afraid that wang ye would find another suitabledy from a different family or he would renege his decision after they went back so she hurriedly said.
¡°Your Majesty, I think Third Young Miss Qin is also very good so I asked the emperor to grant them the marriage since the sun is still up in the sky.¡±
Duan Wang ye hesitated for a moment. Although he felt that it seemed a little too urgent, he finally agreed.
So, the emperor drew up an imperial decree on the same day, and Grand Eunuch Zhou Xin personally went to the Marquis of Zhongyi¡¯s residence to deliver the decree.
At this time in the Qin family, in the Ronghe Hall, in addition to Matriarch Qin and Madam Su, there was an additional woman in her forties with a plump figure and a young man in blue in his twenties.
The woman, wearing a chestnut vase pattern with dark makeup, her hair was neatly tied up in a bun, and only a silver hairpin iid with Jasper was inserted. Sitting upright on an armchair opposite to Madam Su, her waist was too straight that there was a bit of arrogance in her expression.
The young man in blue had long eyebrows, and clear and bright eyes, his appearance looked outstanding, unlikemon people. And on the side of his waist hangs a stone steal and a purse. Overall, he had a strong bookish air surrounding him.
Matriarch Qin looked up and down at the young man in blue and felt that what Madam Su had said was right. Schr Cheng was very good-looking, standing with her third granddaughter, she could be called a talented woman.
Madam Su saw her mother-inw¡¯s thoughts and was even happier, and felt that the marriage was half done.
She smiled and said to the woman, ¡°Madam Cheng, your son is really talented. I remember your son was just 17 years old when he bes a candidate for the provincial examination, right?¡±
At the same time, a beautiful servant girl in green served tea to the two guests.
Madam Cheng said modestly, ¡°it¡¯s true, my young son got lucky to get Yayuan in the examination that year.¡±
Yayuan was someone who ced second in the township examination, and this seventeen-year-old passee was afraid that he couldn¡¯t ce second in the whole capital.
Madam Su once again praised: ¡°Your son is truly talented, young man. Surely, he will have extraordinary future prospects. The Cheng family madam is really blessed, just waiting for your son to earn a grant for you.¡±
Saying that, she deliberately looked at Matriarch Qin, ¡°Mother, don¡¯t you think so?¡±
¡°Madam Cheng is indeed blessed.¡±
Matriarch Qin nodded in agreement, saying that she was quite satisfied with Schr Cheng. Looking at his expression and demeanor, although he was quite aloof, he was a schr and he could understand things.
Madam Cheng pretended to take a shallow sip of the hot tea before saying.
¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m the mother of the king who sells melons and boasts himself! I only had my son after my husband died and he is just like my dead husband, he likes reading. At the age of three, he can already read, read poetry at age of four, read four books and five ssics at the age of fifteen, and he never forgets anything since he was a child!¡±
While talking, Madam Cheng¡¯s straightened up her even straighter back. She was very proud of herself: her son knows it.
Her son was a prodigy since he was a child, and every teacher said that he would definitely be a schr in the future, and indeed, he became a schr at the age of 17.
In those days, the rtives who once looked down upon the orphaned son and widowed mother were all fawning over one by one, wanting to hang their fields under her son¡¯s name for tax exemption.
The Qin family was a marquis family, the family was higher than their own family, but that Third Young Miss Qin ording to what she heard grow up outside. She¡¯s afraid that she doesn¡¯t have the demeanor of a youngdy from a noble family, and was just a straw bag waiting to be married off and enjoyed her life as his son¡¯s wife while she the mother on the other hand had to burn incense in herst life.
If it weren¡¯t for the dowry from this noble family, she wouldn¡¯t even look at this daughter-inw.
***
Chapter 222: Imperial Decree
Chapter 222 (Imperial Decree)
Following Madam Cheng¡¯s words, Madam Su praised Schr Cheng for his high learning ability, good character, and filial piety. With these words, Madam Su looked at Matriarch Qin again and said.
¡°Mother, our Jiu¡¯er is also filial.¡± Madam Su reminds Matriarch Qin that it¡¯s time to call Qin Jiu.
Matriarch Qin gave an order: ¡± Ning momo, go and invite third young miss.¡±
Thinking that by inviting Qin Jiu, she could have a look and then make a decision.
Schr Cheng¡¯s eyes brightened, and he could not help imagining what the daughter of the Marquis was like. Anyway, he heard that there were at least seven or eight servant girls around the girls in Marquis mansion¡
Schr Cheng couldn¡¯t help but look at the servant girl in green who served tea just now that made the pit of his stomach hot: just look at the pretty appearance of the servant girl in Matriarch Qin¡¯s room. I think Third Miss Qin¡¯s servant girls is no worse!
When Third Young Miss Qin marries into his family, if she was kind and reasonable, she should choose a few dowry maids to be his maids.
After taking the order, Ning momo withdrew from the room.
Ning momo went straight to Qin Jiu¡¯s Wanxiang Garden and simply said.
¡°Third Young Miss, the Matriarch wants you to go to Ronghe Hall.¡±
Qin Jiu was idle and had nothing to do, she was passing her time flipping through a book. Hearing this, she was a little puzzled it was not time yet to pay her respect, also there were still two hours before evening, but she didn¡¯t say anything and got up.
Du Ruo prepared a cloak and a hand stove for Qin Jiu as quickly as possible, and then followed Ning momo with two servants on their way.
The cold wind of the twelfth lunar month was so piercing that Qin Jiu huddled her whole body in arge cloak iid with mink fur, and borrowed the heat from the hand stove to make her body warmer.
¡°Ning momo,¡± Du Ruo smiled and went to get close to Ning momo, using her sleeve as a cover, and slipped her a silver ingot.
¡°Doesn¡¯t the Matriarch take a nap every day at this hour?¡±
Ning momo didn¡¯t look at the silver ingot, but only padded the weight, and felt very satisfied.
Anyway, there¡¯s nothing hard to say about this matter. Even if she doesn¡¯t say it now, the third young miss would naturally understand once she arrived at the Ronghe hall.
Ning momo didn¡¯t lower her voice either, so naturally, Qin Jiu heard it and raised her eyebrows speechlessly.
She naturally remembered this surnamed Schr Cheng was mentioned by Matriarch Qinst time.
But she already said no, so why were they still ying this game?
Ning momo didn¡¯t notice Qin Jiu¡¯s strange appearance at all and said with a smile on her face.
¡°This ve servant congrattes the third young miss. Schr Cheng is so elegant and talented, he is truly one in a hundred¡ no, one in a thousand!¡±
Ning momo said these kind words, not only because she received Du Ruo¡¯s silver but also because she wanted Qin Jiu to receive the goodwill of Matriarch Qin.
Who wants to miss¡ª
Qin Jiu stopped and looked at Ning momo with a smile, ¡°Ning momo, my feet hurt, so I won¡¯t go.¡±
She didn¡¯t wait for Ning momo to react and immediately turned around. The plum red cloak on her body drew a beautiful arc with her turning, and one corner of the cloak flew like a butterfly.
Ning momo¡®s eyes open wide as the third young miss made her way back, looking at her extremely stable walk she couldn¡¯t help but inwardly said.
Didn¡¯t your feet hurt!!
Waking up from the shock Ning momo hurriedly tried to chase after her, but Du Ruo blocked the way.
Ning momo could probably guess that Qin Jiu was not satisfied with the marriage, so she could only speak kindly to Qin Jiu¡¯s back and say.
¡°Third young miss, Matriarch is only thinking of your own good.¡±
¡°Third young miss, the matriarch is waiting for you!¡±
¡°Third Young Miss¡¡±
Ning momo shouted louder and louder, but Qin Jiu continued walking away, not to mention turning back, even the pace did not slow down and there was no hesitation in her steps.
The cold wind howled, scraping Ning momo¡®s face.
Ning momo has served beside Matriarch Qin for more than ten years, which of the girls in this house were not respectful, obedient, and pleased Matriarch Qin, who dares to step on Matriarch Qin¡¯s face like this!
Ning momo could only helplessly watch Qin Jiu¡¯s figure disappear at the corner in front of her.
Du Ruo shook her handkerchief and left.
Ning momo looked at Du Ruo¡¯s back and stamped her feet with hatred. She felt that the silver ingot hidden in her sleeve was heavier than its weight. She was so regretful that her intestines were blue. If she had known it, she would have closed her mouth and said nothing.
If she had known, she wouldn¡¯t receive the money but it has alreadye to this point so Ning momo could only go back to Ronghe Hall with her tail between her legs and politely said.
¡°Matriarch Qin, the third young miss is not feeling well ¡¡¡±
Madam Cheng frowned slightly, thinking that this young miss Qin was too delicate.
In the future, after she marries into their family, she would have to train her. As a woman, how could she feel unwell at every turn!
Seeing that Ning momo came back alone, Matriarch Qin guessed something and felt helpless.
s, she knew that Jiu¡¯er was a feisty girl and meant what she said to them yesterday. Look, she¡¯s unwilling to even meet them.
Madam Su¡¯s lips pursed into a straight line, her eyes as deep as a pool, and secretly said.
This bitchy girl, Qin Jiu, really is so unruly, unruly!
She also secretly ridiculed.
It¡¯s a pity that it doesn¡¯t matter whether Qin Jiu meets them or not. She has no father or mother, so it¡¯s only natural for her grandmother to decide on her marriage. If it¡¯s spread, no one will be able to pick out the fault, even Empress Wei¡¯s objection is useless!
As long as she could coax the madam to agree, the marriage could be fixed.
***
TL: sorry forgot to proofread this, and there maybe some errors but I am editing it right now~??
Chapter 223: Imperial Decree
Chapter 223 (Imperial Decree)
Madam Su smiled faintly as she spoke warmly to Matriarch Qin: ¡°Mother, the little girl in our family is thin-skinned why did you invite here her!¡±
¡°Just to greet them and see if she likes him.¡±
¡°You already see him, Schr Cheng is a talented young man, and anywhere I see is good.¡±
Madam Su keeps talking.
However, Madam Cheng frowned after understanding what Madam Su¡¯s words meant. Does this noble family think this marriage still needs to be considered?!
Seeing that the third young miss Qin did not appear, it seems that it wasn¡¯t because she was not feeling well, but because she was still dissatisfied with the marriage?
Madam Cheng pulled out an arrogant sneer and coldly snorted, ¡°It seems that the Marquis can¡¯t see us, so let¡¯s just go.¡±
Humph! A wild girl like the Qin family¡¯s third young miss, who grew up outside, was already lucky to have a schr like her son willing to marry her!
This wild girl is so unruly if the Qin family wants to marry her son, then they have to pay more dowry!
Madam Cheng stood up angrily and threatened to leave.
Schr Cheng also followed and stood up, chin held high with a face of arrogance.
Heughed coldly and said, ¡°A woman should be gentle and obedient, the third young miss from your family is so arrogant, she doesn¡¯t look at our Cheng family, we can¡¯t afford it!¡±
He casually arched his hand, ¡°Farewell!¡±
Thest two words were said with force and a clear and arrogant look.
Matriarch Qin looked at the Cheng mother and son, almost dumbfounded and shocked.
She originally thought the marriage was good because Madam Su said that the Cheng family has good morals and that Schr Cheng was a handsome young man with a bright future. Taking Qin Jiu¡¯s situation as an example, she could live a better life after marrying someone with a lower status.
To put it bluntly, it¡¯s not how good the Cheng family was, but it¡¯s just that the Marquis family was willing to look at the Cheng family!
This marriage has not been negotiated, but the Cheng family already has this kind of attitude, if their marquis family really married the third young miss to the Cheng family, would the Cheng family¡¯s mother and son be floating in the sky!!
Matriarch Qin¡¯s face also hardened, and she said faintly: ¡°in that case, our marquis house will not force this marriage.¡±
She raised her hand in a gesture and instructed, ¡°Ning momo, see off the guests for me.¡±
Madam Su was also stunned, not expecting that in just a few words, the mother and son pair had brought the scene to such ugly point.
Really drag yourselves down!
Madam Su cursed in her heart, but she could only smile in the open and hurried to persuade Matriarch Qin first.
¡°Mother, don¡¯t be angry! Let¡¯s talk properly, it¡¯s just some misunderstanding.¡±
Immediately afterward, she advised Madam Cheng, ¡°Madam Cheng please stay, how can my niece dislike your family? This little girl has thin skin, so she is embarrassed toe.¡±
Madam Su squeezed out a smile and said good things from both ends, making sure that this marriage was a sess.
Madam Cheng was originally pretending, so after hearing Madam Su¡¯s appeasement she stayed and didn¡¯t say anything anymore, but she still didn¡¯t sit down.
Schr Cheng saw his mother did not leave, so he also did not move, but he couldn¡¯t hide the disdain in his eyes.
Madam Su continued: ¡°Madam Cheng, this marriage is the order of my parents and the words of a matchmaker. My niece¡¯s marriage is decided by my mother-inw.¡±
Then she looked at Matriarch Qin again. ¡°Mother, don¡¯t you think so?¡±
Madam Su stared expectantly at Matriarch Qin, trying to get her to agree to the marriage, preferably by exchanging the geng tie today. So, even if Qin Jiu knew about it, she wouldn¡¯t be able to make anyints!
Matriarch Qin slowly twirls the string of Buddha beads in her hand, but there was no answer.
Seeing this, Madam Su was worried and scolded the Cheng mother and son inwardly.
She settled down and continued to persuade Matriarch Qin: ¡°Mother, this is about the lifelong importance of Jiu¡¯er, we must look ¡®in the future¡¯¡..¡±
In front of the Cheng family¡¯s mother and son, Madam Su speaks politely and tries to remind Matriarch Qin that with Qin Jiu¡¯s situation, if she misses out on Schr Cheng, she¡¯s afraid she won¡¯t be able to find a better one in the future.
These days, Madam Su has been chanting simr words in front of Matriarch Qin.
Now, with her deliberate reminder, Matriarch Qin hesitated again.
She thought to herself:
My daughter-inw is right, a girl is different from a man, a man can dy his marriage for a few years, and can seek a career first before starting a family. But this girl in our family can¡¯t afford to drag her time, if it doesn¡¯t work, it¡¯s just picking sesame seeds and losing watermelon*¡
(TN*-pay attention to the secondary ones, but ignore the main ones)
Qin Jiu was just about to get married, where in fact a girl as big as her in the capital should have settled long ago.
In the end, what happened today was Qin Jiu¡¯s fault in the first ce. If Qin Jiu hade to Ronghe Hall, it wouldn¡¯t havee to this.
But even so, the words said by the Cheng mother and son were still very unpleasant¡.
Madam Cheng could see Matriarch Qin¡¯s hesitation and her chin was raised even higher.
In her opinion, Matriarch Qin¡¯s hesitation was justified, after all, after missing her own son, where would their Qin family find a son-inw more outstanding than her own son?
Madam Su was still patient and continued to persuade Matriarch Qin. She felt that as long as she made more effort, the marriage would be sessful.
Just think, this Qin Jiu was so unruly, had no upbringing, the eldest house has no father or mother, she was the eldest daughter of a widow, even if the Empress protects her, so what? What better family in the capital would want to marry a girl with no education!
Matriarch Qin twirled the Buddhist beads in her hand more and more slowly, with some difficulty.
Seeing that Matriarch Qin was hesitant to respond, Schr Cheng felt as if he had been pped again, ashamed and annoyed, he coldly said to Madam Cheng.
¡°Mother, why do we have to be so humiliated here!¡±
With his talent, he would certainly be able to pass the imperial examination, not to mention be the top scorer, and even if being in the top three was not a problem, by then many honorable ministers would be willing to marry their daughter to him. Why should she stoop to marry a rude girl who doesn¡¯t see big people.
As soon as he spoke, the curtain was raised from outside and a small maid came in panting, straight to Matriarch Qin and said, ¡°Matriarch Qin, a decree has arrived!¡±
***
Chapter 224: Imperial Decree
Chapter 224
Matriarch Qin and Madam Su were both startled, and the mother-inw and daughter-inw subconsciously looked at each other.
Apart from the imperial decree that the emperor gave to the second prince and Qin Xin to marry, the Marquis of Zhongyi had never been grace to receive an imperial decree for several years now.
The little maid caught her breath and continued, ¡°Eunuch Zhou said that the imperial decree is for the third young miss!¡±
Matriarch Qin and Madam Su looked at each other again, confused, and with the same question in their hearts: what kind of imperial decree would Qin Jiu have?
In any case, since the imperial edict came, the Qin family could only receive it. Madam Su immediately sent someone to set up an incense table and send a message to Qin Zhun and Qin Zening who were on duty.
The entire marquis family was startled by this sudden decree. Matriarch Qin and Madam Su pressed their personal feelings, and the rest of the Qin family gathered from all the courtyards to the gate with hurried steps.
Originally, the marquis manor should have been led by the marquis Qin Jun, but because the decree was for Qin Jiu, Qin Jiu knelt at the front, with others clustered behind her ording to their status, kneeling one after another on the cold, hard green stone tile floor.
Zhou Xin received five-color silk linen with a woven cloud crane pattern, it was the imperial decree, by an attendant apanying him. Smiling kindly at Qin Jiu as if to say that she doesn¡¯t need to worry as it was good news.
Then, he unhurriedly unfolded the imperial edict and began to read it in a long tone.
¡°To follow the will of god, the imperial edict mandates: I hereby hear that Qin Jiu, the niece of the Marquis Qin Zhun, is of outstanding, gentle, and kind¡¡±
Zhou Xin¡¯s shrill voice echoed calmly within the courtyard.
The emperor first praised Qin Jiu in his decree, with manyplimentary words, before turning his attention to Gu Zezhi, the third son of Duan Wang Ye.
Hearing this, most of the Qin family knew what the imperial decree was. This imperial decree was simr to the imperial decree that the emperor had given to the second prince and Qin Xin before.
Sure enough, the next sentence of the imperial edict mentioned that Gu Zezhi was ¡°at the right time to marry¡± and said that Qin Jiu and Gu Zezhi could be said to be made in heaven.
All presents were dumbfounded, and no longer know how to react. They listen to Zhou Xin quickly read thest paragraph.
¡°¡.I will herby betroth Qin Jiu to Duan Wang Ye¡¯s third son and be hiswful wife. The emperores here to issue the edict in person!¡±
After thest word fell, there was no sound and only silence around.
¡°¡¡¡±
¡°¡.¡±
¡°¡¡±
The kneeling crowd was so shocked that they didn¡¯t raise their heads back for a moment.
Even Qin Jiu herself was so shocked that her jaw almost dropped.
The emperor gave her and the golden thigh a marriage?!
Did she hear him right?!
Qin Jiu has been dumbfounded and made her already pair of round almond eyes zed rounder.
Seeing that Qin Jiu did not respond for a long time, Zhou Xin cleared his throat and reminded Qin Jiu to ept the decree.
It was only then that Qin Jiu came back to her senses and epted the decree with her hands held high, saying dryly.
¡°This daughter of an official thanks Your Majesty for your kindness.¡±
After Qin Jiu received the decree, Du Ruo hurriedly helped her mistress up, after all, in this cold weather, a girl¡¯s knees could easily get frostbite and it won¡¯t be good.
The others in the back of the Qin family were still foolishly kneeling, with an illusory feeling of being in a dream when suddenly, a cold gust of wind came and hit their faces, blowing a piece of leaf that just hit Madam Su¡¯s face.
Madam Su felt her face shed cut by the cold wind and hurt like a knife as she blurted out.
¡°Impossible!¡±
How can the emperor give marriage to Qin Jiu!!!
Qin Jiu getting married to Schr Cheng was already high enough. How could she marry into Duan Wang Fu¡¯s manor!!
The same could be said to what was Qin Xin¡¯s feeling right now, her face paled as she stared at Qin Jiu¡¯s face who was in front of her, while almost wanting to pinch her thigh.
How could Qin Jiu be given marriage to Gu Zezhi!
Madam Su only felt an inexplicable fire in her heart drifting upwards, and when her brain was hot, she blurted out.
¡°Is there a mistake?¡±
¡°Xin¡¯er has already been given to the second prince, and Jiu¡¯er is the younger sister, so how can she be given the marriage to the third prince of Duan!! There is no such thing as a family of sisters given marriage to an uncle and nephew!!!¡±
Zhou Xin looked at Madam Su with a smirk, and her thin voice carried undisguised mockery.
¡°Madam Su, the second young miss is just a concubine, how can she bepared to the third young miss!¡±
What he meant was that Qin Xin was only the second prince¡¯s concubine, the kind who couldn¡¯t even get a jade, so how could she be qualified to discuss any seniority with Qin Jiu!
Qin Xin¡¯s face became even more ugly as if she had been severely pped.
Madam Su: ¡°¡¡±
Qin Zhun next to her red at Madam Su, thinking that she still has the audacity to talk.
The marriage decree has been issued, and no matter how unwilling the family was, they should happily ept the decree. So how could Madam Su unashamedly just drag Qin Xin out?
***
Chapter 225
Chapter 225
At this moment, Qin Zhun slightly recovered from the shock.
He remembered that Duan Wang Ye and Duan Wang Fei had just entered the capital today and immediately entered the pce, and then the decree to give the marriage came down only a few hourster, could it be that the husband and wife came from the fiefdom, especially for this marriage? Wasn¡¯t this too much of importance?
¡°Congrattions to the third young miss.¡± Zhou Xin smiled and congratted Qin Jiu.
Qin Jiu, who was still a little confused, held the imperial edict in both hands and slowed down several times before replying.
¡°Thank you, er, your wee?¡±*
(*-the same character but has two meanings, first is thank you for the congrattion and the other one is returning the thank you, like the same to you or your wee)
Eh, something seems wrong!
Zhou Xin smiled kindlier, thinking that the third young miss must be happy!
Du Ruo held her mistress right arm and said to Zhou Xin with a smile.
¡°Eunuch Zhou, don¡¯t you know that the emperor¡¯s edict to give marriage came at a very timely time? Otherwise, Madam Qin will decide for my mistress.¡±
Du Ruo who came out of Fengluan pce was also very familiar with Zhou Xin and said this as if joking, but Zhou Xin and those who were used to schemes and plots could understand the underlying meaning behind those words.
Zhou Xin waved his silver-white duster, gave Matriarch Qin an oblique nce, and said in a sinister manner.
¡°To whom is Matriarch Qin trying to fix the third young miss?¡±
Matriarch Qin looked a little embarrassed, thinking of the Cheng family mother and son who were more or less not on equal standing as them.
Du Ruo tenderly smiled as she brightly answered the question.
¡°A family name with an unrestrained character, Cheng. I heard that they were invited by madam Su today but unfortunately, this ve has never seen them before. However, since madam¡¯s remarks are full of over-the-top praises that the stars of literary music wille down to earth, saying he will be a minister in the future, presumably he is a giant among men.¡±
Qin Zening¡¯s expression changed in an instant right after hearing Du Ruo, and his gaze immediatelynded on Madam Su, exuding a sharp and dangerous aura.
He was originally on duty today, but he hurried back because their family was about to receive an imperial edict, only did he know that something like this has actually happened upon hearing Du Ruo!
It was obvious that his younger sister had already rejected this marriagest time but Madam Su still made trouble.
¡°Second Aunt, what¡¯s going on here?¡± Qin Zening did not hide the displeasure in his heart and directly questioned Madam Su.
¡°My sister¡¯s marriage, howe I, as the elder brother, don¡¯t know about it?¡±
Madam Su was already unhappy, and now that she was being questioned by Qin Zening in front of Zhou Xin, she couldn¡¯t help herself but said in a shrill voice.
¡°Ning¡¯er, how can you speak to your elders like this, also aren¡¯t you too busy¡.¡±
¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± Qin Zhun interrupted Madam Su, his eyes showing displeasure.
This Madam Su really was really being shameless, that she doesn¡¯t even care if Zhou Xin was still here. She just yells like this. If these actions reach the emperor¡¯s ears, what would the emperor think?!
Moreover, what was actually going on, he hadn¡¯t heard anything of this!
Madam Su¡¯s eyes dodged and looked away. She didn¡¯t tell Qin Zhun about Schr Cheng because she knew that Qin Zhun had been instructed by the second prince and wanted Qin Jiu to marry Ye Luan.
The problem was, if the marriage was settled, Qin Jiu would at least get the title of a wang fei or a princess. Although it could only be a name-only title, Madam Su was still not happy!
She had to step on Qin Jiu at the bottom, had to see Qin Jiu live a miserable life, in order to eliminate the fire in her heart.
Qin Zhun took a look at Madam Su¡¯s appearance, and more or less understand something, he said to himself: one thing is left for you to do, and not only do you fail to do it well, but it gets worse and worse!
There was a saying that one should not expose one¡¯s family¡¯s dirty linen. In the face of Zhou Xin, Qin Zhun could only smile and say.
¡°Eunuch Zhou, I¡¯m afraid this is a misunderstanding. My mother didn¡¯t know that the emperor was going to give Jiu¡¯er a marriage. She thought it was a good idea and wanted to see it first. Now that the emperor has given her a marriage, the Qin family certainly dare not vite the imperial edict.¡±
Qin Zhun mes Matriarch Qin for everything about Schr Cheng since Matriarch Qin was Qin Jiu¡¯s real grandmother, and it was reasonable to arrange a marriage for her. Even the emperor could not say that Matriarch Qin was at fault.
Matriarch Qin almost wanted to hit her son¡¯s face on the spot but could only press her lips tightly as her face sank.
Madam Su echoed and said, ¡°that Schr Cheng is the top scorer, who took thest provincial local examination. He is a young talent, with real ability, and is elegant. Matriarch Qin also thinks that this man is really good, so she wants to introduce Jiu¡¯er.¡±
Now, she could only say this, at least not to make the emperor feel that they were treating Qin Jiu badly.
Madam Su extremely loathed Du Ruo, the master and ve were both the same, if not for Du Ruo blubbering too much, how would Zhou Xin ask about Schr Cheng!
Zhou Xin smiled very kindly. ¡°In that case, I¡¯d like to meet the schr.¡±
Qin Zhun reluctantly smiled: ¡°Eunuch Zhou, you are a very busy man, a mere schr cannot enter the eyes of the eunuch.¡±
Qin Zhun knew that his wife, Madam Su must have told Qin Jiu that this Schr Cheng was a perfect match for her!
He covered it with his sleeve, took a red envelope, and put it in Zhou Xin¡¯s hand only to be blocked back by the other side lightly.
¡°Marquis, this servant still wants to meet this man.¡± Zhou Xin was smiling on his face, but his tone carries an unquestionable strength.
Zhou Xin was a grand eunuch beside the emperor, and it was not Qin Zhun, a loyal and righteous Marquis who had long been marginalized in the court, who could offend him.
Seeing this, Qin Zhun could only take back the red envelope in embarrassment and order.
¡°Go and call Schr Cheng.¡±
Zhou Xin added: ¡°Since Schr Cheng¡¯s own mother is also present, let¡¯s call her along with him.¡±
Qin Zhun: ¡°¡¡±
The momo looked at Qin Zhun and hurriedly went to the mother and son.
Not long after, Schr and his mother were brought over by the momo.
Madam Cheng¡¯s face was full of displeasure, while walking, she rambled.
¡°This marquis really are unruly, leaving us there for so long, and no one even came to ask how we are. In my opinion, it¡¯s better not to marry a girl from this marquis.¡±
¡°Mother is right.¡± Schr Cheng¡¯s tilted his chin up with a lofty look on his face, even looking at the people as if he was looking from the corner of his eyes.
Qin Zening looked at the shameless mother and son, fuming.
How dare they say this to his sister!
¡°¡¡¡± Qin Zhun was also a bit embarrassed.
Schr Cheng was a schr after all. Looking at Zhou Xin¡¯s appearance and dress, he knows that this was the eunuch sent by the emperor to pass a decree, and looking at the person¡¯s uniform, he also identified him as a fourth-rank inner servant.
Although this eunuch is castrated, he is still able to speak before the king.
It seems that this marriage is good.
s, he was a talented schr but unfortunately, he has not met someone with good judgment.
The third young miss Qin was someone without culture but seeing that the marquis and the eunuch who serves the emperor¡¯s side were able to talk like this, she was a good choice to be his wife. If the marquis could help him say good words to the higher-ups, then it would be beneficial to him even if he was a little wrong, he would just endure it.
He just hoped that the third young miss was at least beautiful, and no matter how bad she was she must be virtuous.
Schr Cheng thought while darting a quick nce towards the surrounding marquisdies but didn¡¯t dare to look more.
¡°Eunuch.¡± Schr Cheng haughtily arched his hand to Zhou Xin, as a salute.
Madam Su said hurriedly: ¡°Eunuch Zhou, this is Schr Cheng, the schr, he is always immersed in reading. He is somewhat inarticte¡¡±
Her smile was forced, her tone stiff, and she was on the verge of sounding like everything she said was making it up when she was always so articte.
Qin Zhun was unable to maintain the smile on his face, if not for Zhou Xin who was still here, he really wants to p Madam Su down.
Zhou Xin listened with a smile and said smilingly, ¡°it looks pretty good.¡±
Both Qin Zhun and Madam Su breathed a sigh of relief.
The next moment, Zhou Xin turned around and said again.
¡°I heard that the madam has a daughter that is yet to be married, since the emperor has given marriage to the third young miss, and schr Cheng is born ¡®outstanding¡¯ then this good marriage should be given to you, give to the madam¡¯s biological daughter, so as to not waste it.¡±
***
Chapter 226: Big Brother!
Chapter 226- Big Brother!
As soon as Zhou Xin¡¯s words were said, Madam Su was stupefied as if she was stuck by lightning.
With a smile on his face, Zhou Xin continued to say to Madam Su.
¡°After we return to the pce, I will talk to the emperor. The emperor is kind and will not let madam¡¯s efforts be wasted.¡± With a very considerate look, he said.
Madam Su¡¯s face turned as white as paper, and her voice trembled uncontrobly as she hurriedly said.
¡°Eunuch Zhou, you misunderstood¡¡±
But Zhou Xin paid no more attention to her. After saying goodbye to Qin Jiu and her brothers he took the pce servants who came with him back to the pce.
Madam Su¡¯s brain buzzed and the whole person was stunned.
Madam Cheng quietly pulled her son and lowered her voice.
¡°Shiang, did that eunuch just say that he was marrying Madam Su¡¯s own daughter to you?¡±
Cheng Shiang nodded indifferently.
That¡¯s good!
Madam Cheng¡¯s eyes lit up, the marquis¡¯s first daughter was definitely better than the wild girl who was originally intended for her son, and the future dowry from the marquis would definitely be more!
Schr Cheng also felt good, the bottom of his eyes shing with a strange gleam. Speaking of which, the niece and the daughter were always separated by ayer, being a son-inw of the Marquis would definitely get him more help than the niece-inw.
¡°Inws,¡± said Madam Cheng warmly to Madam Su¡¯s family.
¡°Who is your daughter?¡±
Only did Madam Sue back to her senses and without thinking about it, she objected.
¡°No, I don¡¯t agree!¡±
Her voice was shrill and high, with a kind of hysterical.
Matriarch Qin frowned, a little confused.
It was a good thing that Qin Jiu got married, and it was to the third son of Duan Wang Ye, who has a distinguished status. Hearing, that he has a brilliant performance this winter hunting she thinks he was an outstanding person. This was indeed a good marriage.
Matriarch Qin was originally worried that Qin Jiu had a stubborn temperament since she grew up as amoner. And because of this, in the future, her marriage would be very difficult, and she¡¯s afraid that those noble households would not want to marry her.
Fortunately, Qin Jiu has an empress aunt, who has given her such a good marriage, if she had known, she wouldn¡¯t have had to get involved.
Thinking about it, Matriarch Qin nced at Cheng Shiang.
Just now, Eunuch Zhou said the same thing. The Cheng family was carefully selected by Madam Su. Although she felt that the Cheng family was too proud and lofty, Madam Su always assured her that the Cheng family was good. Then it must be true, if this was the case it would be a pity to miss them.
Ai.
Although Sheng¡¯er was the daughter of the marquis, Xin¡¯er who was her elder sister was a concubine of the second prince, so Sheng¡¯er marriage should not high or low which was not easier than Jiu¡¯er.
In that case, it was good that the marriage of Sheng¡¯er was settled early.
Maybe it¡¯s God¡¯s will that this marriage would go to Sheng¡¯er!
¡°Second daughter-inw,¡± Matriarch Qin said thoughtfully, persuading her.
¡°What eunuch Zhou said is true, since that is the case, let¡¯s settle the matter.¡±
¡°No! Absolutely not!¡± Madam Su shrilled in horror.
Matriarch Qin asked with a puzzled look on her face, ¡°Why, didn¡¯t you just say that the Cheng family was good too?¡±
Just now, Madam Su was still obviously praising Schr Cheng, saying that he was talented and would be able to go to the imperial school deluge of heavenly flowers.
Madam Su moved her lips and said with difficulty.
¡°Mother, Sheng¡¯er is the legitimate daughter of the Marquis house!¡± Madam Su¡¯s mind was a mess, and she could not think of a solution for a while.
Matriarch Qin frowned again and said in embarrassment, ¡°but eunuch Zhou said that just now.¡±
Madam Su: ¡°¡¡±
This eunuch! It is too meddlesome!!
¡°Hahaha.¡±
Qin Zeningughed without scruples, folded his arms across his chest, and said leisurely.
¡°Second Aunt, thank you so much for taking the trouble to arrange a marriage for my sister but my sister is not capable of kindly epting this marriage. It¡¯s also good to give it to the fourth young miss. This nephew believes second aunt two¡¯s eyes must be good.¡±
Although Qin Zening¡¯s understanding of Gu Zezhi was limited to his excellent consecutive arrow shots, but he could also tell from his instinct that Gu Zezhi was certainly much better than the poor son dug out by his second aunt from which corner that he has no idea about.
At least the Empress¡¯s aunt must be satisfied with Gu Zezhi, so she asked the emperor to point out the person to her sister.
Qin Zening felt as if he had opened up the second vein of Ren and Du and felt extremely happy.
¡°That being the case, us brothers and sister will not disturb the second uncle and second aunt about second young miss marriage ns.¡±
He casually cupped his hands and then called his brother and sister.
¡°Ayu, Xiao Jiu, let¡¯s go.¡±
Hearing this, Qin Zeyu regained his bright eyes. Watching the excitement, he asked enthusiastically.
¡°Elder brother, is big brother Gu really my brother-inw now?¡±
Qin Zening felt that his younger brother was a little short-sighted as the corner of his mouth twitched and said: ¡°¡ Yes.¡±
Qin Zeyu was so happy that he almost couldn¡¯t stop cheering and said heartlessly.
¡°If sister hits me again next time, I¡¯ll find brother Gu!¡±
Third sister was so violent but there is still someone who wants her!
Qin Zeyu silently held tears of sympathy for Gu Zezhi in his heart. He hoped that his third sister would keep up her efforts, coax third prince Gu, and not scare people away¡ he also hoped that third prince Gu¡¯s eyes would continue to be blind!
Qin Zeyu went to see his sister and talk to her only to find Qin Jiu wandering aimlessly and ignoring him from beginning to finish.
He raised his hand and shook it in front of her. He casually said, ¡°elder brother, third sister did not go dumb, is she?¡±
Foolishly happy?
Qin Jiu came back to her senses and slowly nced at Qin Zeyu, which scared Qin Zeyu and almost jumped up.
¡±Elder sister, elder sister, what you have in your hand is an imperial edict. You can¡¯t use it to hit people! ¡± Qin Zeyu stammered.
Qin Jiu: ¡°¡¡¡±
This naughty child has ruined all the atmosphere, now, Qin Jiu finally recovered from her shock from this sudden marriage.
She looked at the imperial edict with the multicoloredrk pattern on her hand. This was the imperial edict. Shouldn¡¯t she throw it away?
So this marriage couldn¡¯t be changed?
***
Chapter 227: Big Brother!
Chapter 227
Qin Zening was afraid that the naughty child would offend his sister again, so he hurriedly said.
¡°Xiao Jiu, let¡¯s first enshrine the imperial edict to the ancestral hall, and in a few days we will go to Huangjue Temple to visit our parents and assure their spirit in heaven.¡±
Qin Jiu: ¡°¡..okay.¡±
As the three siblings spoke, they walked away, only to hear a shrill cry suddenly ring out from the rear.
¡°I won¡¯t marry!¡±
Qin Zening looked back, gave a sneer, before he continued walking with his brother and sister.
Qin Sheng¡¯s expression was so ugly that she looked like she was going crazy, and her voice getting sharper and sharper.
¡°I won¡¯t marry, I definitely won¡¯t marry!¡±
It should be okay if she didn¡¯t talk, but as soon as she made a sound, they immediately know it was Qin Sheng, and her shouts just made everyone in the hall look at her.
Qin Sheng wore a rose-colored lotus flower pattern today, whichplimented her small white melon shape face that was as delicate as jade, with bright eyes, white teeth, plump flesh, and a beautiful body, like a fully grown lotus.
Looking at her up and down, Schr Cheng nodded slightly in satisfaction.
This fourth young miss Qin was now his fianc¨¦e, although she was younger and her stature was not fully grown, she looked so good and pure, charming and could bepared to a peony in Tian Xian Lou. The two maids next to the fourth young miss Qin were also good-looking, no, extremely beautiful.
He heard that the personal maids of the girls in this big family were all used as bed warmers!
With this thought alone, made Schr Cheng¡¯s stomach hot, and smile as he looked at Qin Sheng, consciously exhibiting his distinguished, aplished and elegant self.
Qin Sheng on the other hand only felt that the other party¡¯s eyes were prating her body as if waiting for a good offer, and this made her annoyed, not to mention disgusted and angry.
When Madam Su chose this ¡°marriage¡± for Qin Jiu, she did not really care where his eyesnded before. In fact, Madam Su had another person in mind for Qin Jiu¡¯s partner, but Qin Sheng felt that this Schr Cheng was better.
Qin Jiu was only worthy of a person like Schr Cheng, they were a perfect match!
Qin Sheng clenched the handkerchief in her hand tightly as dark tides surge in her eyes brightly and secretly flickering.
It was because of Qin Jiu¡¯s return that Qin Xing was demoted as the second prince¡¯s concubine, and since Qin Xin was now recorded under Madam Su¡¯s name which means that her first sister was a lowly concubine, then, what about her marriage?!
Since she was having a hard time, she also wants to make Qin Jiu have a hard time!
So why, why does the person who would marry Schr Cheng was her instead?
Qin Sheng said firmly again, ¡°I won¡¯t marry!!¡±
Matriarch Qin earnestly persuaded.
¡°Sheng¡¯er, stop being willful. Schr Cheng was selected carefully by your mother, not to mention he is outstanding and talented, surely he won¡¯t wrong you.¡±
Qin Sheng: ¡°¡¡±
Qin Sheng didn¡¯t care anymore, if she stays silent at this time, then it would look like she would acquiesce to this marriage!
She couldn¡¯t hide her disgust anymore as she raised her finger to Schr Cheng and said.
¡°Grandma, this is a greedy, lustful, arrogant, and self-righteous scum! And you want me to marry him?! Are you really my own grandmother?¡±
¡± Sheng¡¯er.¡± Matriarch Qin appeased.
¡°Your mother assured and check carefully so there should be no mistake with it. Don¡¯t throw a fit.¡±
Hearing Matriarch Qin only made Qin Sheng angry and anxious, but she couldn¡¯t say the truth.
Her face turned blue, and stamped her foot, feeling aggrieved after being unable to exin to her grandmother.
¡°Mom!¡± Qin Sheng¡¯s eyes were filled with tears as she looked at Madam Su pitifully, and this made Madam Su¡¯s heart ache.
¡°Marquis.¡± Madam Su calmed down and said.
¡°Let¡¯s marry off the fifth young miss instead.¡±
Qin Wan, the fifth young miss of the Marquis House. She was Qin Zhun¡¯s daughter with his concubine, so technically she was also regarded as Madam Su¡¯s daughter.
¡°Marquis, when Sheng¡¯er was a child, you also held her many times in your arms.¡±
Madam Su¡¯s eyes were red as she containsyers of tears.
Of course, Qin Zhun was reluctant to marry off Qin Sheng, after all, she was his first daughter, and love her like a treasure so how could she allow such an arrogant, shameless, and untalented man for his daughter.
However, Zhou Xin had already said so. He would also tell the emperor when he returns to the pce.
If he, the marquis quietly changed the person, wouldn¡¯t that be tantamount to deceiving the emperor?!
As if reading what was on his mind Madam Su hastily said.
¡°This wife can put the fifth young miss under my name¡.¡±
Anyway, Zhou Xin did not explicitly say which daughter would marry Schr Cheng!
¡°You¡¯re intolerably bullying us!¡±
Schr Cheng was angry, blue veins were protruding on his forehead, and couldn¡¯t help but utter.
Just now, Qin Sheng pointed directly at him which made him angry, and now seeing that Qin Zhun and Madam Su were judging and picking tantly in front of him, it was as if pping him in the face again and again.
Schr Cheng was about to leave and ns to go back and wait for the Marquis family toe and beg him, but just after taking a step. Madam Cheng stealthily pulls his sleeve, and then sternly scolds Madam Su.
¡°Inw, are you regretting this marriage?¡±
Madam Su smiled reluctantly and lowered her posture as she said.
¡°Madam Cheng, look our fifth young miss is also very good. If you want, our marquis¡¯s family can marry you this number.¡±
Madam Su struggled topare the numbers with her fingers.
She doesn¡¯t care about the dowry as long as she could keep her daughter.
As long as the Cheng family stays quiet and wouldn¡¯t cause trouble, it would be impossible for the emperor to know which daughter from their family was marrying. When she puts Qin Wan under her, Qin Wan could also be considered her legitimate daughter.
Sure enough, Madam Cheng¡¯s eyes lit up, and said.
¡°Inw, then let¡¯s talk about it¡.¡±
Matriarch Qin always felt that this was not appropriate and called out.
¡°Second daughter-inw ¡¡¡±
¡°Mother, you should leave this matter alone.¡±
Madam Su was annoyed and doesn¡¯t have the leisure to deal with her mother-inw. She wanted to resolve this quickly, it was best to marry someone in the sedan chair tomorrow.
Matriarch Qin hesitated for a moment and finally sighed.
¡°Then forget it, Ning momo help me go back.¡±
Qin Sheng looked at Madam Su expectantly, while Qin Wan, the fifth young miss, paled and was trembling. But even so, she dared not disobey the first mother.
Qin Zhun also felt that this shouldn¡¯t be done this way.
He has be more and more marginalized in the court. If he offends the emperor again, even if his title would not be remove from him, the emperor could still dismiss him from his post if he gets angry. If this happens, it was not worth the loss, they still have to n¡
***
Chapter 228: Big Brother!
Chapter 228
As soon as he turned his head, he saw Madam Su had already brought Madam Cheng into the main hall to sit down and were talking about the dowry while bargaining.
Qin Zhun: ¡°¡.¡±
Well, in any case, they should settle down the other party.
Though he may think like this, but Qin Zhun was confused and nervous, pacing back and forth in the same ce, and after an unknown amount of time an old gatekeeper excitedly rushes over and said.
¡°Marquis, madam, another eunuch from the pce is here.¡±
Qin Zhun¡¯s heart jumped, and quickly let the chief steward usher the eunuch in.
The one who came was a young servant in a ck robe, who cupped his hands with a smile on his face and said his congrattions.
¡°Congrattions, Marquis. The emperor instructed this servant to give an order and congratte the fourth young miss, Qin Sheng on her marriage to Schr Cheng from the Pinghua County and ask to choose a day for their union.¡±
Madam Su, who wasing out of the main hall, just heard the words and fell to one side.
¡°Madam!¡±
A group of servants cried out in panic and everything was a mess.
So, when Qin Jiu went into the pce to thank the empress early the next morning, she took this farce as an interesting story and told Empress Wei.
¡°Fortunately, the maids next to her reacted quickly and held the second aunt in time, so she didn¡¯t fall down and hit her head.¡±
¡°Fourth younger sister made a scene again, saying that she would not marry and that doesn¡¯t care whoever forced her to marry, she will die instead!¡±
¡°She also had the Cheng mother and son thrown out ¡¡¡±
Qin Jiu happily narrated what happened as Empress Wei also listened joyfully.
Qin Zhun thinks he was a smart man, but he was in fact too stupid. How could he evenpare to his younger sister¡¯s husband.
If her sister and brother-inw had not died early, how could the loyal Marquis Mansion havee to this point?
After hearing the gossip, Empress Wei suddenly asked, ¡°Are you happy, Xiao Jiu?¡±
Qin Jiu blinked and looked at Empress Wei.
Empress Wei said with a look of relief.
¡°As the saying goes, it¡¯s easy to seek priceless treasures, but it¡¯s hard to find a good husband. As long as Zezhi treats you well, that¡¯s enough!¡±
Empress Wei¡¯s smile was gentle and loving.
Qin Jiu felt vaguely familiar with this scene. When she was in the hunting pce, one night after the pce banquet, she was called by her aunt, who asked her if Gu Zezhi was good to her.
What did she answer then?
Anyway, she seemed to say that the golden thigh was very good to her, and then her aunt just like today said with the same look on her face and current tone.
¡°As long as he is good to you!¡±
Qin Jiu carefully recalled the dialogue at that time, and then remembered that Empress Wei¡¯s first question was how she felt about Gu Zezhi, and her answer seemed to be: Young Master Gu is very good.
Qin Jiu: ¡°¡.¡±
Well, it seems it¡¯s toote for her to change her mind now?
Having said that, she and the hero as well as the heroine were already on the same boat anyway. If she wants to live a good life, it seems that she still has to hold her golden thigh tightly.
In that case, it seems that the marriage was also good.
Maybe she would be able to ¡°lie down and win¡±* in the future!
(*- winning by doing nothing at all)
Thinking of the bright future just by ¡°lying down and winning¡±, Qin Jiu pursed her lips and smiled, revealing a pair of shallow pears like dimples.
Looking at the girl¡¯s smiling face, Empress Wei waspletely relieved and said.
¡°Xiao Jiu, Duan Wang Ye, and Duan Wang Fei have entered the capital. After they have signed the marriage certificate, you should go to the Duan Wangfu to pay your respect.¡±
The signing of the marriage certificate means that the marriage waspletely settled, meaning Qin Jiu was already a member of Duan Wangfu, so it¡¯s also a courtesy to greet and pay respect to Duan Wang Ye and Duan Wang Fei.
Empress Wei told Qin Jiu about this because she had no father or mother. She was afraid that no one in the Qin family would remind her.
Qin Jiu responded obediently.
Empress Wei took Qin Jiu by the hand and continued to say to her.
¡°Duan Wang Fei, whose surname is Xiao, is the eldest daughter of the Xiao family in the south of the Yangtze River. The Xiao family has been a family of officials for generations and has been glorious for a hundred years.¡±
¡°Duan Wang Fei is very good-natured. She believes in Buddhism, often copies Buddhist scriptures, and likes all kinds of flowers and nts, tea ceremonies¡¡±
¡°Oh, also, Duan Wang Fei has liked bright colors since she was young and doesn¡¯t like in colors saying she is not someone who¡¯s in.¡±
The corners of Qin Jiu¡¯s lips curled up, listening attentively and nodding down from time to time.
Empress Wei talked for about a quarter of an hour before she picked up the teacup and took two sips. Feeling she had said enough, she smiled again and ask Qin Jiu to have more snacks.
¡°Xiao Jiu, the imperial kitchen has developed a new snack recently. Come and have a try.¡±
Qin Jiu kept in mind what Empress Wei had just said. She picked up a fried golden snack and asked.
¡°Maternal Aunt, have you heard from cousin?¡±
As soon as she talked about her young son Gu Zhen, Empress Wei was even happier. Her eyes narrowed withughter.
¡°Yesterday, I received a letter from him.¡±
Empress Wei asks You Bai to take the letter and share it with Qin Jiu.
¡°Xiao Jiu, you see, his letter says that he should arrive in the capital the day after tomorrow.¡±
¡°Zhen¡¯er, I¡¯m happy seeing him happy, he said that Zezhi took him to y ice games. They followed the fishermen to make holes in the ice and catch some fish. They said that the fish was very delicious¡¡±
***
Chapter 229
Chapter 229
As Gu Zhen said in this letter, on the second day of the twelfth lunar month, Gu Zezhi, Gu Zhen, Liu Shijing, and others returned to the capital with a thousand troops.
The emperor met them in the imperial study.
After only half a month¡¯s absence, the emperor felt that Gu Zhen seemed to have grown taller and thinner, but he was very energetic. The emperor felt a lot more relieved, and the smile on his face became a lot more evident.
¡°What about the situation in Linpu Town?¡± The emperor went straight to the point.
Liu Shijing was a knowledgeable person. He knows that it was not his turn to speak here, so he was silent.
Gu Zezhi took a look at Gu Zhen, and Gu Zhen maintained a posture of bowing and solemnly replied.
¡°Replying to imperial father, this son, great uncle, and Lord Liu visited the surrounding area of Linpu Town to help the people strengthen their houses, and also made some civilians move out of Linpu Town and temporarily move to ancestral halls and county government offices, and some rich rural gentry took the initiative to lend their homes to the Imperial Court for temporary use.¡±
¡°The snowstormsted for ten days. The rivers were frozen, and the snow was heavy. Lord Liu ordered the county magistrate to hire local civilians to sweep the snow and put soil on the official roads to prevent slipping. The people were able toe in and go and didn¡¯t suffer much damage by the snowstorm.¡±
¡°The emergency relief for the victims had been delivered to Linpu Town five days ago¡¡±
Gu Zhen grew up in the imperial pce and never went out. He didn¡¯t know what kind of houses these people lived in before but after visiting Linpu Town with Gu Zezhi and Liu Shijing this time, he knew that some people lived in such a poor life.
Those thatched houses looked precarious and could not withstand such disasters like snow and hail. Fortunately, they moved these people away ahead of time.
Although some of his words were still a little childish, they were well-organized and reasonable, and have made great progress.
The emperor looked at Gu Zhen as if he were a little adult. His son has always been good and smart, but since he was still young, he was a little yful. However right now, seeing his son, he has a new level of awe.
He was more intelligent than he thinks.
Gu Zhen was young, so his report was broad and limited. After he finished speaking, Liu Shijing added some detailed information about how some of the local crops had been frozen, and how the cattle, sheep, and poultry animals were uniformly ced by the government.
And specific households that were greatly impacted have been registered so that the government could personallye to them and implement the situation. Afterward, the relief would be differentiated ording to the disaster situation and requested for the local government to be exempt from taxes for one year.
The emperor was quite satisfied. This time, he was able to reduce the loss in Linpu Town to the lowest point which was considered an achievement.
After giving Liu Shijing amendation, he dismissed him. Then he said to Gu Zhen.
¡°My son, your mother misses you very much these days. Go see your mother first.¡±
It was the first time that Gu Zhen had left Empress Wei for so long. He also missed Empress Wei and responded happily.
After he saluted, he departed happily.
Only the emperor and Gu Zezhi were left in the imperial study.
The emperor smiled and said, ¡°Zezhi, your father and mother have already arrived in the capital. You can go back early if you have nothing to doter.¡±
Duan Wang Ye has a manor in the capital. It was given to him by the previous emperor when he came of age. In the beginning, Duan Wang Ye and Duan Wang Fei were also married in this manor in the capital.
When Gu Zezhi arrived in the capital in October, he lived in the Duan manor.
Gu Zezhi smiled and replied, ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±
The emperor looked at the Gu Zezhi who was a table away from him and the smile on his face was even thicker.
At his age, he could almost be Gu Zezhi¡¯s father, and looking at this little cousin, he inevitably has a kind of loving kindness towards the younger generation.
The emperor stroked the teacup in his hand and said.
¡°I have already decreed you to marry. Next, you should do a good job for me, and find a title before getting married. Don¡¯t let me down!¡±
The emperor seemed to exhort but also seemed to casually say.
Gu Zezhi gave a gentle ¡°Hmm¡±, and a soft smile rippled in his eyes. His eyebrows and eyes were gentle, reflecting the light of the room.
Long before the emperor set off from the Hunting Pce to return to the capital, he told Gu Zezhi that when Duan Wang Ye arrived in the capital, he would give him and Qin Jiu a marriage.
The emperor rarely ys as a matchmaker and this couple he recently match made him surprisingly in a good mood. He said.
¡°Zezhi, you did a good job on this errand.¡±
***
Chapter 230
Chapter 230
The emperor rarely ys as a matchmaker and this couple he recently match made him surprisingly in a good mood. He said.
¡°Zezhi, you did a good job on this errand.¡±
¡°Next, you should continue to be responsible for the peace talks with Beiyan.¡±
These Yan people have also been in the capital for a while, and the emperor was already tired looking at Yelu Luan* whenever he saw him, had been wanting to send them back to Beiyan as soon as possible.
(*-if not mistaken it was tranted as Ye Luan previously)
Gu Zezhi: ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±
After that, the emperor dismissed Gu Zezhi as well.
¡°You¡¯re tired from this tiring journey, go back early and rest.¡±
Gu Zezhi answered, but after leaving the pce, he did not rush back to his manor but went to the marquis¡¯s manor first.
As soon as the Qin family¡¯s gatekeeper heard Gu Zezhi¡¯s name, she knew that this was the future husband of the third young miss, so she hurriedly reported to Madam Su first.
¡°Madam, the future husband of the third young miss is here!¡±
The old woman who came to report the visitor was beaming with joy. Who would not know that the future husband of the third young miss was Duan Wang Ye¡¯s son and the emperor¡¯s cousin!
But her beaming face was in sharp contrast to Madam Su¡¯s gloomy face that was about to drip out of ink. Hearing the gatekeeper, she squeezed the teacup in her hand tightly, almost breaking it with her bare hands.
Madam Su¡¯s mood these days has not been good. She has been tossing and turning for several nights because of her daughter, Qin Sheng¡¯s marriage making her whole person quite haggard.
Qin Sheng was her only biological daughter. She originally nned to arrange a good marriage for her, so that she could hold an extravagant ceremony and make those people envy her daughter.
But because of Qin Jiu, now her Sheng¡¯er was going to marry that coarse Schr Cheng.
How can a wild girl like Qin Jiu get such good marriage!! Qin Jiu should marry Schr Cheng!
The more she thought about it, the more annoyed she became, she put the teacup in her hand heavily on the small square table.
The old woman who came to deliver the message was startled, her voice restrained, and her head dropped lower.
Madam Su stroked her sleeve as she said peculiarly to the old woman.
¡°Our marquis is a house with rules, especially when a visitor is a man. You go and tell Young Master Gu to go away.¡±
On the side, Zhao momo wanted to say something but stopped.
This marriage was bestowed by the imperial decree, and it was also this reason that this marriage was a sure thing. So why would the madam bother to do such things and harm herself?
She was afraid that if the marquis hears about this, the madam would only be med.
Madam Su on the other hand only wanted to vent the anger that had umted in her heart, and then she coldly instructed.
¡°Sizhu, tell the third young miss that as a person who is already betrothed, she should abide by the rules. A man and woman should distance themselves first before the marriage lest create a ridiculous scandal.¡±
Both the old woman and Sizhu replied obediently and withdrew lightly from the room. They then walked separate ways, one went back to the gate while the other one went to Wanxiang Courtyard.
Sizhu truthfully imitated Madam Su¡¯s tone and said it word for word, daring neither to add words nor omit them.
Qin Jiu blinked, reacted immediately, and stood up from her chair.
The meaning of this sentence, could it be that the golden thigh was back?!
Qin Jiu was about to go out at once, but Sizhu stopped her, frowning she said.
¡°Third young miss, where are you going? Didn¡¯t you hear what Madam said¡¡±
But before she could finish her sentence Du Ruo rudely pulled Sizhu aside to prevent her from blocking Qin Jiu¡¯s way.
¡°This is Wanxiang Courtyard, the third young miss can do whatever she wants if you¡¯re not convinced beg on your knees, if you still don¡¯t believe it then go out and go home. No one is stopping you!¡±
Sizhu¡¯s pretty face slightly stiffened. She was Madam Su¡¯s maidservant, this was the first time someone disrespected her in the marquis manor and even pointed at her nose as she was being reprimanded.
Du Ruo proudly said, ¡°Miss Sizhu, I¡¯m busy here, so I won¡¯t entertain you!¡±
With that, Du Ruo gave two ps, and two rough women came in, approached Sizhu, and stretch their hands and hold Sizhu.
As for Qin Jiu, she had long hurried out of Wanxiang Courtyard to the gate.
From a distance, she heard a woman saying.
¡°¡ Young master Gu, you¡¯d better go back. In this cold weather, the snow is freezing, if you get caught by the chilly wind or slip, you may hurt yourself¡¡±
¡°Big Brother!¡±
Qin Jiu raised her voice and looked at the youth outside the east corner door with a smile.
***
Chapter 231
Chapter 231
It snowed all nightst night, so today¡¯s sunshine shines brightly and sprinkles on the white snow around.
Gu Zezhi was dressed in a purple flower design with a woven silver straight robe inside and a ck cloak on the outside. His long and narrow phoenix eyes were as bright and clear as light reflected on the snow. When he saw Qin Jiu, they were three times brighter, looking more breathtaking.
He smiled and looked at Qin Jiu walking towards him with light steps. The cloak hood that was circled with white rabbit hair quivered along with her steps, making her face especially small.
Actually, he didn¡¯te to the marquis manor for anything, he just wanted to see her.
After all, he was not in the capital when the emperor ordered the decree, so he came to the Qin manor just after returning to the capital today to see her attitude towards the marriage.
At the moment, looking at Qin Jiu¡¯s lively appearance, Gu Zezhi¡¯s smile deepened: Hmm, this girl¡¯splexion is very good, not bad!
Qin Jiu walked up to Gu Zezhi in three steps or two. When she got closer, she found Gu Zezhi look worn out from traveling which made her heart strangely light.
¡°Brother, did you juste back?¡±
The gatekeeper shrank silently, in the marquis¡¯s manor who does not know that the third young miss was a bad master. She even dared to directly hit the fifth young master, and not even bothering to give the madam a face.
In short, she was the new devil in the marquis¡¯s manor! Whoever messes with her would be waiting to suffer!
¡°En, I just came back, and entered the pce just now.¡± Gu Zezhi nodded slightly.
The white horse behind him also gave a loud snort. Qin Jiu was very familiar with the white horse, so she couldn¡¯t help touching it. The white horse rubbed her affectionately, which made the loose cloak hood on her head fall back.
Gu Zezhi squinted at the white horse and was about to put back the hat for Qin Jiu, but his right hand paused mid-air before he pulled out a leaf stuck on her temple as he said with a smile.
¡°Did you just trim a Clivia?¡±
The stubbed leaf on his hand clearly has a cut that has been trimmed with scissors.
Qin Jiu nodded, her eyes were sparkling.
¡°I¡¯ve raised it well, my clivia is blooming now!¡±
Clivia usually blooms in spring and summer. If it was well raised, it could bloom all year round.
Qin Jiu had nothing to do in the marquis manor every day, besides reading books, practicing calligraphy, raising flowers, riding horse, and so on, to kill time.
¡°I also n to nt some plum trees in the yard behind my courtyard. The flowers and trees in the yard have all withered this season, so it looks a bit deserted and deste.¡±
Qin Jiu said cheerfully.
Gu Zezhi listened to her smiling with a radiant light shed under his eyes, and casually proposed.
¡°You can also nt some camellia.¡±
Qin Jiu¡¯s eyes were brighter, ¡°Camellia is good!¡±
Gu Zezhi: ¡°I will ask the gardener of the pce to send you some camellia at the beginning of spring.¡±
Qin Jiu didn¡¯t want to be polite to Gu Zezhi and nodded.
Rustle¡
A gust of cold wind blew around the trees, swaying slightly, blowing the snow off the branches, and snowkes fluttered down as if light snow had fallen again.
Gu Zezhi put on Qin Jiu¡¯s cloak hood again for her, just keeping the snowkes out of her head, in contrast to his head that has now snowkes which made him even made him look more worn-out.
¡°Big brother¡¡±
Qin Jiu wanted to ask Gu Zezhi to go back and rest early but before she could say anything, Gu Zezhi suddenly took off a white jade pendant with a ring-shaped bird pattern on his waist.
Gu Zezhi: ¡°Stretched out your hand.¡±
Qin Jiu then dutifully extended her right hand.
Gu Zezhi ced the white jade ring pendant in Qin Jiu¡¯s hand and said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ll go back first.¡±
At the same time, he grabbed the reins of the white horse and got on the horse.
Qin Jiu subconsciously gripped the ring pendant, which still carries a residual warmth.
Did hee here specially to give her a jade pendant?
Qin Jiu shouted, ¡°Big brother!¡±
The white horse had just turned around when the young man in purple looked back at her. Under the backlight, the sun cast a golden halo behind him, and the beautiful face was slightly blurred in the shadow.
Qin Jiu: ¡°Stretched out your hand.¡±
Gu Zezhi smiled and stretched out his hand in a kindly manner, his palm with a thin callus facing front.
Qin Jiu stepped two steps forward, gave him her hand stove, waved to him cheerfully, and then turned in the direction of the Marquis Residence.
Gu Zezhi: ¡°¡.¡±
He looked at her lithe back with a gentle and pleasant smile.
Gu Zezhi held the hand stove in one hand and held the reins in the other, and as soon as he patted the horse¡¯s belly, the white horse resounded a loud ¡°neigh¡±, and march back to the Duan Wang manor.
***
Chapter 232
Chapter 232
Duan Wang Fei heard the news of Gu Zezhi¡¯s return to the capital early in the morning. She also knew that he had just gone to the pce, so she waited for her son to return to their manor.
Looking at her son, whom she hadn¡¯t seen for months, Duan Wang Fei beamed with delight, so much that wrinkles appeared in the corner of her eyes as she called him out.
¡°Zezhi,e and sit down!¡±
Duan Wang Fei got this only son in her early thirties, so she has always loved her son unconditionally.
¡°Father, mother.¡±
Gu Zezhi respectfully bowed to Duan Wang Ye and Duan Wang Fei sitting on the kang shang* before sitting down.
(*kind of bed made of adobe or brick that has a hole at the bottom which can be heated by fire)
Duan Wang Fei saw that Gu Zezhi was holding an octagonal hand stove and smiled.
¡°You child, why are you still holding a hand stove!¡±
Her son was aware and so was Duan Wang Fei, he has practiced martial arts since he was a child, and he was good at controlling his internal heat so wearing a single clothe in this cold weather was nothing to him.
Gu Zezhi sat down and replied, ¡°This is from Young Miss Qin.¡±
Duan Wang Fei was stunned, her smile deepened, and her brows filled with love.
Sure enough, the emperor was right, her son likes the marriage, that¡¯s good!
Duan Wang Ye was also very happy to see Gu Zezhi. He said casually.
¡°Zezhi, is your errand at Linpu Town going well?¡±
Duan Wang Ye also heard about the snowstorm in the area of Linpu town and Nanyuan Hunting Pce so he only asked this question.
¡°Thank you for father¡¯s concern. Everything is going well.¡± Gu Zezhi replied with a smile, and his words were brief and concise.
Duan Wang Ye didn¡¯t intend to ask more questions, stroking his beard, he said.
¡°Zezhi, I heard that the emperor also put you in charge of the peace talks with Beiyan, this task is important, you must do well!¡±
¡°In the future, earning a title based on your ability will also be the glory of the Gu¡¯s younger generation.¡±
¡°Good men aspire to be broad-minded, don¡¯t limit yourself to one ce ¡¡¡±
Gu Zezhi just smiled and listened to Duan Wang Ye¡¯s teaching.
Duan Wang Fei¡¯s expression suddenly changed, and her smile disappeared.
¡°Duan Wang¡± on the surface was teaching his son but in fact, it clearly means something else, he was reminding Gu Zezhi not to covet the heir¡¯s title.
¡°What does the wang ye mean? Are you trying to say that Zezhi is going to snatch the title from your son?!¡±
Duan Wang Fei did not show mercy to Duan Wang Ye at all and demanded in a sharp voice.
Duan Wang Ye: ¡°!!!¡±
Duan Wang Ye frowned tightly, his face suddenly turned ugly, and said:
¡°What my son, he is also your son, wang fei, the heir is also your son, and he has always called you mother since childhood!¡±
Duan Wang Fei gave a cold grunt and just said that she doesn¡¯t deserve it.
The atmosphere inside the room condensed, the momos and servants next to them didn¡¯t even dare to take a breath seeing wang ye and wang fei were in each other¡¯s throats.
Duan Wang Ye: ¡°¡¡±
Duan Wang Ye felt a dull pain on his forehead.
On the 29th ofst month, the emperor gave Gu Zezhi the gift of marriage and told Duan Wang Ye to stay.
At that time, the emperor asked about the heir.
Although the emperor¡¯s verbal order was to let the heire to the capital with him, Duan Wang Ye thought that the trip was for Gu Zezhi¡¯s marriage, which had nothing to do with the heir. Moreover, the Heli tribe near the border was eager to attack the surrounding viges several times.
Since it wasn¡¯t ideal to leave the fief, he left the heir to preside over military affairs.
Later, the emperor asked him what had happened to the two men who had been caught in Qingyun Countyst time.
Thinking about it, Duan Wang Ye meaningfully nces at Gu Zezhi but there was no trace of worry.
The emperor was busy with government affairs, and he had no time to pay attention to such trivial matters. It must have been Zezhi who talked too much in front of the emperor, which caused the emperor to misunderstand the heir.
Ai!
Duan Wang Ye sighed secretly, but wang fei protects his shorings and always helps Zezhi. And because of this, Zezhi has been rotten spoiled by wang fei. And now it even reached the emperor, he was really acting like a willful child.
He only hopes that after Zezhi had his own family, his temperament could be calmer like the heir.
Duan Wang Ye didn¡¯t bother with what Duan Wang Fei was saying and just earnestly taught Gu Zezhi.
¡°Zezhi, you are also a person who wants to start a family. You should learn magnanimity, be open-minded, and learn more about life from your elder brother.¡±
¡°I have already asked about Qingyun County. Those two men were sent by the heir to protect you.¡±
¡°You areing to the capital all alone. The heir was worried and afraid that you would not like it, so he secretly sent someone to protect you.¡±
¡°You see, your elder brother is so kind to you. You should think about your elder brother¡¯s kindness. Don¡¯t be paranoid, the heir is your elder brother. An elder brother is like a father, how could he harm you?¡±
Duan Wang Ye chattered on and on.
After holding back and enduring his bber, Duan Wang Fei could not stand it any longer and stood up from the kang shang and interrupted Duan Wang Ye.
¡°That¡¯s enough.¡±
¡°Since wang ye does not treat Zezhi well, we, mother and son, will not be in wang ye¡¯s way.¡±
Duan Wang Fei looked even colder and said to Gu Zezhi, ¡°Zezhi, let¡¯s go!¡±
When words get sour, adding words was useless. Duan Wang Fei was toozy to talk nonsense with him again, so she just called Gu Zezhi and left the east room.
Duan Wang Ye¡¯s mouth opened and closed, wanting to call out Duan Wang Fei, but in the end, said nothing, only muttered in his heart: Only women and viins are difficult to raise!
Duan Wang Fei took Gu Zezhi away without any hesitation, and the mother and son went to the west room to sit down.
¡°Zezhi, you have lost weight!¡±
Duan Wang Fei looked at her son¡¯s worn-out appearance and was very distressed. She didn¡¯t mention Duan wang ye anymore. Anyway, Duan wang ye¡¯s partiality was not something that happened in a day or two. In the eyes of Duan Wang ye, his son was good at everything.
Gu Zezhi always held a smile on his lips and said along the way to his mother.
¡°Mother, then you have to make up for me.¡±
Seeing how he pointed at her, Duan Wang Fei was amused and the previous sullen mood caused by Duan wang ye had been swept away. She didn¡¯t want to think about those messy things anymore. Now the most important thing was her son¡¯s marriage. Everything else should stand aside.
¡°Zezhi,¡±
Duan Wang Fei looked at her son lovingly and asked, ¡°What kind of person is Third Young Miss Qin?¡±
***
Chapter 233
Chapter 233
Duan Wang Fei looked at her son lovingly and asked, ¡°What kind of person is Third Young Miss Qin?¡±
When Duan Wang Fei asked about Qin Jiu, she also wanted to hear what her son meant about the marriage. Although the emperor said that her son agreed, as a mother, she still wanted to hear it from her son herself to determine his true intentions.
The current Duan Wangfu was already a mess, she really does not want her son to marry a daughter-inw who was estranged from him that he couldn¡¯t even have a peaceful and harmonious life in his own courtyard¡
Gu Zezhi holds Duan Wang Fei¡¯s properly maintained right hand, looks at her straight in the eyes, and smiles.
¡°Mother, she is very good.¡±
That little girl is very interesting, and marriage with her certainly will not be boring, nor dull.
Facing his mother, Gu Zezhi had no secret, he was calm, and his face naturally showed joying from his heart.
Duan Wang Fei waspletely relieved until this moment, her body also rxed, the smile on her face intensified, and her heart pondered.
As soon as she thought of her son finally getting married, Duan Wang Fei feels relieved from worry and was even happier that the corners of her lips never stopped smiling.
She asked Gu Zezhi about Qin Jiu¡¯s life, and how her son met Qin Jiu, she also talks about how she had to pick a lucky day to ask the matchmaker toe and propose marriage
Although the imperial edict granted marriage, in order to show the importance of this marriage, Duan Wang Fei thinks that three books and six ceremonies were all necessary, and she must seriously go to the woman¡¯s house to propose marriage.
Whenever Duan Wang Fei asked anything, Gu Zezhi would answer and whatever the questions were he would answer them.
Duan Wang Fei felt this was a sign that her son was interested in the marriage. The more she asked, the more excited she became.
Later, she was excited thinking about which matchmaker she should contact saying that the wind and rain had brought this fated wedding, and so she must choose the yellow road and auspicious day. She then urged her son earnestly.
¡°Zezhi, if your father asked you to take a concubine before the wedding, you mustn¡¯t agree.¡±
¡°¡¡± Gu Zezhi raised his eyebrows.
The corners of Duan Wang Fei¡¯s mouth hooked into a mocking cold smile. She doesn¡¯t know what Duan Wang Ye was thinking but after the emperor has given Zezhi marriage he seems to have suddenly cared about Zezhi as he suddenly keeps on saying.
¡°Wang Fei, Zezhi will soon reach hising-of-age ceremony but still has no children, his wedding with third young miss Qin will have to wait for at least more than a year. I think he should take a concubine first, after all, we can¡¯t let our son down, right?
¡°Wang Fei, you¡¯re his mother but you¡¯re not interested in your son at all!¡±
Duan Wang Ye¡¯s words sounded like he really cares about his son, and this made Duan Wang Fei almostugh in ridicule right after she heard these words. Not giving him any face, Duan Wang Fei immediately turned her back against him.
Thinking of Duan Wang Ye¡¯s temperament, he mighte to tell her son about this himself so she mentioned this to her son in advance lest he would be fooled by Duan Wang Ye because of how thin-skinned he was.
Duan Wang Fei talked long-windedly.
¡°Zezhi, the little miss is so many years younger than you not to mention she will be married far away but since she is willing to marry you, you must treat her well.¡±
¡°She has suffered since she was a child. You should take pity on her more.¡±
¡°Your father wants you to have your first child with a concubine which will surely bore you into a troublesome situation in the future. And when that happens, you won¡¯t have time topete for the heir¡¯s position with his son. You must learn from him, don¡¯t make it difficult for your wife and make her unhappy.¡±
¡°You should know that only when the husband and wife are in harmony can they be at peace and enjoy everything.¡±
In front of her son, Duan Wang Fei devotedly speaks her mind out.
She only hopes that her son and daughter-inw could live their lives in harmony and beautifully in the future, and then she could hug her grandchild as soon as possible. That would be even better!
¡°Mother, don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t.¡±
Gu Zezhi smiled again, which softened his facial features and made him look more beautiful, like the bright moon and spring breeze.
There was only one Qin Jiu in this world.
He¡¯s not willing to let some boring person hang around him.
A cold stream of light shed quickly in Gu Zezhi¡¯s dark phoenix eyes and the corner of his lips still had that calm smile.
Relieved, Duan Wang Fei smiled and wanted to say something again when suddenly, herplexion changed slightly.
¡°Cough, cough, cough.¡± She covered her mouth with a handkerchief and coughed several times in session.
Gu Zezhi frowned slightly.
He hurriedly took the teacup from the maid, delivered it to Duan Wang Fei in person, and asked with concern.
¡°Mother, you have contracted a cold, have you asked the doctor to see it?¡±
¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Duan Wang Fei waved her hand, but her voice was slightly hoarse.
After drinking two cups of tea, she calmed down and said.
¡°After this year¡¯s winter, I suffered some cold and fell ill for a few days. Later, I got better, but I still coughed from time to time. This trip to the capital was tiring so it made me exhausted and coughed more frequently.¡±
Gu Zezhi: ¡°Mother, why don¡¯t we ask the imperial physician to take a look at you ¡¡¡±
¡°I already asked the imperial physician to look at me.¡±
Duan Wang Fei interrupted Gu Zezhi with a smile.
¡°The imperial physician said I was tired and prescribed some prescriptions to clear the lungs and nourish the body so that I can rest well.¡±
¡°I¡¯m just happy now that you¡¯re getting married. I am in good spirits about this happy asion so don¡¯t worry I will make sure to take medicine to keep my spirits up for your marriage.¡±
¡°Cough¡¡± With that, Duan Wang Fei coughed twice again, showing a trace of fatigue on her face.
Gu Zezhi patted Duan Wang Fei gently on her back and coaxed her in a soft voice.
¡°Mother, you don¡¯t feel well. You¡¯d better have a rest for a while.¡±
Duan Wang Fei hadn¡¯t seen her son for a long time and wanted to talk longer, but she had to get up obediently after meeting his worried eyes. Supported by one of her maids she went to the inner room to rest.
Gu Zezhi ordered, ¡°Wang momo, are there any prescriptions and pulse records prescribed by the imperial physician?¡±
¡°Yes, yes, yes.¡± Wang momo answered repeatedly, ¡°Third Young Master, this servant will go to fetch it now.¡±
Wang momo quickly brought the prescription and pulse table that the imperial physician had given to Duan Wang Fei. Gu Zezhi carefully looked at both.
As Duan Wang Fei said, this prescription was an ordinary one for clearing the lung and nourishing the body, and there was no problem with the pulse record.
Wang momo said in the aside.
¡°Third Young Master, this prescription was given by physician Huang from the Imperial Hospital yesterday after he had taken wang fei¡¯s pulse.¡±
Gu Zezhi ordered: ¡°Let mother take the prescription for three days. If it is useless, then change to another imperial physician.¡±
Sister Wang obeyed.
***
Chapter 234
Chapter 234
Gu Zezhi put this matter aside and went back to the outer courtyard. The boy guarding the second gate immediately weed him.
While walking, Gu Zezhi instructed the boy, ¡°Go and call Fang Ji.¡±
The boy answered and went away.
When Gu Zezhi returned to his courtyard, a thirty-something, in-looking man dressed in a green robe followed the boy.
¡°Third Master.¡± Fang Ji sped his fists and saluted to Gu Zezhi.
Gu Zezhi took a shallow sip of hot tea, put down the cup, and asked.
¡°Fang Ji, how is Luo¡¯an City?¡±
Fang Ji came from Luo¡¯an City with Duan Wang Ye and Duan Wang Fei this time and knows exactly what was happening in Luo¡¯an City.
He was well prepared and immediately replied in an orderly way.
¡°Third Master, when the emperor sent Hu Xiaoliu and Liu Weichang back to Luo¡¯an City from the capital, the wang ye was furious. Later, the heir knelt and swore again and again that he was worried about the third master, so he sent these two people to protect the third master secretly. Unexpectedly, this causes a big misunderstanding.¡±
¡°At that time, Concubine Feng interceded with the heir. Gently coaxing wang ye so he gradually calmed down and believed the heir¡¯s words.¡±
While talking, Fang Ji¡¯s expression showed a little disapproval. Even a fool knows that this was the heir¡¯s pretext, but the wang ye believed it!
Gu Zezhi did not express his opinion but drew a smile that was not a smile as he casually yed with the octagonal hand stove in his hand.
The hand stove was exquisitely made. On it was a cover carved with magpies circling plum blossoms, whichplements the plum, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum patterns painted on the stove body.
Fang Ji continued.
¡°Wang Fei got so angry and fell ill. She got a cold and was in bed for several days. At that time, the official residence doctor of the wangfu check on her and diagnose that the wang fei was furious so her body was affected. Finally, wang ye punished the heir with twenty blows.¡±
Gu Zezhi¡¯s fingers, which were originally rubbing the hand stove, stopped, and his eyes were slightly narrowed.
He obviously didn¡¯t say anything but there was chilling pressure in the air.
After a moment of silence, Gu Zezhi said, ¡°Is there anything else?¡±
Fang Ji swallowed his saliva and replied.
¡°The wang ye is conferring marriage for the eldest young master. At present, he has chosen the daughter of the governor of Qingzhou. However, because there are still three months to go before the end of his filial piety, he has only secretlymunicated with them.¡±
When Fang Ji said eldest young master, he was referring to Gu Haojun, the son of the eldest son of Duan Wang Ye, in short he was Duan Wang Ye¡¯s eldest grandson.
The governor mentioned was a dignified official of the imperial court, and Duan Wang Ye choosing the family with influential background for Gu Haojun shows how he valued his eldest grandson.
Over the years, Duan Wang Ye has been in a lot of dilemmas regarding Gu Zezhi¡¯s marriage. All the people in the manor knew about it. Fang Ji also secretly thinks that wang ye was being partial to his sons, fortunately, the emperor was wise and chose marriage for their third master.
The cold wind outside the window made the several pink plum trees in the courtyard sway in the wind, and the snow on the treetops fell down in session.
Gu Zezhi looked out of the window, and Qin Jiu¡¯s voice began to ring in his ears: ¡°I¡¯m going to nt some more plum blossoms in the yard behind the house¡¡±
That¡¯s right, he could also nt some camellia in the courtyard in spring.
Gu Zezhi¡¯s smile on his lips deepened three times more.
Fang Ji carefully observed Gu Zezhi¡¯s expression and said.
¡°The emperor ordered the Royal Guards to deliver a message in Luo¡¯an City, he asked wang ye to bring the heir to the capital, the heir originally agreed to it. But then, hundreds of people from the Heli tribe suddenly broke the border. The heir said it will not be good if there was no one to leave in the west if he goes, wang ye thought so too so he did not bring the heir.¡±
¡°And also¡.¡±
Fang Ji remembered another thing but stopped talking.
Gu Zezhi¡¯s eyes withdrawn from the window, and looked at Fang Ji sideways with his deep eyes like a boundless sea.
Fang Ji nced at him before he lowered his head, and continued.
¡°After the emperor gave you and young miss Qin the marriage. These two days, wang ye always said that the wang fei agreed too it quickly¡¡±
The cold wind in the courtyard became fiercer, blowing away Fang Ji¡¯s words, and several pink petals fluttered into the window with the wind.
Gu Zezhi waved his hand, dismissing Fang Ji, and then stood up holding the already cold hand stove.
The servant wondered why his master used a hand stove today, so he asked: ¡°Third Master, would you like me to add some charcoal to the stove¡¡±
Gu Zezhi entered the inner room as if he didn¡¯t hear the servant.
The boy scratched his face and felt that there was something wrong with his master today: aster never used a hand stove, furthermore the hand stove in master¡¯s hand didn¡¯t seem to match him at all. It was more like¡ more like a girl¡¯s hand stove!
Is it safe for me to say that this hand stove was given by the future madam?
With this deduction, the servant felt that this was the case.
Immediately afterwards, he was in dilemma again. Seeing how his master treasure the hand stove, he could be safe to say that his master was very interested in the third young miss Qin then if this was the case he must carefully keep the hand stove. That was all good, but should he also wipe the hand stove clean every day, or just leave it alone?
At this moment, the ¡°precious¡± hand stove has been ced on the bedside table by Gu Zezhi. He sat down beside the couch, stretching out his hands, he rubbed the hollow pattern of the stove with a happy expression.
Thinking that Madam Gu had chosen the auspicious day five dayster to invite the matchmaker to propose a marriage, Gu Zezhi was in a better mood and stopped looking at the magpies flying around the plum blossom on the stove cover.
A magpie climbing a branch was a good omen.
¡°Third Master,¡± the boy knocked at the door outside, ¡°Wang Ye called for you.¡±
Gu Zezhi puts down the cold-hand stove, gets up, and goes out.
Gu Zezhi went to Duan Wang Ye¡¯s outer study, after bowing his hand in greeting, Duan Wang Ye raised his hand and pointed to a circle chair next to him, gesturing for him to sit down, and said in a serious tone.
¡°Zezhi, it¡¯s not that the king wants to be partial to your elder brother, but your elder brother is the heir, and you should understand and respect the elders as the junior.¡±
***
Chapter 235
Chapter 235- Kowtow
Gu Zezhi listened with a smile and his eyes only showed serenity, it seemed that Duan Wang Ye¡¯s words did not affect him.
When Duan Wang Ye saw this, he seemed to have let out a heavy sigh, unable to give him a stern scolding he had nned to say.
He changed his tone stiffly and asked, ¡°The emperor said that you wanted this marriage yourself?¡±
¡°Yes.¡± Gu Zezhi nodded slightly.
Duan Wang Ye¡¯s right hand made a fist and tapped twice on the small square table wood beside him as he said disapprovingly.
¡°This marriage is decided hastily.¡±
In recent days, Duan Wang Ye has also inquired about Qin Jiu to the people he knows.
The third daughter of the Qin family was not a secret in the capital. It was said that the girl went missing when she was young and grew up as amoner it was just a few months ago that she recognized her ancestors.
Wang Ye has no problem with this, it was just he also heard that this third young miss Qin was unruly. With the support of Empress Wei, she has be arrogant and insolent. She not only openly disagrees with her cousins in the manor, but also doesn¡¯t take the madam seriously.
Truth be told, she was nothing out of the ordinary if it wasn¡¯t for the fact that she has the title of thete marquis¡¯s daughter. If it wasn¡¯t because of this, there was no way that the emperor would act as a matchmaker, otherwise, how could she be worthy as his son¡¯s wife!
With Third Young Miss Qin¡¯s background, she was obviously not considered as a proper and decent daughter of the marquis, and her parents who were now dead were of no help.
Although she has Empress Wei as her backer, the Duan Wangfu was far away from the capital, so she couldn¡¯t easily find Empress Wei toin about, and in the future, she would be unable to raise her head in front of the heir¡¯s consort.
So he has to say, this was actually good for him. The manor would be able to reduce a lot of unnecessary disputes.
But this marriage has wronged Zezhi.
¡°Zezhi¡¡± Duan Wang Ye wanted to say that his marriage had wronged him and would ask his mother to choose a few concubines in the manor for him, but before he could say anything Gu Zezhi interrupted him.
¡°Father, Third Miss Qin is very good.¡± Gu Zezhi solemnly expressed his stand.
No one could force him to marry anyone unless he wants to.
Duan Wang Ye looked at him deeply, sighed, and said: ¡°Zezhi, you are ming this father of yours.¡±
¡°In those days when Xidi vited the border, this wang ye led his troops to resist the border. But at that time there was no heir to the Duan Wangfu and this made the army uneasy, therefore, this wang ye take the lead and made your eldest brother as the heir to reassure the army.¡±
¡°Later, you were born, I know it is not your fault. In fact, you have been loyal to the people and the army and can fight well but I can¡¯t abolish your eldest brother for no reason.¡±
¡°Although you are the legitimate son, your eldest brother is the heir of the wangfu, and the title will be given to your eldest brother in the future. This will not change!¡±
What Duan Wang Ye meant by saying this was to tell Gu Zezhi that he was forced by the situation to establish an heir, and since an heir was already established, it would not change again.
In Duan Wangfu, though Gu Zezhi was his legitimate son, Gu Chenzhi was the heir apparent.
This was something that was irreversible!
Duan Wang Ye looked at Gu Zezhi who was three steps away and instead of seeing a cloudy, gloomy face, he saw a calm and serene Gu Zezhi.
Ai.
Whenever his son was like this, he could never guess what he was thinking.
Duan Wang Ye could only finish his words by himself.
¡°Now that the emperor has given you a job, you should do well and make some achievements. At that time, I will give up my old face and go to the emperor to ask a title for you. At least I can get you general, I won¡¯t treat you unfairly in the future.¡±
Duan Wang Ye was quite prestigious in the imperial family. Over the years, he has performed extraordinary feats in guarding the Western border. He knows that if he asks, the emperor would probably agree.
Gu Zezhi smiled and finally opened his mouth. He said.
¡°Father, this son has never been interested in the title heir apparent of Duan Wangfu. This son has said this several times, but father never seems to believe it.¡±
¡°In that case, this son has an idea to solve this once and for all.¡±
Duan Wang Ye: ¡°?¡±
Gu Zezhi said, ¡°Father, let¡¯s split the family.¡±
¡°Nonsense!¡± Duan Wang Ye blurted out without thinking, his eyebrows furrowed.
Gu Zezhi did not panic, and calmly went on to say, ¡°Father, why did you say that?¡±
¡°I am the legitimate son, which cannot be changed. The emperor also prefers the legitimate rather than the concubine born. Father must have been instructed by the emperor recently.¡±
¡°In this case, if father separates me, there will be no more disputes between the concubine born as legitimate heir in the Duan Wangfu, and this son will be a son of a high official instead a prince.¡±
Duan Wang Ye: ¡°¡.¡±
Duan Wang Ye wanted to say not to mention this again, but he hesitated.
The sentence ¡°there will be no more disputes between concubine born as legitimate heir in Duan Wangfu¡± said by Gu Zezhi spoke his heart.
Throughout the years, Duan Wang Fei has been very amicable and has managed the wangfu smoothly. He never needs to worry about the affairs of the inner court.
In a few years after Zezhi has grown up, he had be popr in the wangfu and because of this, the once peaceful wangfu was now chaotic, especially the wang fei. She would always say that the heir wanted to harm Zezhi and would make a scene from time to time.
Even this trip of Zezhi to the capital was no exception. If Zezhi hadn¡¯t talked nonsense in front of the emperor, how could the emperor misunderstand that the heir couldn¡¯t afford to tolerate his brother?!
The heir was the sessor of Duan Wangfu. He was brought up by Duan Wang Ye from a young age and valued him while Zezhi was his only legitimate son, whom he had been waiting for more than ten years. Of course, he also valued him.
After all, both the palm and the back of the hand were made of flesh.*
(*-to both of equal importance)
The emperor had urged him when he entered the pcest time to renounce the concubine-born heir, he just dyed the emperor by saying ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡±
Perhaps it would be better to separate the two sons.
Speaking of which, there was also a precedent in the imperial family for the married sons to be separated from the main family.
Duan Wang Ye¡¯s eyes flickered for a while before he said, ¡°¡¡ This wang ye has to think about it. You go back first.¡±
Looking at Duan Wang Ye¡¯s expression, Gu Zezhi knew that he was already thinking positively of the idea which made the corners of his lips curl up.
¡°Father, this son will leave first.¡±
Gu Zezhi stopped while he was still ahead and backed out.
He was really not interested in the title of heir apparent. The title obtained by his father could not bepared with the one he earned himself.
He exposed the heir about the attempt assassination, to give the emperor the reason to call his father to the capital. The purpose was to split the family into two, so as to prevent Xiao Jiu from marrying far away, and to prevent her from being angry with the heir¡¯s consort in Luoyang in the future.
After splitting the family, the ¡°gifts¡± given for the past years should be well sorted out and returned one by one!
As for the title.
Gu Zezhi thinks he has to work hard!
He couldn¡¯t just be an ordinary patriarchal n until the big wedding. He has to get an even more prestigious title for Xiao Jiu as soon as possible.
Thinking of Qin Jiu, Gu Zezhi¡¯s expression softened.
***
Chapter 236: Kowtow
Chapter 236
Early the next morning, Gu Zezhi went to the Yu manor. The person he wanted to see was naturally Yu Fuyun.
The servant boy hurriedly ran to the training ground to inform Yu Fuyun, who was practicing with his sword. The silver sword dances fiercely against the wind leaving a silver sword after shadow.
¡°Young Lord,¡± the servant boy in blue said, ¡°Master Gu is here.¡±
Yu Fuyun executed two more moves before he withdrew the sword, surprised at why Gu Zezhi came.
¡°Cheng Ying, invite the person to the main hall.¡± His breath was slightly rushed, and his forehead was seeping with some thin sweat.
However, the young servant named Cheng Ying said.
¡°Master Gu said he would note in and asked you to go to Siyi Pavilion instead to collect the debt from Second Prince Yelu.¡±
Speaking of Yelu Luan, Cheng Ying¡¯s heart set off a wave of anger: the Yu family and Beiyan were at odds with each other. If it were not for Beiyan, how could the Yu family be wiped out and only Yu Fuyun left.
Meanwhile, Yu Fuyun slowly took his sword back into the scabbard and remembered thepetition between Gu Zezhi and Ye Luan when he was in the Nanyuan Hunting Pce. The silver sword reflected in his dark pupils, adding a bit of sharpness and indifference.
Yu Fuyun wiped the sweat off his forehead with a handkerchief, changed his clothes in a hurry, and went out.
Gu Zezhi rode on a white horse just outside the east corner gate and smiled faintly at Yu Fuyun who came on his horse, ¡°I thought you would want to see it with your own eyes.¡±
Gu Zezhi¡¯s tone was familiar as if they had been friends for many years.
Cheng Ying looks back and forth at Gu Zezhi and Yu Fuyun in surprise. The third son of Duan Wang stayed in the west of Xinjiang all year round. He came to the capital in October this year, so why does he seem to be familiar with his young lord?
Gu Zezhi and Yu Fuyun could see Cheng Ying¡¯s confusion and surprise, but they didn¡¯t say anything more.
The two of them had actually met more than two years ago, of course not in the capital, but in the northwest.
That year, the Gaoji n in the northwestbined with several small ns repeatedly invaded the border, causing the people in the Wanho grasnd area disturbance and suffering.
The Wanho Grasnd was just the junction of western and northern Xinjiang. Gu Zezhi was ordered by his father to suppress bandits, at that time he happened to see Yu Fuyun from a distance across Wanho Lake.
Yu Fuyun was wearing silver armor and sat astride a fiery horse, just like the contrast between ice and fire, with an overwhelming spirit.
At that time, they didn¡¯t actually talk about anything. After all, they all had military orders and were eager to pursue the remnants of the Gaoji n and those small ns. They just exchanged a gesture across theke and acted separately.
Gu Zezhi took his father¡¯s order and hurried back to Luo¡¯an City to recover after he destroyed the remnants of the Gaoji n. He never saw Yu Fuyun again since then. He only heard from Duan Wang Ye that Yu Fuyun had won a great victory and destroyed the other half of the enemy.
So, Gu Zezhi could never have thought that when they met next time, the whole Yu family would be destroyed, and Yu Fuyun would retire from the army because of his serious injury
However, Yu Fuyun was Yu Fuyun after all. He was like a snow leopard that was temporarily dormant, but a leopard was still a leopard, it would never be a cat.
Gu Zezhi believed that he would return to the battlefield one day.
¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Yu Fuyun tapped the horse¡¯s belly, and the ck horse took the lead in galloping out.
Unwilling to be left behind, Gu Zezhi¡¯s white horse neighed and chased after him, and the two of them went head-to-head, together to Siyi Pavilion.
The people in Siyi Pavilion immediately reported to Yelu Luan.
Yelu Luan also knows that the emperor gave Gu Zezhi and Qin Jiu a marriage, originally he did not want to see Gu Zezhi, but after thinking about it, he came anyway.
The gauze on his face has been removed, revealing three red scars on his left face, making his once handsome face a little bit ferocious.
¡°Gu Zezhi, what do you want from me!¡±
Yelu Luan looked at Gu Zezhi with a hateful expression, thinking that the other party hade to him for the peace talks, and made up his mind to embarrass him.
But after Yelu Luan saw Yu Fuyun, who was walking with Gu Zezhi, he frowned slightly and his eyes showed malice.
Just as the Yu family was at odds with Beiyan, Yelu Luan also hated the Yu family to the core.
If there were no Yu family, they would have seized the northern border of Great Qi long ago.
Facing the fierce Yelu Luan, Gu Zezhi remained calm and said, ¡°Prince Yelu, I especially came here with the young lord to let you fulfill the bet.¡±
Yelu Luan: ¡°!!!!¡±
Yelu Luan seems to be sshed with ink as his face suddenly darkened.
Since he returned to the capital from the Nanyuan Hunting Pce, no one has mentioned this matter anymore, and he also regarded that nothing had happened.
This Gu Zezhi was indeed his nemesis!
Yelu Luan¡¯s eyes became gloomier like a dark and cold pit.
He suppressed his anger and said, ¡°I lost thestpetition, and I am willing to pay a thousand taels of gold.¡±
¡°No.¡±
Gu Zezhi refused, not saying anything further as the corners of his lips still hooked upward, but the meaning of his words was as sharp as a sword.
¡°Is Prince Yelu willing to bet but not admit defeat? Though if the three cities of Beimeng City, Tuli City, and Helunta City are used as an apology then this bet will be canceled.¡±
How could Yelu Luan dare to use these three cities as an apology.
Beimeng City, Tuli City, and Helunta City were the border between Yan State and Great Qi. If they cede these three cities to Great Qi, it would be like opening the south gate of Yan State to Great Qi!
Yelu Luan red at Gu Ze with hatred and gritted teeth.
This matter was already a knife on his throat that could be used as a threat, this Gu Zezhi was a really sinister and cunning guy, he would certainly use this during peace talks.
And since he was in Great Qi now, he has to live relying on someone else¡¯s charity.
Yelu Luan gritted his teeth, his voice squeezed out from his teeth: ¡°Good, I¡¯ll go! Yan people dare to bet and never renege, I will go now!¡±
After he knelt down, the Yan state would no longer fall into Gu Zezhi¡¯s hand. This was worth it!
¡°Please.¡± Gu Zezhi smiled and extended his hand as a gesture.
Yelu Luan flicked his sleeves heavily and walked out of the Siyi Pavilion with big strides.
***
Chapter 237: Kowtow
Chapter 237
As soon as he walks out of the Siyi Pavilion, the hustle and bustle in the streets greeted him.
The streets were bustling with people who wereing and going.
A few yamen* were carrying gongs and drums, banging them to attract the attention of the people passing by while shouting at the top of their voices.
(*bailiff of feudal yamen or government ves)
¡°Take a look, take a look! The Prince of Northern Yan is going to Yingling Temple to kowtow to those soldiers who died in the battle of Great Qi.¡±
¡°Our ten and thousands of heroic soldiers who died in the battle and who are now in heaven can finally rest in peace!¡±
The yamen repeated these words over and over again causing more and more people to gather making the discussions within the crowd denser and denser.
¡°Prince Beiyan really wants to go to the Yingling Temple to kowtow? Then I must go and have a look.¡±
A young man in gray said excitedly, ¡°One of my cousin died on the battlefield in northern Xinjiang three years ago. He was only 22 years old, and now he has left his child orphan and wife widowed.¡±
¡°Beiyan people are ruthless and cold-blooded. These years, they have repeatedly vited the border, disturbing the peace of the border area, and we don¡¯t know how many soldiers died in battle, not to mention innocent people who died!¡± A schr on the roadside angrily scolded.
¡°Yeah, yeah.¡±
¡°There is a family in the vige next to us who escaped from Northern Yan, I heard that half of the vige died in the hands of the Northern Yans¡¯, even the one-year-old toddler was not spared, it was hell on earth ¡¡¡±
Themon people were filled with righteous indignation and denounced the evils of Beiyan people.
Yu Fuyun also heard these conversations and looked cold.
He was most aware that these people depicted only one or two out of ten. The sinsmitted by the Northern Yan Army in northern Xinjiang were a hundred deaths!
On the street, the people¡¯s emotions be more visible and stronger as their voices raise pitched higher like a pot of boiling water.
When Yelu Luan came out of the Siyi Pavilion, the people all looked at him in unison.
Yelu Luan¡¯s blue eyes and profound facial features were obviously different from those of the people in the Central ins. People easily guessed his identity and looked at him with indignation.
Yelu Luan: ¡°!!!¡±
He thought he was just going to the Yingling Temple to kowtow and endure the humiliation for a while. Unexpectedly, Gu Zezhi was so despicable and stepped on his face, the face of Yan!
¡°Gu Zezhi, what do you mean by this?¡± Yelu Luan questioned, saying the words with gritted teeth.
Gu Zezhi looked at him with a gentle smile.
¡±Since Prince Yelu is so sincere in making amends for invading the Great Qi, on behalf of the State of Yan, of course, we the people of Great Qi must see through it.¡±
¡°Or is it that Prince Yelu wants to cede the three cities?¡±
Gu Zezhi pressed forward step by step, his tone and smile were still warm.
Yu Fuyun¡¯s servant Cheng Ying looks at Gu Zezhi with burning eyes and almost apuds him.
Yelu Luan¡¯s face turned from blue to purple, as he felt the eyes of the people around as if shooting arrows at his face. He was annoyed, hateful, embarrassed, and unwilling.
Once again, Gu Zezhi reached out his hand in an inviting gesture.
Yelu Luan has no other choice.
Yingling Temple was located on Daying Street in the west of the capital. Although it was located in the capital, it was quiet and free from all of the noise, with the ancient trees towering on both sides of the street it gives off a solemn and peaceful atmosphere.
Unfortunately or fortunately, Daying Street today was particrly lively. The beating of gongs and drums, and the people¡¯s discussions made the whole street noisy.
Because the group of people was so noisy, it drew more crowd along the way, forming a procession of at least several thousand people, looking like a flock of crows.
Gu Zezhi had invited the military forces from the five cities in advance to help maintain the order.
Yelu Luan arrived in front of Yingling Temple with a livid face amid the beating of gongs, drums, and criticism all the way.
The gate of the Yingling Temple was open. Yelu Luan, Gu Zezhi, and Yu Fuyun entered the Ancestral Hall together. There were three huge stone tablets in the courtyard in front of them, and each stone tablet had tens of thousands of names carved on it, all of which were the names of the soldiers who died in battle for the Great Qi.
Inside the Yingling temple, steles could be seen everywhere, there were too many of them that it looked like a forest.
This was a piece of evidence that there were countless soldiers who died in the battle of Great Qi but did not leave their names.
¡°Prince Yelu, please!¡±
Gu Zezhi stood with his hands folded, at this moment, his face was no longer smiling, it was reced with a solemn look, standing there like a straight red ying spear.
At some point, the surrounding area fell into silence, and the people outside the Yingling Temple all looked at the back of Yelu Luan, their eyes burning.
Yelu Luan stood rigidly for a while, before lifting his robe and kneeling down with difficulty, feeling the sound of something breaking in his ears, ringing.
During the twelfth lunar month, the te floor was even colder not to mention harder because of ice, revealing a biting chill.
Yelu Luan clenched his fist tightly, and the back of his hand protruded a sinew.
He stopped down with great difficulty feeling as if there were thousands of boulders on his back, making him unable to breathe as his forehead stopped at three inches from the ground¡
Once he kowtowed his head, it meant that Yan had bowed to Great Qi.
Yelu Luan¡¯s face turned red, and he wanted to disappear into thin air, however, at that moment, Gu Zezhi¡¯s not-so-subtle voice came to his ears.
¡°Prince Yelu, how about considering the three cities?¡±
This person¡
Yelu Luan¡¯s heart was burning with fire as he secretly vowed that before he could stab Gu Zezhi into thousands of cuts with his sword, his anger would never be quelled.
And Yelu Luan almost knocked his head down with all his strength.
***
Chapter 238: Kowtow
Chapter 238
Yelu Luan¡¯s heart was burning with fire as he secretly vowed that before he could stab Gu Zezhi into thousands of cuts with his sword, his anger would never be quelled.
And Yelu Luan almost knocked his head down with all his strength.
First.
Second.
Third.
At the same time, nobody knows who started it but the people outside the Yingling Temple also knelt down one after another, until all the people in the street bowed their heads.
Those people were also kowtowing in the direction of the Yingling Temple where the stele was located but they were not making amends, they kowtow to those heroic spirits that give up their lives to protect the Great Qi.
With the sacrifice of these heroic spirits, there was now peace in Great Qi, and Beiyan has now bowed before them.
Yu Fuyun who was watching everything at the back felt inexpressible joy as he looked at the blue sky.
Did father, uncle, and brothers as well as those heroes of the Yu family who died in the battle see this scene?
After Yelu Luan kowtowed, he immediately stood up from the ground, his gaze shot grimly at Gu Zezhi as if he wanted to say something, but finally said nothing.
In fact, he doesn¡¯t need to say anything his murderous eyes have exined everything.
He gave a cold grunt and walked out of the gate of the Yingling Temple without looking back. He got on his horse and rode away at the fastest speed, leaving all the people¡¯sments behind.
Both Gu Zezhi and Yu Fuyun did not bother their minds on Yelu Luan anymore. The two of them coincidentally passed the stone monument and entered the main hall of the Yingling Temple in front of them.
In the main hall, a dense path of ques like terraces was enshrined in it, this was where the ques of those highly decorated generals who have made outstanding achievements could be seen, and among them, there were also members of the Yu n, including Yu Fuyun¡¯s father, uncle, grandfather, great grandfather¡
The two knelt quietly on the futon, offered incense, and kowtowed.
After a while, the two came out of the main hall again, Gu Zezhi said in a light voice.
¡°The next is the peace talks between the two countries, do you want toe along?¡±
Yu Fuyun did not say anything and looked at him with raised eyebrows.
Gu Zezhi smiled: ¡°You know Beiyan better than I do, and you know better what it takes to make Beiyan hurt more.¡±
Cheng Ying, who was guarding the eaves of the main hall, also heard this and once again admired Master Gu to the core. He was simply amazing!
Yu Fuyun walked down the stone steps and stopped beside an old pine tree. He nodded.
¡°Okay.¡±
The cold wind was howling, making the ancient pines sway, and rustles as if echoing something.
On the same day, Gu Zezhi went to the imperial study and asked the emperor to have Yu Fuyun help him negotiate peace with Beiyan.
Because of the big impact Yelu Luan¡¯s trip to Yingling Temple to apologize on behalf Beiyan, this made a lot of noise throughout the capital, so naturally, the emperor heard about it.
The emperor was very happy but since Gu Zezhi didn¡¯t tell him earlier, he regretted the fact that he wasn¡¯t able to see it with his own eyes. Because if he did, he could have disguised himself and watched the show upfront.
And so, for Gu Zezhi¡¯s request, the emperor responded very quickly.
¡°Yes.¡±
With this brief reply, there was a sigh that only the emperor himself knows. Yu Fuyun¡¯s body has not been well, so the emperor did not dare give him errands unlike before.
Ai.
But it seems that it would do him better to have something to do and make him feel busy so that he doesn¡¯t always get lost in the past.
The emperor turned the jade ring in his thumb as he pondered for a moment and changed the topic.
¡°Zezhi, has your mother picked the date to propose marriage?¡±
Gu Zezhi nodded with a smile and said, ¡°It¡¯s the seventh day of the twelfth lunar month.¡±
¡°Good!¡±
The emperor was overjoyed and understood that Duan Wang Fei was sharp enough.
¡°I¡¯ll be waiting to drink the wedding wine between you and Xiao Jiu!¡±
On the seventh day of the lunar New Year, the Duan Wangfu invited Su Wang Fei as a matchmaker, prepared a generous gift, and went to the Qin family to propose marriage.
***
Chapter 239: sheep-fat white jade ring pendant
Chapter 239- sheep-fat white jade ring pendant
Su Wang Fei got a request from Duan Wang Fei and knowing that Duan Wang Fei was serious about this marriage she also epted the task with earnestness and went to greet the Qin family in advance.
However, as soon as she arrived outside the Qin Marquis¡¯s Residence in the morning, their vermilion paint wheel carriage* and horses were blocked, and faint voices of people arguing could be heard up ahead.
(*-carriage used by princesses and dignitaries in ancient times)
An old momo got off the carriage to check the situation and saw outside the Marquis gate an olddy in green clothes with grizzled hair and a woman with a matchmaker¡¯s mole* quarreling with the gatekeeper.
(*In ancient times most of the matchmakers has a mole on their face as it was an important sign of a matchmaker)
¡°How dare a ve not let me in?!¡±
Mother Cheng scolded the gatekeeper righteously.
¡°The marriage between my humble son and the fourth young miss from your manor was a gift from the emperor. Today I brought the matchmaker to get the geng tie from the fourth young miss.¡±
The matchmaker who was holding her handkerchief twisted her hips as she screamed in the side.
¡°Ai, I¡¯ve been a matchmaker for decades, and the number of lines I¡¯ve drawn is less than a thousand, but this is the first time I¡¯ve seen two families say they¡¯ve decided to get married and still turn their inws away! What kind of principles is this!¡±
It created a hugemotion so it was inevitable that many onlookers would whisper to the side as they gossip and point in the direction of Marquis Qin.
Mother Cheng was eager, seeing that there were more people, and raised her voice.
¡°I want to see Old Madam Qin!¡±
¡°You stubborn ve dog. Obviously, it was your Madam Su who took the initiative to ask our Cheng family about marriage and wanted my son to marry her daughter¡¡±
¡°My son is a sessful candidate in the imperial provincial examination and the top of his ss¡..¡±
¡°¡.¡±
The old momo watched for a while before returning to the vermilion paint wheel carriage. Su Wang Fei asked suspiciously.
¡°Why did youe back?¡±
The old momo showed a strange look and said: ¡°Wang Fei, there was an old woman who has brought a matchmaker to propose marriage to the fourth young miss of the Marquis manor, but the gatekeeper won¡¯t let her in so there is amotion right now.¡±
Su Wang Fei raised her eyebrows with a baffled look.
¡°That old woman deliberately raised her voice for the people to hear.¡±
The old momo emtes what she heard and told Su Wang Fei as if she were telling a joke.
Su Wang Fei¡¯s expression became even more confused. She raised her hand to open the curtain on the side of the carriage, looked toward the door of the Qin manor, and heard a sharp female voice in front.
¡°This is a marriage gifted by the emperor. Do you Qin Family want to recede?!¡±
¡°If you do not give me an exnation, I will now go to the capital to beat the drum ¡¡¡±
Mother Cheng¡¯s voice became more and more shrill, which attracted more passers-by to watch the show.
And this made several gatekeepers panic and anxious as their foreheads were sweating cold.
They all know that today Duan Wangfu had invited Su Wang Fei toe to the Qin manor to propose marriage as a matchmaker, which was a big deal.
When one of the gatekeepers was wondering whether to inform the Old Madam or Madam Su she saw the vermilion paint wheel carriage at the corner of her eye not far away.
¡°Is that¡ the carriage of Su Wang Fei?¡± Another gatekeeper also saw the vermilion paint wheel carriage and stammered.
The gatekeeper went to Ronghe Hall in a hurry, fearing that she might have been slowing down Su Wang Fei.
Old Madam Qin has made preparations early and was already dressed very ceremoniously.
¡°It¡¯s about time¡¡± Old Madam Qin looked at the hulou* and before she could finish her words, a gatekeeper who was sweating profusely was following a servant girl into the eastern room.
(hulou or a pot leak used as an ancient timer aka hourss)
¡°Old Madam, Su Wang Fei¡¯s carriage has arrived.¡±
After a pause, the gatekeeper said in embarrassment.
¡°Mother Cheng is also here and brought a matchmaker, saying she¡¯s here to get the Geng Tie from the fourth young miss.¡±
Old Madam Qin: ¡°¡¡±
Old Madam Qin¡¯s expression became a little subtle.
Sheter came back to her senses and after carefully thinking about it she understood everything that had happened the day the emperor gave his imperial edict.
Madam Su wasn¡¯t really sincere in finding a marriage for the third young miss, she just wanted a shrew who looked bright but a scum inside and coaxed her to marry the fourth young miss and let her suffer in that marriage.
Therefore, when Madam Su heard that the emperor wanted that schr to marry her daughter, the fourth young miss she became anxious.
Old madam Qin¡¯s brow furrowed deeply as she let out a long sigh.
I was really stupid to believe whatever Su said, and here I thought she was sincere about finding a good marriage for Xiao Jiu¡¯er.
Cui momo looked at Old Madam Qin¡¯s face and took half a step forward, she then said in a timely manner.
¡°Old Madam, Mother Cheng came here two days ago, and was beaten away by Madam Su with a stick. This servant thought that she might have asked about the wedding proposaling from the Duan wangfu today, so she deliberately brought the matchmaker to make a scene.¡±
¡°The Cheng family is still preaching, saying that our marquis house will marry off our fourth young miss to them.¡±
¡°If we let Mother Cheng¡¯s family continue to make trouble like this, the face of Duan Wangfu will not look good either.¡±
Old Madam Qin slowly twirled the string of Buddhist beads in her hand and her expression deepened.
Almost, only a little bit she believed Madam Su¡¯s words credulously and pushed Xiao Jiu¡¯er to the pit of fire. Fortunately, the emperor¡¯s decree for marriage came just in time.
It was a good thing that Xiao Jiu¡¯er got this marriage from the royal family. If the Cheng Family continues to make trouble and spread malicious rumors to Duan Wangfu, Duan Wang Ye and Wang Fei would probably think that the Qin family has no rules and regtions, and thus look down on Jiu¡¯er.
Because of those ves, Xiao Jiu¡¯er was reced not to mention she had suffered so much outside since she was a child and was almost plotted on by Madam Su. She was already pitiful enough even before entering the gate* and now her soon-to-be mother-inw would dislike her,ter she would have a hard time.
(*marriage)
Old Madam Qin stopped twisting the string of Buddhist beads in her hand, and there was a touch of resolute in her usually gentle eyes as she said.
¡°Schr Cheng is Madam Su¡¯s son-inw so let the madam take care of the Cheng family and take them to the madam¡¯s yard. Watch the Madam¡¯s yard, only allow entry and not exit also make sure no one wille near Su Wang Fei.¡±
¡°Today is the third young miss big day, don¡¯t neglect the honored guest. You hurry up and wee Su Wang Fei in!¡±
As soon as Old Madam Qin gave an order, the servants hurried to do their work.
Hence, Mother Cheng and the matchmaker were first led to Madam Su¡¯s courtyard by several servant girls, and then Cui momo personally led someone to solemnly wee Su Wang Fei into the manor.
Su Wang Fei originally thought that the Qin family has no order and seeing that since Mother Cheng was blocking the road for a while now, she made psychological preparations for returning home today. So, she did not expect that the Qin family would resolve the matter quickly.
Looking at it like this, the Qin family seems to be okay.
Su Wang Fei thought to herself.
Old Madam Qin personally entertained Su Wang Fei with great courtesy.
After Su Wang Fei said a few words about the asion, she formally proposed marriage to Qin Jiu on behalf of Duan Wangfu ording to the ancient rites.
Old Madam Qin smiled and epted Gu Zezhi¡¯s Geng Tie* and handed Qin Jiu¡¯s Geng Tie that had already been prepared.
(* card with the horoscope of a boy and girl sent as a proposal for betrothal)
Both sides were very satisfied, especially Old Madam Qin¡¯s eyes narrowed withughter, her face flushed, and she had already forgotten the difort caused by Mother Cheng.
Old Madam Qin also personally escorted Su Wang Fei to the ceremonial gate.
Aftering back, Old Madam Qin¡¯s smile disappeared as she asked Cui momo: ¡°What¡¯s going on with Madam Su?¡±
Cui momo¡®s eyes slightly flickered and said truthfully.
¡°Just now the gatekeeper led Mother Cheng to Qiongzhi hall to see the Madam but the madam didn¡¯t want to meet them, her maids stop mother Cheng and the matchmaker outside the courtyard.¡±
¡°Later, the fourth young miss also ran to Qiongzhi hall to make trouble after hearing the news and ordered the maids to chase the people away. Fortunately, this servant sent more strong maidservants over in advance, and did not let the fourth young miss chase those people away.¡±
The corner of Cui momo¡¯s twitched, thinking: Anyway, mother Cheng can make trouble all they want as long they don¡¯t disturb the important affairs of the third young miss.
Old Madam Qin rubbed her eyebrows wearily, feeling her body was tired all over and she looked several years older all at once.
***
Chapter 240: sheep-fat white jade ring pendant
Chapter 240
¡°You go and tell the madam,¡± Old Madam Qin instructed indifferently.
¡°Let her take care of Xiao Sheng¡¯er¡¯s marriage now and as for the marquis manor, she will not be in charge of it for the time being. And tell her to hand over the token and ount book.¡±
After a pause, Old Madam Qin¡¯s voice sounded a few degrees colder.
¡°You remind her again, this is the marriage given by the emperor, the emperor¡¯s golden words, Xiao Sheng¡¯er can only marry if she doesn¡¯t want to die.¡±
Cui momo and the other maids in the room were surprised.
Since the Qin family was vindicated ten years ago and returned to the capital, old madam Qin handed over the authority of the manor to Madam Su and it has been ten years since then.
Before today, she was afraid that no one had ever thought that one day Old Madam Qin would take back the right of running the marquis manor.
Cui momo curtsied to receive the order and hurriedly went to do it.
However, one incense stickter, Cui momo returned empty-handed and reported.
¡°Old Madam, Madam is crying and fussing and has fallen ill.¡±
Old Madam Qin: ¡°¡.¡±
She has been toozy to talk, rubbing her brow she sent all the servants out of the room and stayed alone for a while.
At dusk, when Qin Zhun the marquis of Zhongyi came home and went to greet his mother, Old Madam Qin persuaded him earnestly.
¡°Ah Zhun, this marriage of Xiao Sheng¡¯er was given by the emperor. Although it is only an oral decree, it is still a holy will. Unless Xiao Sheng¡¯er dies, this marriage cannot be canceled.¡±
¡°Since this is the case, let¡¯s discuss this carefully. If we continue to make trouble, it will only make other families look at our Qin family as a joke!¡±
¡°You are now leading the post in Shaoqing of Hongluo Temple, if you go against the holy will, how will you further your career?!¡±
¡°Your father died early, and now the marquis has be increasingly declining ¡¡¡±
¡°Think about it yourself, after all, Xiao Sheng¡¯er is you and your wife¡¯s daughter, I¡¯m old and can¡¯t manage so much.¡±
With old madam Qin¡¯s words, Qin Zhun¡¯s face became uglier.
As she finish her earnest persuasion Old Madam Qin said the words that reflect Qin Zhun¡¯s concerns. On one hand, he was not willing to marry his first daughter to Schr Cheng, such a shrew, but on the other hand, no matter how bold he was, he would not dare to resist the decree of marrying off his daughter. He just thought that dying it for a few days, but now it seems that it couldn¡¯t be dyed any longer.
The room fell into silence, Qin Zhun did not speak for a long time.
Seeing her son¡¯s tangled expression Old Madam Qin sighed.
¡°In the end, if your wife hadn¡¯t plotted against Xiao Jiu¡¯er, how could things havee to this!¡±
When ites to this matter, Old Madam Qin was very disappointed with Madam Su.
She knew that Madam Su was dissatisfied with Qin Jiu, and didn¡¯t know that this dissatisfaction turned into resentment, she even actually used marriage to calcte the life of her niece. Her heart was too sinister!
Old Madam Qin: ¡°Ah Zhun, the Qin family is indebted to Xiao Jiu¡¯er, and now that Xiao Jiu¡¯er is blessed with this good marriage even if the Qin family can¡¯t help her, don¡¯t hold her back.¡±
¡°You are her first uncle anyhow!¡±
Old Madam Qin said what she should say and sent her son away.
On the same day, Qin Zhun returned to the Qiongzhi courtyard and had a big fight with Madam Su before going away and mming the door. Right after, sounds of smashing things could be heard in Qiongzhi¡¯s courtyard as the servants closed the door of the courtyard silently.
The next day, Qin Zhun personally sent the token and ount books to Old Madam Qin, who then decided to give Qin Sheng¡¯s Geng Tie to the matchmaker of the Cheng family.
After Qin Sheng learned the news, she cried, throw a tantrum, and made a scene in her courtyard. But Qin Zhun was not Madam Su, he didn¡¯t soften his heart at all. He just lets the servants in the room look after Qin Sheng with a clear attitude that if something happens to Qin Sheng, they will die together with her.
The news inevitably reached Qin Jiu¡¯s ears, and only smiled when she heard it.
These days, she has been busy struggling with the needles and threads, trying to sew a forehead belt under the guidance of Du Ruo.
This forehead belt was sewn for Duan Wang Fei. After the marriage was decided, she must go to the Duan manor to pay a visit to Duan Wang Fei. Her needlework was not good, and she couldn¡¯t embroider, so she could only do a simple forehead belt.
Du Ruo had many ideas, she taught Qin Jiu to sew some pearls on the forehead belt and used the needle technique of cross stitch and applique stitches. This made Qin Jiu very busy every day that she wanted to grow six arms like Nezha, thus the chaos in the manor didn¡¯t bother her at all.
On the tenth day of the lunar month, Su Wang Fei on behalf of the Duan Wangfu sent the geng tie to Huangjue Temple to ask Master Yuan Wu to read a good fortune for the two family¡¯s union in marriage.
Su Wang Fei sent the result of the marriage to the Qin family. Later, the representative of the Duan Wangfu from the Zongren Pce performed the Naji ceremony and made a letter of appointment.
Henceforth, the marriage between the two families has been officially settled.
In the afternoon of the same day, Duan Wang Fei officially sent a letter to the Qin family, inviting Qin Jiu toe over to the manor.
On the twelfth day of the twelfth lunar month, Qin Jiu arrived at the appointment date on time and went to see Duan Wang Fei in the manor.
Qin Jiu was specially dressed today. She was wearing a scarlet butterfly with a flower-cut silk robe, her inner clothes were cream-colored with a small vertical cor that has small embroidered green calyx flowers. The bottom was matched with a long scarlet skirt, while her fine ck hair was tied into a double loose bun decorated with a golden dragon pin that has a pair of red ruby eyes flowers.
Her facial features were good. Her eyebrows were delicately painted with ck dye while her lips were red making a beautiful contrast with her white smooth jade skin making her small face look lovely and beautiful. Andstly, her bright eyes shine even more brightly as she looked around her surroundings.
As Duan Wang Fei looked at Qin Jiu up and down, her eyes finally fell on the sheep-fat white jade ring on Qin Jiu¡¯s waist, and was stunned for a moment.
***
Chapter 241
Chapter 241
It was a ring pendant with the size of a baby¡¯s fist. The jade was lustrous and delicate, engraved with a ruyi* and Yunque* pattern.
(ruyi- a symbol of power and good fortune, yunque- bird species in China)
Others may not know the origin of the ring pendant, but Duan Wang Fei knows it best.
The ring pendant was given to his son by his grandmother when he was eight years old.
His son has always cherished it and often wears it on his body, yet he gave it to Qin Jiu. This obviously states that he attaches great importance to this daughter-inw who was yet to pass the gate.
And this made the smile on Duan Wang Fei¡¯s lips deepen even more.
While Duan Wang Fei was looking at Qin Jiu, Qin Jiu was also looking at Duan Wang Fei.
Duan Wang Fei was over fifty years old, her skin was white, and her body was plump, her hair that has some white in it was neatlybed in a round bun. And she wore a floral robe with a cloud pattern in autumn fragrance.
She was not wearing much jewelry, only a hairpin set with eastern pearls in her bun and a pair of emerald earrings the size of red beans on her earlobes.
Her whiteplexion looked even brighter because of the smile on the corner of her lips, this also made her look kinder, graceful, and several years younger than her actual age.
Duan Wang Fei was as good-natured as her empress-aunt said, Qin Jiu thought so herself as she rxed, and her smile became even sweeter.
Qin Jiu took a forehead belt from Du Ruo¡¯s hand and presented it to Duan Wang Fei as she said graciously.
¡°Wangfei, this is the forehead belt I made, please don¡¯t be offended by my poor craftsmanship.¡±
Duan Wang Fei took the forehead belt with a smile and keenly noticed that the little girl¡¯s hand had a number of needle holes, and understood.
For her Qin Jiu¡¯s intention was the most important.
Duan Wang Fei looked at the forehead belt and fondled it admiringly, she then praised her with a smile.
¡°It¡¯s really a clever idea.¡±
The forehead belt has a primrose color on its edge with small pearls like the size of rice sewn into five plum blossoms in the center, it looked simple yet gorgeous.
¡°It¡¯s good that you like it, Wangfei.¡± Qin Jiu also smiled along, her pair of ink-jade-like pupils shining brightly.
She heard from Empress Wei that Duan Wang Fei liked bright colors and didn¡¯t like in colors, so today she specially wore bright crimson colors, as well as the primrose color for the forehead belt, she chose it carefully before she embeds it on the edge.
Duan Wang Fei was about to instruct her maidservant to put away the forehead belt when she suddenly sniffs the aroma and stopped,ughing she said.
¡°Xiao Jiu, the smell of this forehead belt is so good, what kind of fragrance did you use?¡±
She directly called Qin Jiu ¡°Xiao Jiu¡±, with a hint of intimacy.
Qin Jiu was just learning to mix perfume recently when she was bored. Hearing her ask she replied with a smile.
¡°It is called ¡°Yuxiang Pu¡± it was written in the Imperial Incense Manual and said that even after washing it with water a hundred times, the fragrance will not disappear. I have tried it on my handkerchief, and indeed after washing it four to five times the fragrance is still there but I can¡¯t say the same if washed a hundred times.¡±
Duan Wang Fei was even happier after hearing Qin Jiu¡¯s reply, thinking that the girl was not only good-looking but also pleasant to talk to. No wonder her son liked her too.
She smiled and said, ¡°I have a very rare incense here, which is only avable in the west of Xinjiang. It¡¯s called Jiuhe incense, it can calm your nerve down.¡±
After saying this she turned her head and said, ¡± Wang momo, go and fetch two boxes of Jiuhe incense for me.¡±
Wang momo was stunned for a moment. This Jiuhe incense was used by Duan Wang Fei every day, so she brought two boxes with her when she came here in the capital.
After gaining her senses Wang momo led the order and retreated, and Duan Wang Fei smilingly talk to Qin Jiu again as she sat down.
¡°Xiao Jiu, sit down, and let¡¯s talk.¡±
The maids serving in the house hurriedly served Qin Jiu with tea and snacks.
¡°Come on, try this Lu¡¯an tea.¡±
Duan Wang Fei smiled and continued, ¡°This is what Zezhi¡¯s grandmother brought from Jiangnan.¡±
While talking, Duan Wang Fei¡¯s eyes lingered on the ring around Qin Jiu¡¯s waist, and her smile became more loving.
Qin Jiu obediently took up the teacup and tasted the tea elegantly.
In the blue and white porcin teacup, the color of the tea was clear and translucent, the tea leaves in the shape of melon seeds were green in color even in size, and smelled fresh.
Qin Jiu took a shallow sip of hot tea and praised it as ¡°fresh and sweet¡±, though in reality she still knew nothing about tea. But Empress Wei had previously told her that Duan Wang Fei was fond of tea, so she had done some homework beforehand.
Duan Wang Fei said again: ¡°Do you like it? Zezhi also likes this Lu¡¯an tea the most. Every time his grandmother sends me tea, that child will take half of it¡±
Qin Jiu silently continued to look like she was drinking tea, as she really didn¡¯t know how to answer this.
Hearing that Gu Zezhi became ¡°that child¡± in Duan Wan Fei¡¯s mouth, she had this kind of odd and incongruous feeling. How should she put it, it was like¡. as if the image of her golden thigh and the great viin suddenly copsed.
Duan Wang Fei continued to talk about her son with great enthusiasm: ¡°This child, Zezhi, looks gentle and elegant, but actually has a domineering nature and is vengeful.¡±
Qin Jiu was deeply impressed and felt that Duan Wang Fei had really seen his nature clearly.
And identally nodded her head.
Duan Wang Fei has been paying attention to Qin Jiu¡¯s every move. She also noticed that the corner of her lips was raised a little higher. She said with a smile.
¡°If he bullies you in the future, Xiao Jiu,e andin to me, and I will teach him a lesson for you.¡±
¡°Zezhi, he was very naughty when he was a child. I still remember that when he was five years old, when the maids and his nanny were not paying attention, he climbed on the roof and fell from it. Fortunately, the guards of the pce caught him.¡±
¡°That¡¯s why he became interested in practicing martial arts. His father thought he was spoiled and could not hold on. Not knowing how stubborn the boy was that no matter what he learned, he would always do his best.¡±
¡°And so, fighting and causing trouble is no exception ¡¡¡±
Recalling her son¡¯s childhood, Duan Wang Fei was angry and felt funny at the same time as there was obvious joy in her eyes.
***
Chapter 242
Chapter 242
Recalling her son¡¯s childhood, Duan Wang Fei was angry and felt funny at the same time as there was obvious joy in her eyes.
Her love for Gu Zezhi was evident and unquestionable.
Qin Jiu looked at Duan Wang Fei with her eyes shing slightly and forgot to drink her tea for a moment.
In the original plot of the novel, it was mentioned that because Gu Zezhi refused to ept that he could not be the heir, he killed his father and mother like a cold-blooded animal, and then fled for several years.
This was the first time Qin Jiu meet and talked with Duan Wang Fei for a long time, and she could already see that whenever she mentions her son Gu Zezhi, the happiness reflected in her eyes came from the bottom of her heart, in addition, that Duan Wang Fei¡¯s temperament does not seem to be difficult to get along with.
Although Gu Zezhi¡¯s heart was a little ck and ck-bellied, he would never wield his sword and swung it against his parents. It was even more impossible for him to do it with his sane and rational mind.
So, what other hidden secrets are in the novel?!
This thought only passed by in a sh, since Duan Wang Fei got up and said to her.
¡°Xiao Jiu, you rarelye here so let me show you around.¡±
Qin Jiu also hurriedly stood up and readily followed her.
Duan Wang Fei took Qin Jiu to the small garden on the northeast side of the manor for a walk, and along the way, she continued to gossip with Qin Jiu.
And thinking that since Qin Jiu would soon marry into their family, she brought up some affairs in the manor, lest the little girl would be too ignorant in the future and have to bite her teeth and suffer a loss.
Duan Wang Fei walked and talked all the way, basically telling Qin Jiu whates to mind.
¡°Although Zezhi is the legitimate son, the eldest son of the house is from wangye¡¯s concubine, Gu Chenzhi, who is eighteen years older than Zezhi. The eldest son¡¯s consortes from a schrly family, and his father is a fourth-ranking general judge. The eldest son¡¯s firstborn son, Gu Haojun, has recently been talking about marriage and looking for a good prospect youngdy.¡±
¡°Wangye has two concubines, one is the birth mother of the heir, and the other concubine have birth to wangye¡¯s second son. In total wangye has five sons and eight daughters with his concubines except for Zezhi who is my son.¡±
¡°Zezhi¡¯s has three older sisters who are already married, he has one younger sister who is also married, while the other four younger sisters, Xingwu, Xingliu, Xingqi, and Xingba are at a marriageable age.¡±
Duan Wang Fei gave a general introduction to the concubine-born daughters that were yet to be married and the daughter-inw and soon to be daughter-inw. After all, Qin Jiu would inevitably have contact with these sisters and sister-inw when she marries into the family.
For others such as wangye¡¯s concubines, Duan Wang Fei doesn¡¯t say much about them, anyway, Zezhi¡¯s wife doesn¡¯t need to interact with these people that often.
Qin Jiu listened with a smile but deep inside she couldn¡¯t help but roast Duan Wang Ye: wangye¡¯s kidneys are really good.
With so many concubines and children, the backyard of his manor is really lively enough.
But¡
Qin Jiu huddled her cloak and looked at the smiling side profile of Wangfei Duan. Except for the obvious disgust in Wangfei¡¯s tone when she mentioned the heir apparent, Gu Chenzhi, she was gentle and impartial to the other concubine-born sons and daughters.
Now that she heard this, it would be safe to mention that Duan Wang Fei was deliberately letting her know her attitude toward the heir apparent, right? After all, Duan Wang Fei¡¯s attitude more or less also represents Gu Zezhi¡¯s attitude.
Qin Jiu pursed her lips as she thought pensively.
When the wind blew, the corner of her cloak was blown up revealing an octagon hand stove in her hand.
Evidently, Duan Wang Fei saw that Qin Jiu¡¯s hand stove looked familiar. The lid was carved with a pair of magpies holding plums, obviously, this hand stove was a pair with the one brought by her son that day.
The smile on Duan Wang Fei¡¯s face deepened even more, with a bit of jesting, understanding, and relief.
She smilingly expressed her son¡¯s good faith, ¡°Xiao Jiu, Zezhi is different from his father, Zezhi doesn¡¯t have a concubine, all the rooms in his courtyard are for his servants, guards, and some old momos¡±
Qin Jiu curled the corners of her lips.
Among other things, Gu Zezhi¡¯s ability to take care of himself was really not like a prince or a noble son. She was sure of this as she saw it firsthand when they were traveling to Longzhou, he never asked for a servant.
Wang momo, on the other hand, was following closely behind as she watched Duan Wang Fei chatting happily with Qin Jiu and couldn¡¯t help her lips from smiling.
In recent years, Duan Wang Fei has been worried about the marriage of his the third master, and she has argued with wangye several times for this reason.
Now that the third master¡¯s marriage was finally settled, Duan Wang Fei¡¯s heart could also be at ease, and seeing the young miss Qin¡¯s attitude right now, the future third young madam looks good, and she gets along well with wangfei.
After the young miss Qin passes their door, Duan Wang Fei has another person to talk to.
With these thoughts, Wang momo was also looking forward to the day of Qin Jiu¡¯s wedding.
¡°Wangfei, shall we go to the warm pavilion in front to have a rest?¡± Qin Jiu suggested with a smile. She was not tired, but she could see that Duan Wang Fei was a little tired.
Duan Wang Fei responded with a smile, pointing to the smallke beside the warm pavilion and saying, ¡°There is also a group of fire carp in theke. They are as red as fire.¡±
The servant girls were very smart. They not only served tea and snacks in the warm pavilion but also sent a box of fish food.
As soon as Duan Wang Fei sat down, she covered her mouth with her handkerchief and coughed softly.
Qin Jiu hurriedly caressed her back and ordered the servant girl to pour a cup of warm tea.
Duan Wang Fei coughed a few more times before the coughing stopped and drank some warm tea.
She wiped the corner of her lips with a handkerchief and smiled at Qin Jiu.
¡°No need to worry, I just catch a cold recently.¡±
Seeing that Duan Wang Fei¡¯s face was slightly pale, Qin Jiu asked with concern, ¡°Has Duan Wang Fei seen a physician?¡±
¡°Yes.¡± Duan Wang Fei answered.
¡°We¡¯ve seen two physicians, and I¡¯ve been taking medicine for more than ten days, but nothing has improved.¡± Wang momo on the side couldn¡¯t help interrupting.
As she said this, Wang momo couldn¡¯t hide her worries. Duan Wang Fei was in good health, and she had never seen her in any serious illness in these years.
But since she got a cold in autumn this year, Duan Wang Fei¡¯s body was getting worse day by day. She has asked their family physician to check on Duan Wang Fei several times, she also has drunk a lot of decoction and medicine but instead of getting better, she gets worse little by little instead.
And not long ago, because of the assassination incident that happened to the third young master, she got extremely angry and became seriously ill. Since that, she had been sick until now.
Aftering to the capital, two imperial physicians was sent but there was no improvement at all.
***
Chapter 243
Chapter 243
Qin Jiu remembered that it was often said in movies, TV dramas, and novels that imperial physicians in the pce only wanted to do nothing and does not admit theyck talent. Therefore, most of the prescriptions were used to seek favor and stability in their positions.
Qin Jiu then suggested, ¡°Wangfei, why don¡¯t we ask the famous physicians in the capital to have a look?¡±
Wang momo nodded and said, ¡°The third master also said so, but wangfei did not think it was necessary, saying that she had only taken the medicine for a few days, so the effect is not so noticeable yet.¡±
Qin Jiu frowned slightly, then said coquettishly, ¡°Wangfei, this is not eptable. If you don¡¯t ask a physician to take a look, I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to sleep at night when I go back.¡±
She also widened her pair of ck almond-like eyes, looking charming, na?ve, and cute at the same time.
Duan Wang Fei was amused.
Qin Jiu climbed up the pole, smiled, and said to Wang momo.
¡°Wang momo, if Duan Wang Fei smiled, it means she agreed, so hurry up and ask the physician to go, lest Duan Wang Fei take it back again.¡±
Wang momo looked at Duan Wang Fei and saw that she did not oppose her. She responded with a smile, secretly boasting that the future third young madam was clever.
In the past, even if wangfei¡¯s servants persuaded her, Duan Wang Fei would not necessarily listen.
The third master was a man, and it was not good for them to always disturb him for some internal affairs in the inner courtyard. However, after the third young madam passes the door, Duan Wang Fei would have someone she could share her worries with and would take good care of her.
Wang momo hurriedly sent a servant girl to the Renji Hall to ask for a physician, while Duan Wang Fei and Qin Jiu went back to the main hall riding on a sedan chair.
Gu Zezhi was back first before the physician arrived.
When he reached the eaves, he heard a woman¡¯sughter in the room, which added some warmth to the chilly winter.
The corners of Gu Zezhi¡¯s lips were slightly curved, and his footsteps subconsciously sped up.
The servants in the main hall saw Gu Zezhi and hurriedly bowed.
¡°Third master.¡±
Concurrently, someone draws the curtain for him. By this time Qin Jiu and Duan Wang fei in the east secondary room heard the sound and looked over in his direction with both of them smiling.
Qin Jiu waved his hand at Gu Zezhi and smiled, ¡°Big brother, you¡¯re back!¡±
Gu Zezhi looked at the smiling faces of the two, and the smile on his lips widened even more, like a spring breeze.
¡°What are you guys talking about?¡± Gu Zezhi asked casually.
Gu Zezhi lifted his robe and sat down on an armchair beside Qin Jiu, with a straight and elegant posture.
Qin Jiu looked at Gu Zezhi and smiled until her eyes narrowed into two slits.
¡°Duan Wang Fei is telling me about your childhood!¡±
She deliberately increased the volume on the word ¡°childhood¡± and smiled even more.
Gu Zezhi looked at Duan Wangfei, who was also still smiling mysteriously and winked at Qin Jiu, meaning that this was a little secret between the two of them.
Qin Jiu nodded and smilingly offered Gu Zezhi tea, ¡°Big brother, have some tea, your favorite Liu¡¯an tea.¡±
Qin Jiu confidently and boldly acts as a host and treated Gu Zezhi as a guest generously.
Duan Wang Fei liked her undisguised attitude and made her smile deepened even more. She has been waiting for her son to get married for five or six years, and she could now finally achieve what she had been praying for. For her, as long as the young couple was harmonious that was all she could ask for.
Gu Zezhi has just had a sip of tea when a servant girl who had gone to invite a physician came back bringing an old physician with gray hair and a medicine boy carrying a medicine box.
¡°Duan Wang Fei, this is Physician Li from Jishitang.¡± The servant girl bowed to Duan Wang Fei.
The old physician and the medicine boy hurriedly saluted at Duan Wang Fei, ¡°Greetings Duan Wang Fei.¡±
Gu Zezhi raised his eyebrows in surprise.
Originally, Gu Zezhi nned that after he came back today, he would ask someone to invite a famous physician from the capital to check on his mother but unexpectedly, someone had already invited a physician.
Wang momo smiled and said: ¡°Third Master, it is third young miss Qin¡¯s ability, she persuaded wangfei to invite a physician. Third master, you are not as sweet as third young miss Qin.¡±
Wang momo dared to speak up like this to Gu Zezhi because she was the dowry maid of Duan Wang Fei and had watched Gu Zezhi grow up.
Her words made Duan Wang Fei smile deeper, and several servant girls beside her also couldn¡¯t help curling their lips upward.
Qin Jiu also smiled with curved eyes and eyebrows as she thought to herself that since she met Gu Zezhi, her ability to coax people has really grown!
Gu Zezhi looks at her more softly.
Two servant maids quickly brought a chair and asked Physician Li to sit down.
Physician Li felt Duan Wang Fei¡¯s pulse skillfully. After a long time, he got up and said.
¡°Duan Wang Fei, Third Young Master, Duan Wang Fei is overworked, thus her body is weak and feeble. And because of the cold wind¡¡±
Gu Zezhi didn¡¯t say anything, but he wondered if there were too many bad things going on in Luo¡¯an City, that¡¯s why his mother was overworked?
He was thinking of letting Duan Wang Fei stay in the capital for a long time, but now he has made up his mind.
After Physician Li had prescribed the prescription, the servant girl specially brought it to Gu Zezhi to look over.
The ink on the prescription was squarely dried and emits a faint ink scent.
Gu Zezhi quickly scanned the prescription.
He was not proficient in medicine and only knows a little knowledge of medical theory and the medicinal properties of some herbals.
Recently, he also turned over some ssical prescriptions in the theory of typhoid fever in order to deal with Duan Wang Fei¡¯s disease and gain some understanding. And upon seeing this prescription, he could safe to say that it was much the same as the prescriptions prescribed by the two former imperial physicians.
But the prescriptions of the imperial physicians were to provide more heat and give more nourishment, while the prescription of Physician Li focuses on clearing the heat of her three truncal cavities, also energizing and tonifying the spleen and lungs, and strengthening the vitality.
After thinking about it for a moment, Gu Ze instructed the young servant, ¡°Just boil it ording to this recipe.¡±
***
Chapter 244
Chapter 244
His mother has seen two imperial physicians and had eaten too many medicines, but it was too little to no effects. With these thoughts, it was better to try this well-known physician, also, Jishitang was a century-old hospital in the capital, and it has been famous for generations.
The servant girl sent Physician Li away, and immediately after that, Qin Jiu took the initiative to say goodbye, not wanting to disturb Duan Wang Fei¡¯s rest.
When Duan Wang Fei saw that it was gettingte, she didn¡¯t keep Qin Jiu and said to Gu Zezhi.
¡°Zezhi, send Xiao Jiu out for me.¡±
Gu Zezhi agreed.
After stepping out of the threshold, Du Ruo quickly put on a pink cloak with a white mink fur hood.
As the snow drifted away from the grey sky, it was hard to know when the snow would fall heavily again.
Du Ruo was thinking about whether to ask the people from the manor to prepare a soft sedan chair when he saw Gu Zezhi take an azurite-colored oil paper umbre from the servant girl and naturally supported Qin Jiu¡¯s head.
¡°Watch out for the steps.¡±
Gu Zezhi reminded Qin Jiu as they walked down unhurriedly.
Du Ruo swallowed back the unspoken words, also borrowed an oil paper umbre from the servants, and wittinglygged behind a few steps as she silently followed behind the two of them.
The snow started to fall more and more heavily, and the dense snowkes were ¡°rustling¡± against the paper umbre, which blurs the vision of the sky.
The not-so-small oil paper umbre separates the two from the outside world.
The two walked slowly, joking andughing, and in a short while, they arrived at the Qin family¡¯s carriage.
¡°Big Brother ¡¡¡± Qin Jiu was about to say goodbye to Gu Zezhi when she saw a few snowkes smeared on his left shoulder.
She took out a handkerchief from her sleeve pocket and gently brushed the snow off his shoulder with it on tiptoe.
Seeing that his robe was clean and spotless, Qin Jiu smiled with satisfaction, then raised her small face, and said to Gu Zezhi in a somewhat meritorious tone: ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡±
The oil paper umbre cast a light shadow on Qin Jiu¡¯s small face so when she looked up at Gu Zezhi, her long and thick eyshes trembled slightly, making her dark almond eyes extremely bright.
Her eyes were soft and were like flowing water as she smiled beautifully.
Gu Zezhi stared nkly before he look at Qin Jiu with a smile, ¡°Wrong.¡±
Qin Jiu was stunned to see Gu Ze Zhi personally lift the curtains of the carriage for her.
¡°Between you and me, there is no need to say thank you.¡±
The corners of his graceful lips curled up slightly, curving out in a pleasant arc, gentle as the warm breeze of three springs.
Qin Jiu was not polite to him at all as she stepped into the carriage and said, ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±
At this time, the boy led Gu Zezhi¡¯s white horse to him and handed the reins to Gu Zezhi, as well as putting a cloak on him.
Gu Zezhi sharply got on the horse, and soon one horse and one carriage drove out of the west corner gate of the manor at the sound of the coachman¡¯s whipping.
The Marquis of Zhongyi¡¯s residence was not far from Duan Wang¡¯s residence, so after a stick of incense, Gu Zezhi sent Qin Jiu back to the Marquis of Zhongyi¡¯s residence.
In such a short time, a thinyer of snow has umted on the ground, roof, and treetops, turning into goose feather snow.
Qin Jiu was not at all polite with Gu Zezhi as she did not say thank you, and just directly waved her hand and said, ¡°Be careful on the road.¡±
The young girl smiled sweetly, the original delicate and beautiful face was like a hibiscus blooming in the beginning, scorching its splendor.
The carriage soon entered the Marquis of Zhongyi¡¯s residence under the guidance of the gatekeeper and only after the corner gate of the Marquis¡¯ residence was closed did Gu Zezhi spur his horse away.
When Qin Jiu returned to the Yuanxiang Courtyard, she had just asked Du Ruo to put the incense given by Duan Wang Fei to be lit at night when she went to bed, when a maid came to report.
¡°Third young miss, someone from the Wei family has just arrived, they are here to deliver the New Year¡¯s gift, and are at Old Madam¡¯s courtyard. Old Madam asked you to go over there when you return.¡±
The Wei family was Qin Jiu¡¯s the maternal family, her birth mother¡¯s family, so Qin Jiu went over there immediately.
The person who came from the Wei family was an olddy who was in her fifties, she was wearing a rusty dark patterned robe. Arriving at the ce she was currently sitting on a chair wrapped in embroidered fabric bestowed to her by Old Madam Qin and was eagerly looking forward to her arrival.
Seeing Qin Jiuing in, Old Lady Wei stood up excitedly from the chair
Qin Jiu first greeted Old Madam Qin before Cui momo introduced Old Lady Wei who was on the side.
¡°Third young miss, this is Yu momo, who served beside the young miss maternal grandmother¡¡¡±
¡°Alike, really alike¡..¡± muttered Yu momo as she stared dead on at Qin Jiu in excitement.
She couldn¡¯t control herself and took two steps forward, bending her knees to give Qin Jiu a greeting.
¡°Greetings, young miss.¡± Her eyes were red, and even her breath became rushed.
Qin Jiu: ¡°¡¡±
Holding a handkerchief, Yu momo wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and said.
¡°Young Miss, this servant also watched your mother grow up when she was a child. The young miss and your mother really look alike, you look just exactly the same¡¡±
While talking, Yu momo¡®s eyes became redder, and choked slightly.
She took a deep breath, eased up a little, and then said.
¡°Your esteemed grandfather and grandmother received a letter from the Empress in October. Originally the old madam wanted toe to the capital in person but before leaving, the old madam fell ill and took more than a month to recuperate.¡±
¡°Both your grandfather and grandmother wanted to see the young miss with their own eyes, but the old Old Master could not leave his post at will and since old madam was not well this winter, he sent his servants to greet the young miss.¡±
¡°Old Madam said she woulde to the capital as soon as spring starts.¡±
As she spoke, Yu momo couldn¡¯t help sighing.
The Wei family would always send New Year gifts to the Qin family every year. In the past ten years, she has basicallye to the capital to send these gifts and every time she would also pay her respect to Qin Xin.
When Qin Xin was growing up and her facial features developed, Yu momo saw that Qin Xin doesn¡¯t look the same as second madam Wei nor Old madam Wei but she never thought that Qin Xin was not the real daughter.
***
Chapter 245: Incense
Chapter 245- Incense
When Qin Xin was growing up and her facial features developed, Yu momo saw that Qin Xin doesn¡¯t look the same as second madam Wei nor Old madam Wei but she never thought that Qin Xin was not the real daughter.
Fortunately, second madam Wei and master Qin who were in heaven were blessed by Buddha so they were able to get the real young miss Qin back!!
Yu momo recited the Buddha scriptures devoutly in her heart, and then went on.
¡°I just heard from Old Madam that young miss just recently got engaged, when this servant just traveled from Suzhou, the Wei family had not heard about this news yet. If Old Master and old madam knew about it, they will be very happy.¡±
Although Yu momo has never met Gu Zezhi, she was assured that the emperor would not let Qin Jiu with just anyone, not to mention the empress must approve of this first so the third master of Duan wangfu must be a good man!
Yu momo breathed a long sigh of relief inwardly and smiled with joy.
At this time, the sound of a maid greeting someone came from outside: ¡°Fifth Master.¡±
Immediately after, the curtain was crudely raised and Qin Zeyu who was dressed in blue robes walked in with quick steps.
Qin Zeyu knew Yu momo very well, and after greeting Old Madam Qin, he took the initiative to talk to Yu momo: ¡°Yu momo, how are grandfather, grandmother, and several aunts and uncles?¡±
¡°Young Master Yu, good, everyone is good.¡±
As soon as Yu momo saw Qin Zeyu, she smiled brightly and her eyes form into slits as the lines on the corner of her eyes were showing.
¡°Master Ning said you wanted to learn martial arts, so he asked the Old Master to send a martial arts master over, Master Wu is here.¡±
¡°Really!¡± Qin Zeyu¡¯s eyes instantly lit up, and the whole person jumped three feet high, cheering.
¡°Grandfather is really the best!!!¡±
After returning to the capital from the winter hunt, Qin Zeyu has been following Qin Zining and asked several times about Master Wu but was dismissed by his brother with an ¡°I¡¯m still looking¡±.
Truth be told, Qin Zeyu also secretly wondered if his brother has reneged on his promise.
But it seems that he got it wrong, his brother wouldn¡¯t break his promise as he was a gentleman that honored his words and with this thought, Qin Zeyu repented inwardly. Right after, he couldn¡¯t wait to ask.
¡°Yu momo, where is the person?¡±
Old Madam Qin, who was sitting on the kang shang*, shook her head in disbelief at Qin Zeyu¡¯s hyperactive appearance and replied for Yu momo.
(*kind of bed made of adobe or brick that has a hole at the bottom which can be heated by fire)
¡°He is in the outer courtyard. I have asked the head steward to arrange a guest room for him.¡±
Yu momo brought Master Wu over, so naturally, she had already informed Old Madam Qin about this.
After hearing this Qin Zeyu could no longer sit still, Old Madam Qin said thoughtfully.
¡°Xiao Jiu¡¯er, Xiao Yu¡¯er, take Yu momo down to have a good talk.¡±
Immediately afterward, Old Madam Qin instructed Cui momo to give the gift list to Qin Jiu, ¡°Xiao Jiu¡¯er, keep this gift list.¡±
She meant that these gifts would not be distributed back to the public but back to her family.
Old Madam Qin said this not only for Qin Jiu but for Yu momo to hear, as it was like telling the Wei family.
Qin Jiu was not polite to Old Madam Qin at all and epted this gift list unrestrained.
When Qin Jiu and others went out from Ronghe Hall, a delicate figure draped in a plum-red cloak happened to be walking towards them, with a servant girl holding an umbre for her.
The bright plum-red color stood out in the surrounding area of an icy snowy sky.
¡°Third sister, fifth brother.¡± Qin Xin, who was walking slowly, smiled faintly at Qin Jiu and Qin Zeyu, and called out to Yu momo as well, ¡°Yu momo.¡±
Qin Xin wanted to talk about the past with Yu momo, but unexpectedly, thetter didn¡¯t even look at her as if she hadn¡¯t heard her at all, instead, Yu momo smiled at Qin Jiu and said.
¡°Young miss watch your step, it¡¯s slippery because of the snow.¡±
The three people walked past Qin Xin and went outside Ronghe Hall.
Qin Xin stood motionless on the spot, her hands in the cloak tightly clenched into fists, and her round nails tightly pinched her tender palms.
Her face was also getting gloomy as the knife-like cold wind scrape her tender cheeks.
What else would she expect? She knew people like this would always step on people with low status.
When she was knocked to the bottom, even those servants looked down on her!
Qin Xin was ashamed and angry as she gnashed her teeth in hatred.
Qin Jiu took everything from her without much effort, just as she did in herst life.
Qin Xin suddenly moved, turned around slowly, and looked at Qin Jiu, Qin Zeyu, and Yu momo¡®s backs as her lips closed in a straight line.
She should have recognized this reality long ago.
In the eyes of the Qin family, there was only blood.
In the eyes of the world, there was only status.
If she was still the future Second Prince Consort, how would Yu momo dare to treat her like this!!!
And very quickly, the cold wind in the courtyard became more violent, blowing a few snowkes on Qin Xin¡¯s willow eyebrows and eyshes, lining her beautiful little face a little colder.
Qin Xin¡¯s eyes gradually sank, and she said to herself¡ª
She hasn¡¯t lost yet!!!
She was the one who has been reborn in a new life, she was the one who has been sheltered by the heavens.
Since God has given her a chance to start over, she would never easily admit defeat after all she knows many things that would happen in the future.
The more they want to suppress her, and the more they want to see her as a joke, the more she wants to live a better life!
Qin Xin turned around and walked back in a different direction from where Qin Jiu was going and the distance between them was getting farther and farther.
After leaving the courtyard of Ronghe Hall, Qin Jiu walked along the winding corridors with Qin Zeyu and Yu momo.
¡°Yu momo, do you know the Xiao¡¯s in Jiangnan?¡± Qin Jiu asked as she walked.
The reason why she asked this question was that her grandfather, Old Master Wei, was the governor of Jiangnan in Suzhou, and the Xiao family was also in Jiangnan.
Yu momo, of course, knew Xiao about the Xiao family. She also knew that the reason why Qin Jiu asked about the Xiao family was because of Duan Wang Fei.
Yu momo said: ¡°The Wei family is well acquainted with the Xiao family, and the two have frequent dealings.¡±
¡°The Xiao family is a prestigious family that has been producing officials for hundred years, Duan Wang Fei is the first daughter of the Xiao family in Jiangnan, they raised their children really well. Duan Wang Fei is a well-known young miss in her younger days before she waster married and became the madam of the Duan, the younger brother of thete emperor.¡±
Speaking of this past, Yu momo was also somewhat emotional.
¡°In those years, Duan Wang Fei had been unable to bear children after she married, and in those years also, she had invited countless famous doctors from all over the country but they all had the same answer. It was difficult for wangfei to get pregnant, and because of that Duan Wangye had to dere his seventeen-year-old eldest son as his heir apparent to the emperor. No one would have thought that just a few months after the emperor sealed the heir apparent, Duan Wang Fei had good news!¡±
Yu momo couldn¡¯t help but feel helpless.
The third master Gu was the legitimate son and the only legitimate son of Duan Wangye but because of circumstances, he had to lower his head to a concubine-born son.
But on second thought, it might just be how fate works.
If the third master Gu was the heir apparent then with his identity and status, this marriage would not be possible.
The world was determined by fate.
Just like Young Miss Qin, although she was taken away by those scoundrels, she was able to get back and recognize her ancestors.
Thinking of Qin Jiu¡¯s sufferings over the years, Yu momo felt distressed.
Yu momoposed herself, then said: ¡°This ve servant also heard that Duan Wang Fei is quite capable of managing the family, although Duan Wangye has many concubine-born sons and daughters, there was never a trouble.¡±
¡°Those concubines in the wangfu are respectful and obedient, I have never heard of any conspiracy going on at the rear courtyard or children dying early. It was peaceful.¡±
¡°Undoubtedly, all the daughters of the Xiao family are that capable!¡±
While talking, they already pass the second door and came to the outer courtyard.
Qin Jiu then instructed to invite Master Wu, and the three of them went on to the Yijia Garden where Qin Zeyu lived.
Along the way, Yu momo quickly told the brother and sister about Master Wu.
***
Chapter 246: Incense
Chapter 246- Incense
The martial artist invited by the Wei family was surnamed named Yue, he used to be one of the members of a gang called Cao. A few years ago, the old leader of the gang was seriously ill, and Master Yue and another membered named Cai were the strongest contenders to be the next leader of the gang.
However, master Yue was falsely used of plotting against the old leader and almost lost his life by lynching. Fortunately, old master Wei intervened to stop the Cao gang and help clear Master Yue¡¯s name.
Master Yue was extremely disappointed with the Cao Gang that he quit, and because of the kindness shown to him by Old Master Wei, he stayed with the Wei family over the years, serving as a personal guard to Old Master Wei.
And his willingness toe to the Qin family this time as a teaching martial arts master was also due to Old Master Wei¡¯s wish.
After Yu momo finished, she mentioned.
¡°Young Master Yu, Master Yue is highly skilled in martial arts, you should learn well from Master Yue in the future.¡±
Qin Zeyu nodded repeatedly with his eyes shining as he listened with relish to these anecdotes that he had only heard in the mouths of storytellers.
After a while, Master Yue followed the maidservant to Yijiayuan.
He was about thirty years old, tall and burly, but he only wears a simple blue robe in cold weather with his upright posture, and his eyes were bright and full of expression.
Seeing that this man has clear and honest eyes, Qin Jiu was relieved. Considering that he has stayed in the Wei family for so many years because Old Master Wei has been kind to him, he was obviously a man of loyalty.
In addition, the Wei family should also have great respect for Master Yue after listening to Yu momo¡®s tone just now.
Qin Jiu pointed at the bluestone floor and said, ¡°A¡¯Yu, why don¡¯t hurry up and greet your master!¡±
Her meaning was very clear. It was to make Qin Zeyu kneel down and salute, which was no longer the etiquette for someone who only teaches a student.
All in all, the general status of martial masters who were asked to teach nobles in the capital was no different from that of general guards, but Master Yue was far moreparable to those masters.
So, when Qin Jiu asked Qin Zeyu to kneel down and perform the obeisance, his rtionship with Master Yue would not just be ordinary teacher-student anymore.
In this era, masters and apprentices were like fathers and sons. Apprentices must obey their masters and most of the masters would devote themselves to teaching their apprentices.
Master Yue looked at Qin Jiu in surprise and hurriedly said, ¡°I dare not, I dare not.¡±
Yu momo was also surprised, but after a short shock, her smile deepened, and looked very happy thinking that Qin Jiu was worthy of being the daughter of Second Madam Wei. She was knowledgeable, does not bother about trifles, and courageous as the Second Madam and Old Madam.
Qin Zeyu dared not say no to his sister¡¯s order and immediately fell down on his knees with a plop. Without giving Master Yue a chance to object, he bowed down and kowtowed, calling out, ¡°Master.¡±
A servant boy of Qin Zeyu carefully handed him tea. Qin Zeyu then held the teacup with both hands and handed it to Master Yue.
Master Yue¡¯s thin lips were slightly curved and his eyes sh.
Before he came, Old Man Wei told him tactfully that his grandson Qin Zeyu was a kind of mischievous devil.
So, Master Yue prepared himself, after all, as far as he knows most of the nobles in the capital looked down on people who came from Jianghu, especially in this great Qi Dynasty that valued literature over martial arts.
With this little knowledge, he agrees toe to the capital and teach Qin Zeyu martial arts for a few years as how a paid teacher teaches a student just to repay Old Man Wei for saving his life and showing him kindness.
Unexpectedly, this third young miss Qin was unlike any daughter of a government official. She was very respectful to him, while this fifth young master was spirited and had a very simple personality.
Perhaps in the next few years, his life in the Qin family would be different from what he expected.
Master Yue still had a stern look on his face but a smile shed across his eyes as he took Qin Zeyu¡¯s cup and casually took a sip, unperturbed by the fact that the cup he receives was the apprentice¡¯s cup of tea.
Opposite to what he appear outside, inwardly since he now recognized the young man as his apprentice, he should give it all and teach him.
Qin Zeyu smilingly got up from the ground and eagerly asked, ¡°Master, today¡ no what are you going to teach me tomorrow?¡±
Qin Jiu patted Qin Zeyu on the back and asked, ¡°Where is your Six Rites payment?¡±
What she meant was, since he didn¡¯t give his payment yet it was not good to rush Master Yue with his lessons.
Qin Zeyu puffed out his chest and said confidently, ¡°I¡¯ll make it up tomorrow, no, I¡¯ll make it up tonight!!!¡±
Master Yue settled down in the Qin family, and as for Yu momo after Qin Zening returned from the court, he invited Yu momo to wish her with good health before she went to the Wei family¡¯s mansion in the capital to stay.
Qin Zening then asked someone to take Master Yue to rest, he then left Qin Zeyu behind and carefully instructed him.
¡°A¡¯Yu, you said you are determined to learn martial arts, and now that we have invited a martial arts master you should study hard, this is up to you now.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry, Brother, I will!¡± Qin Zeyu patted his chest and agreed cheerfully, his face glowing.
He liked martial arts and hated literature since childhood but neither Old Madam Qin nor Qin Xin allowed him to learn martial arts. But now, it was good that his real sister was back.
So, Qin Zeyu began his training from the 19th to the 27th day after the winter solstice and hadn¡¯t cked off even after the heavy snow.
The snow fell for three days in a row and on the fifteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, the snow finally stopped.
Yu momo was about to leave for Suzhou, and on behalf of the three siblings, Qin Jiu had prepared a gift for Yu momo to take back with her and bring to the Wei family.
In addition to some specialties in the capital she bought, she also made two pairs of knee pads for her grandfather and grandmother herself.
She just learned feminine* needlework so her hands were very slow, and it took her several all-nighters and changed a few times to be able to do it. It couldn¡¯t be considered exquisite, but little ingenuity could be seen in her work.
(*needlework technique)
Maybe because she has been stayingte and the wind during the night was cold, the day after Yu momo left Qin Jiu fell ill.
She has beenzing on her bed and was lying with the incense wafting inside her room, which seemed to make her head even more dizzy.
***
Chapter 247
Chapter 247
Du Ruo tried the temperature on Qin Jiu¡¯s forehead with her hand before she breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°No fever.¡±
Seeing the dryness of Qin Jiu¡¯s lips, Du Ruo went and poured her a cup of warm tea as she muttered.
¡°Young miss, you secretly opened the windowst night, didn¡¯t you?¡±
It was now the twelfth lunar month, and the weather was cold so houses would put a charcoal pot in their rooms to keep them warm but Qin Jiu dislikes it as she feels stuffy so she would often get up at night to secretly open the window.
Du Ruo had previously talked to Qin Jiu about this several times, but despite being admonished repeatedly, Qin Jiu was unrepentant.
Feeling somewhat guilty, Qin Jiu did not dare to retort.
Du Ruo looked at her wilting appearance and felt distressed. She said, ¡°Young Miss, let me ask a doctor to see you.¡±
¡°No need!¡± Qin Jiu hurriedly refused.
¡°I¡¯m just suffering from some cold. I can just drink this with some ginger soup and sleep for two days. Why do I need to see a doctor for?¡± Most importantly traditional Chinese medicine is extremely bitter.
Du Ruo frowned slightly, remembering how the young miss persuaded Duan Wang Fei to see a doctor, and could still vividly hear how eloquent she was in saying how she would be afraid if she refused to be seen.
Knowing Du Ruo, Qin Jiu immediately knew that she was going to nag, so she quickly changed the topic.
¡°Du Ruo, I¡¯m a little sleepy, I¡¯ll go to sleep first!¡± She then covered her head with the quilt, looking like he was about to fall asleep.
Du Ruo had no choice but to step back and said, ¡°Then you should go to sleep first young miss. If you still feel ufortable, you should call a doctor!¡±
Qin Jiu was very courteous as she got out of the quilt and nodded hastily.
¡°I¡¯ll listen to Du Ruo!¡±
Hearing Qin Jiu¡¯s brown-nosing, Du Ruo finds her funny. Before going out she nce at the incense and saw that it was about to run out so she added more incense.
When Qin Jiu saw this, she yawned and said, ¡°Don¡¯t add more, I¡¯m dizzy.¡±
Du Ruoplied and put out the incense from the incense burner.
Qin Jiu closed her eyes drowsily and when she woke up, she continued reading a book as she enjoys Du Ruo¡¯s attentive service and barely getting off the bed.
After resting like this for two days, Qin Jiu became active and beaming again.
Qin Jiu: ¡°It¡¯s just a little cold! And I¡¯m all good now, so it was just nothing after all!¡±
Qin Jiu smiled proudly, but Du Ruo felt a little sad. Knowing that the young miss was abused by Zhao Aman and his wife while she was little, she must have fended herself for those times when she was sick and survived on her own.
Qin Jiu ineffably saw a touch of bitterness in Du Ru¡¯s eyes and wondered if Du Ruo had been aggrieved by something, but before she could say anything, she saw Du Ruo receive a carved wooden box from a young maid behind her and said,
¡°Young miss, this is the silver ingot that the Yinlou* just sent this morning, take a look.¡±
(*Silverware store/ jewelry center)
The wooden box contains a box of silver ingots, each of which was of different sizes and shapes, and was very delicate and cute, including cats, rabbits, peonies,dybirds, eagles, and so on.
This was specially made to order by Qin Jiu from Yinlou, she was nning to give it to Qin Zining, Qin Zeyu, and Gu Zhen as New Year¡¯s gift.
Qin Jiu divided the silver ingots with great spirits, putting them into several pouches one by one, and also put silver ingots on Gu Zezhi¡¯s embroidered pouch she prepared.
Ah, let¡¯s put an extra one for the golden thigh.
Qin Jiu generously put another silver ingot into a purple purse embroidered with a green parrot.
Qin Jiu gave Du Ruo a quick nce and after pondering for a while she quietly prepares New Year¡¯s Eve money for her as well and instructed.
¡°Du Ruo, you help me fetch the box of Jiuhe incense.¡±
Du Ruo then went to fetch a box of Jiuhe incense over and asked, ¡°Young Miss, do you want this maid light it up for you?¡±
While opening the box of Jiuhe incense, Qin Jiu said, ¡°I¡¯ll do it myself, go and fetch me another smudge cage. It is said in the Imperial Incense Book that Jiuhe incense has a very good effect of calming the mind and nourishing the qi, so I want to try daubing Jiuhe incense onto the pouch.¡±
Qin Jiu did as she wanted and personally lit Jiuhe incense and put it into the smudge cage. She covered it with the smoke cover that Du Ruo had brought, before she sent all the servants out, and then cheerfully smoked the pouches by herself.
The smell of Jiuhe incense was as fresh as orchid, with a hint of plum fragrance, which was delicate and ssic.
Qin Jiu had nothing to do on the sidelines, so she flipped through the book again, and before she knew it, she had read half of the book, and was once again a little dizzy.
She put down the book, yawned twice, and fell asleep on the gufei couch*¡
(*imperial concubine couch)
¡°Third young miss, third young miss¡¡¡±
When Du Ruo woke her up, Qin Jiu realized that the sky was already quite dark. She raised her eyes to look out the window, it was already sunset.
Obviously, she had slept, but instead, she felt dizzier, her body seemed heavy and she felt ufortable.
¡°Third young miss, it¡¯s time to go to Ronghe Hall.¡± Du Ruo reminded while fixing Qin Jiu¡¯s clothes and tucking loose hair on her temples.
It was now time to pay her respect to her elders, Qin Jiu smoothed out her clothes before she stood up and went out.
As soon as she came out of the house, a biting cold wind greeted her, making Qin Jiu shiver.
Du Ruo hurriedly put on a cloak for Qin Jiu.
Qin Jiu on the other hand stood there in a daze and didn¡¯t move for a while.
When Du Ruo was about to ask, she heard Qin Jiu ask one step ahead of her, ¡°Have I been using Jiuhe incense when I go to sleep recently?¡±
¡°Yes. Jiuhe incense calms the spirit, so this ve servant lit it while you slept.¡±
Du Ruo nodded, ¡°It¡¯s just that after you fell ill, young miss, you didn¡¯t use it these few nights.¡±
Qin Jiu: ¡°¡¡±
Qin Jiu gathered her cloak, her eyes flickered, and said nothing more as she slowly walked down the stone steps and went to Ronghe Hall to pay her respects to Old Madam Qin.
By the time Qin Jiu returned to Wanxiang Courtyard, the setting sun had already set in half, dyeing the western sky like brocade.
Qin Jiu went into her small study and turned over the ¡°Imperial Incense Manual¡± until she reached the page about Jiuhe Incense on page 15.
Jiuhe Incense, produced in Bogo, was a treasure in the incense. Its scent was as fragrant as orchid and plum, it helps with cleansing, and has the effect of calming the mind and nourishing qi.
Qin Jiu stared at the page for a long time and then closed the ¡°Imperial Incense Manual¡±. She said, ¡°Du Ruo, go to the Duan Mansion and hand over a letter that we¡¯re visiting. Tomorrow we will visit Duan Wangfei to pay our respects.¡±
It was alreadyte, so Du Ruo was a little surprised, but she stillplied. She prepared the letter as quickly as possible and went to the pce to send it over cautiously.
***
Chapter 248
Chapter 248
So, early the next morning, Qin Jiu visited the Duan Wang Mansion again.
¡°Xiao Jiu.¡± As soon as Duan Wang Fei Duan saw Qin Jiu, she just smiled happily and asked her to have tea and snacks.
Qin Jiu smilingly answered ¡°yes¡± and ate whatever Wangfei told her to eat at the same time, she also looked at Duan Wang Fei calmly and found that herplexion was much better thanst time and was secretly relieved.
Qin Jiu asked not battling an eyelid, ¡°Wangfei, are you feeling better?¡±
¡°I¡¯m much better.¡± Duan Wang Fei said with a smile, feeling very ttered by her future daughter-inw¡¯s concern.
Qin Jiu smiled, ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±
Wang momo on the side couldn¡¯t help but interfere.
¡°The physician from Jishitang really lives up to his name, the medicine he prescribed is very effective. Wangfei was fine after she drink it in a few days.¡±
As if joking, Wangs momo continued to grumble andin.
¡°Those imperial physicians only prescribe medications that stabilize wangfei but did not dare use permanent solutions causing wangfei¡¯s illness to prolong instead.¡±
Seeing that their wangfei was already in good health, the servants serving wangfei in her courtyard were relieved, and all of them were in good spirits
Qin Jiu took a sip of tea, smiled, and said, ¡°Duan Wang Fei, I was reading the Imperial Incense Manual recently, it is said there that many incenses have the effect of calming the mind, particrly Jiuhe incense. So, I used it for several days, and felt that I slept better at night.¡±
Speaking of this topic, Duan Wang Fei Duan became enthusiastic.
¡°This Jiuhe incense was obtained by a monk from the state of Bogo whom I met asionally when I went to offer incense once in September. Once upon a time, I had only heard of its name but never used it, and it was only by chance that I got three boxes.¡±
¡°This incense is fresh and exquisite. I also like it so much that I lit it day after day.¡±
Qin Jiu was momentarily stunned, and then mentally estimated how many sticks were in a box.
If Duan Wang Fei Duan had previously used it day after day, then that means one of the three boxes of Jiuhe incense had already been used, and only two boxes were left.
And since wangfei gave the remaining two boxes to her, that means in the past few days wangfei should have used fewer sticks in a day or none at all.
The smile on Qin Jiu¡¯s face deepened.
She continued to chat with Duan Wang Fei, talking about some well-known incense, andter even patted her chest and promised Duan Wang Fei that she would let her try her handmade incense next time.
Seeing that it was almost lunch, Duan Wang Fei smilingly said to her. ¡°Xiao Jiu, would you like to apany me for lunch today? Zezhi will be back in a moment.¡±
Qin Jiu naturally agreed.
Thest time she came to pay her respects, Duan Wang Fei Duan had inadvertently said that Gu Zezhi would return to the mansion during lunch, and this was actually what she nned from the beginning, to meet Gu Zezhi.
After all, she couldn¡¯t just run into Siyi Hall and find Gu Ze Zhi, right?
Gu Zezhi¡¯s timing was very good, Duan Wang Fei and Qin Jiu had just finished lunch when he came back.
Duan Wang Fei did not say a word nor move, hinting her son that he came back toote!
But she still had a smile on her face and suggested, ¡°Zezhi, the snow is clearing today, plum blossoms are most serene after the snow, just right for a few cups of plum blossom tea to drink, why don¡¯t you and Xiao Jiu go to the garden and pick some plum blossoms.¡±
Of course, if it was just picking plum blossoms, she didn¡¯t really have to ask Gu Zezhi and Qin Jiu, but she wanted the two to be alone and everyone could see Duan Wang Fei¡¯s intention
Qin Jiu stood up as if it was the most natural thing to do and said with a smile.
¡°I haven¡¯t had plum blossom tea before.¡±
Qin Jiu took a small basket made of bamboo and went out with Gu Zezhi. As for the servants, they were very considerate and followed the two masters from a distance.
Today¡¯s weather was very good, the sky was transparent blue, and thick snow was piled on the corrugated walls, wall piers, treetops, and grass outside. Under the reflection of the sun, the crystal white snow shines around for a few minutes like a piece of silver.
Qin Jiu took the opportunity to turn the corner and looked back, after confirming that the servants were far behind, she felt relieved. She then took a purse from her sleeve pocket and handed it to Gu Zezhi.
Gu Zezhi guessed that Qin Jiu had something to say from the slight changes in her expression and immediately took the purse, then slightly pulled the drawcord of the purse, and a somewhat familiar smell came to his nose.
Qin Jiu thought about her words and then said, ¡°This is the Jiuhe Incense that Duan Wang Fei gave mest time.¡±
¡°I tried to use a few nights, and after breathing those, I felt dizzy as if I had a cold. So, I stopped using it for two days, and strangely enough, I got my strength back and was refreshed.¡±
¡°Not long ago, didn¡¯t Duan Wang Fei was also not feeling well, but she has been in good spirits recently. So, I asked wangfei casually and found out she only has two boxes of Jiuhe incense left and gave them to me, meaning that she must have fewer incense left or none at all to use recently.¡±
Gu Zezhi¡¯s thin lips pursed slightly and said nothing.
Qin Jiu gathered up her thick cloak and said, ¡°Actually, maybe I¡¯m just being too suspicious.¡±
Truth was, Qin Jiu just thought that this was a bit too coincidental, so she just asked about it in a roundabout way, and didn¡¯t tell Duan Wang Fei Duan about her guess directly, lest Duan Wang Fei would think too much about it and told Gu Zezhi instead.
Gu Zezhi put the purse into his sleeve pocket and said in a low voice: ¡°I¡¯ll have someone check it outter.¡±
After hearing him say this, Qin Jiu was not so worried anymore and walked with lighter footsteps and a smile appeared in corner of her lips.
Since her golden thigh said he would handle this, then she could rest assured!!
As they spoke, the two had arrived at the entrance to the garden of the Duan residence.
Once in the garden, a plum forest appeared at the end of the cobblestone path, and arge continuous white plum, pink plum, and red plum stood wafting the surrounding with plum fragrance, there were also blossoming pink-carved jade-like flowers on both sides of the path.
¡°The plum blossoms in wangfu¡¯s mansion are blooming so well!¡± Qin Jiu praised sincerely.
The plum forest of the Duan Wangfu was at least twice as big as the Qin family¡¯s plum forest, reflecting the smallke next to it and the surrounding snow-capped mountains that were as beautiful as a painting.
Qin Jiu stepped forward in two to three steps and stood on tiptoe as she raised her hand to grasp the red plum on the branch, and her little face leaned up slightly as if to take a whiff.
However¡ª¡ª
¡°Crack.¡±
She snapped the red plum branch off neatly.
Her movements affected the entire branch causing the snow that was covering the branch rustled down, and the blossoming red plums on the branch trembled slightly as if shivering in the cold wind.
Gu Zezhi: ¡°¡.¡±
Du Ruo: ¡°¡.¡±
Du Ruo looked at Qin Jiu from afar and could hardly bear to see Gu Zezhi¡¯s expression at the moment.
Young Miss how can you pick plum blossom like that, you destroyed the whole branch!
¡°Brother, are these plum blossoms blooming well?¡±
Qin Jiu plucked a red plum twig and gave it to Gu Zezhi, thinking that even if it couldn¡¯t be used for tea, it would be good to put it in a vase.
¡°Well, it¡¯s blooming well.¡±
Gu Zezhi nodded with a smile and took the red plum, coincidentally the wind blew, and the faint scent of plum burrowed into his nose.
Qin Jiu smiled even more cheerfully, feeling as if she had been praised, and happily carried her little basket and continued to pick plum blossoms.
She picked the flowers to her liking, and when she saw the plum branch that looked good with its flowers she would carefully break the branch into smaller ones, so after breaking five to six branches her basket was already full.
The two returned to the house.
***
Chapter 249
Chapter 249
Duan Wang Fei looked at the basket of plum blossoms carried back by Qin Jiu and had a subtle expression.
Selecting plum blossoms to make plum tea was a delicate matter. Buds were more suitable for making tea rather than fully bloomed plum blossoms, as they could retain the fragrance and once the hot water was poured in, a breathtaking fully bloomed plum blossom could be seen.
Even if Qin Jiu doesn¡¯t know about this, her son should know otherwise, after all, every winter this was what they usually drink.
So, Zezhi was making her future daughter-inw happy?
Thinking, Duan Wang Fei looked back and forth at Qin Jiu and Gu Zezhi, with interest brewing in her eyes as shemented to herself.
Well, when did Zezhi learn to coax this young miss?
Duan Wang Fei did not expose her son, instead smiled and told her maidservant, ¡°Go and made some tea with this!¡±
The maidservant took the small basket in Qin Jiu¡¯s hand and went out to prepare the plum tea.
One tea timeter, Qin Jiu tasted the rumored plum blossom tea.
Plum tea was very fragrant, it has a distinct fragrance that ordinary tea doesn¡¯t have.
After taking two sips Duan Wang Fei casually asked Gu Zezhi.
¡°Zezhi, how are the talks with Beiyan?¡±
Gu Zezhi smiled, ¡°It¡¯s going very smoothly.¡±
His long and narrow phoenix eyes were full of ripples and glittered with a meaningful smile.
This smile made Qin Jiu shed tears of sympathy for Beiyan in her heart, um, Beiyan would definitely bleed heavily this time, and he deserves it~~
Knowing this, it has given Qin Jiu a piece of mind and her mood was lighter.
After drinking plum tea, she returned to the marquis with arge box of fireworks given by Duan Wang Fei.
The streets were full of New Year¡¯s atmosphere. Seeing that the New Year wasing, the restaurants and shops on both sides of the street hung rednterns. People were busy buying New Year¡¯s goods and the air was filled with a jubnt atmosphere.
This was Qin Jiu¡¯s first New Year in this great Qi Dynasty.
Every day was very new and interesting to her. She couldn¡¯t help being busy, but she doesn¡¯t know that her busyness and joy were painful in the eyes of Old Madam Qin, Qin Zening, and Qin Zeyu. Thinking that since Qin Jiu had a hard time for the past years, so this was probably the first time she has had a good year!
During New Year¡¯s Eve, Qin Zeyu was very obedient and took the initiative to take Qin Jiu to buy New Year¡¯s Eve goods, set off firecrackers and fireworks, and even hand-tied a rabbitntern for Qin Jiu in time for the Lantern Festival.
In this lively and bustling atmosphere, the Lantern Festival arrived on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.
As a tradition, tonight the emperor and empress would join the nobles of the royal family, and civil and military officials to celebrate, and watchnterns and fireworks.
Although the House of Marquis has declined, it has also received an invitation to the Lantern Festival Pce Banquet.
Every year, Old Madam Qin and Madam Su would take several young misses of the family. But this year after Qin Sheng returned to her maternal grandfather¡¯s mansion in a fit of anger and hasn¡¯te back for New Year Madam Su had to make an excuse saying her daughter was ¡°sick¡± and stayed behind closed doors so Old Madam Qin departed without the young miss of the second family.
At the beginning Youchu*, Qin Jiu was standing near the gate and just a distance away she saw Qin Xin was also there wearing a rouge-colored clock woven with gold threads glistening against the sunset.
(*five in the afternoon)
Qin Xin carefully helped Old Madam Qin get into the carriage before getting in herself with the help of her maidservant.
Qin Jiu on the other hand didn¡¯t go to join the fun and was riding her own carriage.
After getting on the carriage, she leaned against the wall and closed her eyes to rest, a whileter the carriage slowly moved towards the Chenghuang Temple.
As the sun sets in the west, the sky was getting darker and darker and along the way, many people hung up big rednterns, emitting bright brilliance.
On weekdays, there was a curfew in the capital and there were usually no people on the road at dusk but today the capital was particrly lively with the streets bustling, vendors setting up their stalls and shouting, as people pouring in to enjoy thentern festival.
Qin Zeyu rode along beside Qin Jiu¡¯s carriage looking like a flower guard. Her handsome face was beaming under the bright light on the streets andnterns, but with a very intimidating aura like a soldier ready to go to war.
After an incense stick, the Qin family¡¯s carriage arrived outside the Chenghuang Temple.
Today, because the imperial family would personally visit the Lantern Festival, the open space in front of the Chenghuang Temple has been cleaned up, a high tform has been built, and themphouse has also been built, under it were densely packed rednterns, which make the surrounding light as bright as day.
Qin Jiu followed Old Madam Qin to their seats where the Marquis of Zhongyi¡¯s seat was assigned. Along the way, Old Madam Qin inevitably met some women she knew well and exchanged pleasantries and greetings from time to time.
The sky was getting darker and darker, and there were more and more people who were already seated in their seats, and all of them were looking in the direction of the pce from time to time.
The people below gathered on the street leading to the Chenghuang Temple and stood by the roadside, excitedly waiting, each with a look of anticipation.
Near xushi* hour, in the distance came the sound of rumbling steps. At the end of the street, a bright yellow curtain could be seen floating like an auspicious cloud, this was the signal that the emperor wasing.
(*7-9pm)
The emperor and empress¡¯s carriage were getting closer and closer, apanying them were empress dowager Liu as well as the concubines, imperial sons and princesses, n dignitaries, and close subjects of the emperor, arge caravan under the escort of arge number of imperial troops marching majestically.
Themon people waiting by the roadside all knelt down as they watch the emperor and shouted in unison, ¡°Long live the emperor! Long live the empress! Long live the empress dowager!¡±
The shout was loud and impassioned.
***
Chapter 250
Chapter 250
All the people were respectfully kneeling for a long time.
In the midst of the shouting, the emperor and his entourage soon ascended to the high tform and sat down on the seats that had been prepared.
Grand eunuch Zhou Xin passed on the emperor¡¯s words to make the people rise, and said some words of ¡°weal and woe¡± and ¡°happiness with the people¡±, and then, the Lantern Festival officially began.
A trail of fireworks from the ground scurries up, lighting up the dark night sky with purple and red.
As the people cheered and apuded, Qin Jiu watched with rapt attention.
The royal fireworks were really a masterpiece, almost every firework was without repetition and Qin Jiu was dazzled by the sight as she secretly praised these ancient fireworks over the modern pattern.
After her little face was tilted up, it was never lowered, illuminating her little face with the lights and fireworks all around her.
A whileter, a young servant who serves the emperor¡¯s pce came and leaned over Qin Jiu, he said, ¡°Third Young Miss Qin, empress dowager asks you toe over.¡±
Qin Jiu stood up somewhat reluctantly, ¡°I have troubled eunuch.¡±
The young eunuch also knew that Empress Dowager Liu liked Qin Jiu, and was as polite as could be: ¡°Third Young Miss Qin is very polite, this way please.¡±
The young eunuch walked in front to lead Qin Jiu.
Empress Liu¡¯s side was very lively, the Princesses and Princes were sitting around her like stars and moons, making Empress Dowager Liu happy beyond words.
Third Princess Changning and Princess Yingluo were also there.
Qin Jiu hadn¡¯t seen these two for a month and a half, and her gaze fell with interest on Changning¡¯s face, trying to see where she was actually hurt.
However, based on what Qin Jiu saw, the left side of Changning¡¯s face was fair and delicate, looking clean and with no blemish.
When Qin Jiu arrived, Empress Dowager Liu was obviously in a good mood as could be heard in her voice, she said to the princesses.
¡°¡Changning, Yingluo, arguing and squabbling are only natural, but you two are cousins you need to distinguish when to stop and not take things too seriously.¡±
With these words, Empress Dowager Liu patted Yingluo¡¯s hand admonishingly.
¡°Yingluo, you are so violent, you have to change your temper in the future. Don¡¯t be so impulsive. Fortunately, Changning just hurt her forehead and can cover it with bangs. Think about how important a girl¡¯s face is!¡±
Empress Dowager Liu looked at the pair of cousins withplicated looked in her eyes.
Changning was weak from childhood and often fell ill so, among several princesses, Empress Dowager Liu inevitably favored her a little bit. Different could be said for Yingluo, but she saw her grow, this little girl would often visit her pce to greet her and Empress Dowager Liu also liked her.
As the saying goes, the palm and the back of the hand were all meat.
For Empress Dowager Liu, Changning and Yingluo were both her granddaughters.
Yingluo¡¯s lips tightly closed in a straight line and didn¡¯t speak.
A month and a half has obviously passed but Yinglou¡¯s heart was still very aggrieved every time she thought about it.
She has never been so aggravated in all her life. It¡¯s obvious that Changning destroyed her own face, but even her father and brother don¡¯t believe her!
Changning smiled gently, ¡°Imperial grandmother, don¡¯t worry, this granddaughter will not be at ease¡.¡±
Yingluo¡¯s face was even worse as she listened but couldn¡¯t retort and could only purse her lips and said nothing.
Empress Dowager Liu could also see that Yinglou was still a little dissatisfied when she happened to see Qin Jiuing from the corner of her eyes and sighed.
¡°Look at Xiao Jiu, she has a calm temperament, you two should learn from her.¡±
And so, the eyes Changning and Yingluo looked at Qin Jiu in unison, both of them with extremelyplicated looked, and what they had inmon was that they were both hostile.
Changning¡¯s soon calmed down, smiling warmly, and the curved on her lips looked conniving but looked perfect outside.
Qin Jiu: ¡°¡¡±
Empress Dowager Liu was oblivious to this and smiled as she beckoned to Qin Jiu, ¡°Xiao Jiu,e here quickly.¡±
Qin Jiu walked up to Empress Dowager Liu under the burning gaze of the pair of cousins until Qin Jiu together with Yun Jiao who was with her both saluted.
Qin Jiu said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s all because Empress Dowager has taught us well. Empress Aunt often says that Empress Dowager would always say girls should be dignified and quiet, steady and generous, and remain calm in the face of events.¡±
Empress Dowager Liu nodded frequently and her smile deepened, ¡°That¡¯s how a girl from our family should be!¡±
With the corner of her mouth twitching, Yinglou endured but couldn¡¯t help herself and said, ¡°So it¡¯s now called prim when you whip people? Your talking lies with your eyes open!¡±
Empress Dowager Liu frowned slightly and said, ¡°Yingluo, you are of marriage age but you still talk loudly. Xiao Jiu is younger than you but she already has principles, while you don¡¯t know how to ept defeat and learn from it!¡±
At this time, the fireworks outside finally stopped and a green-robed eunuch came to report that the dragonntern dance was to be performed next.
Empress Dowager Liu ushered Qin Jiu to sit down.
Immediately after, a long dragonntern in a burst of rhythmic drums appeared. The dancers of the dragonntern had extraordinary skills, they were flipping on a high tform as if it was nothing, and they would also sometimes spin while ying the ball¡
Everyone stared in awe while apuding from time to time, which hurt Qin Jiu¡¯s palm.
¡°Actually, you know all about it¡¡±
Suddenly, Qin Jiu heard Changning¡¯s familiar voice and made the corner of her eye twitch, and then noticed that Changning had sat beside her at some point.
Qin Jiu tilted her little head and looked at Changning with a puzzled expression, ¡°Why did Your Highness say that?¡±
Changning: ¡°¡¡±
She knew everything that had happened at Bibo Pavilion that day, and after thinking about it, she finally understood.
Qin Jiu clearly knew from the beginning that she was scheming for her and taking advantage of the situation for her own benefit yet she got herself into the trap instead.
Changning¡¯s dark willow eyes swept a fine light clutching the handkerchief.
Sure enough, Qin Jiu this wild girl from the countryside who just recently entered the high society in just a few months already gained a firm foothold in the capital. Up to now, not only did Emperor and Empress Dowager favors her, but she was now also engaged to Duan Wangfu. How could she be so stupid!
Changning¡¯s feelings about Qin Jiu were extremelyplicated, she could never say that she liked her, or hated her, nor could she say that she had never felt resentment.
But this time, she has already figured out the advantages and disadvantages. She doesn¡¯t need to be the enemy of Qin Jiu, and offending her would not do her any good!
Her eyes flickered slightly as she whispered, ¡°Third Young Miss Qin, I have no enmity against you, it¡¯s all because Yingluo wanted to sit on the mountain and watch the tiger fight*.¡±
(*watch in safety whilst others fight then reap the rewards when both sides are exhausted)
With that said, Changning picked up the teacup and handed it to Qin Jiu.
¡°This cup, please consider this as my amends to young miss!¡±
What she means was that from now on, they would let go of the past and forget their grievances with a smile!
Qin Jiu had a faint smile stered on her face but did not bother to take this cup of tea.
Changning¡¯s long curly eyshes trembled like frightened butterflies and said timidly, ¡°Sister Jiu, are you unwilling to forgive me?¡±
Her delicate appearance was like a small white flower in the wind, soft and frail, looking as if the wind could blow her away causing goosebumps all over Qin Jiu¡¯s body.
Just then, amotion came from the southwest, and the seats there was aplete mess.
Qin Jiu subconsciously looked at where the sound came from.
That was where Duan Wangfu¡¯s seat was.
Empress Dowager Liu naturally noticed and ordered her personal servant to check the situation.
The servant hurried away and came again, panting, bowing he said. ¡°Empress Dowager, Duan Wang Fei fainted!¡±
Qin Jiu¡¯s eyes flickered slightly when she heard this.
***
Chapter 251
Chapter 251
Duan Wang Fei fainted?!
The news made the surrounding area fall into silence and even the princes and princesses who heard this all quieted down.
Qin Jiu stood up quickly.
Without waiting for her to speak, Empress Dowager Liu had already said, ¡°Xiao Jiu, go and have a look.¡±
Qin Jiu curtsied Empress Dowager Liu and hurriedly went to Duan Wang¡¯s seat.
What greeted Qin Jiu was a total mess and chaos, she saw Duan Wang Fei against Wang momo with her eyes tightly closed surrounded by three to four maidservants. One was holding smelling salts under Wangfei¡¯s nose, the other one was gently pinching her acupuncture point, and the others were fanning her with their sleeves.
Seeing Qin Jiu, the people surrounding gave way as they curtsied.
¡°Young Miss Qin.¡±
Qin Jiu walked to Duan Wang Fei, within two to three steps she could already detect a faint smell of incense lingering.
The scent was as elegant as an orchid, with a wisp of plum fragrance, which was very familiar to Qin Jiu, and she was sure it was the scent of Jiuhe Incense.
She smelled it as soon as she stepped closer and at this time, the smell was stronger.
Qin Jiu raised her eyebrows and looked up at Gu Zezhi, who was standing beside Duan Wang Fei. The moment the two looked into each other eyes Gu Zezhi quietly winked his right eye at her, then looked worried again.
Qin Jiu: ¡°¡.¡±
¡°Where is the imperial physician?¡±
At this time, an anxious and vigorous male voice sounded in Qin Jiu¡¯s ear, ¡°Why hasn¡¯t the imperial physician here yet?!¡±
This man was in his fifties, wearing a blue robe that an imperial tutor would wear looking majestic and tall. His tall figure was upright and noble without any signs of old age, and his appearance was nearly the same as Gu Zezhi¡¯s. Qin Jiu knew at a nce that this man should be Duan Wangye.
¡°Wangye.¡±
Qin Jiu greeted Duan Wangye.
Following the voice, Duan Wangye looked at her, and with just a nce he knew that this was his daughter-inw that the emperor bestowed to Gu Zezhi.
Duan Wangye¡¯s eyebrows were tightly furrowed, and as he did not want to greet her back, he just nodded, indicating that she was excused from courtesy.
Because Qin Jiu was here, he took a few steps away to avoid her as he said hurriedly.
¡°Come on, hurry up and urge the imperial physician!¡±
¡°Wang momo, how is wangfei?¡± Qin Jiu squatted down with a worried look on her face.
¡°How did this happen?!¡±
She held Duang Wang Fei¡¯s right hand, and after feeling her palm was warm and soft, Qin Jiu¡¯s worries lessened but her face showed a more panicked expression. And with a flustered face, she called out with a sob.
¡°Wangfei don¡¯t scare me!¡±
Wang momo fervently wiped Duan Wang Fei¡¯s forehead with a handkerchief, wiping away the imaginary cold sweat.
¡°Mmm ¡¡ ¡±
Duan Wangfei let out a low groan as her eyshes slightly trembled twice, and then slowly opened them with a listless look, ¡°I ¡¡ I¡¯m fine ¡¡¡±
She still looked weak and feeble, leaning against Wang momo¡®s body.
¡°Wangfei is awake?!¡±
Duan Wangye immediately looked over, and at this time also there was a disorderly sound of footsteps from behind and a maidservant¡¯s shout.
¡°The imperial physician ising!¡±
Following the loud announcement, three imperial physicians carrying medicine boxes, along with the eunuch Zhou Xin who was directly under the emperor hurriedly came to wangfei¡¯s side.
Since the empress and empress dowager were out of the pce to appreciate thentern on this cold and freezing day, they were apanied by imperial physicians. Thus, upon hearing that Duan Wang Fei had fainted, the emperor immediately sent all three imperial physicians to check on Duang Wang Fei.
Duan Wangye raised his hand and motioned for the three imperial physicians to forgo the courtesy and hurriedly said, ¡°Imperial physician Liu please check wangfei¡¯s pulse.¡±
Thus, the imperial physicians gathered around Duan Wang Fei with their medicine boxes. Imperial Physician Liu Fang, one of the imperial physicians ordered his assistant to take out his pulse pillow and asked.
¡°Did wangfei suddenly fainted?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
Wang momo said anxiously, ¡°Wangfei has been ill these days, sometimes she would feel good but most of the time she was sick. Just now wangfei was watching thentern when she suddenly said she couldn¡¯t breathe and then fainted¡¡±
Duan Wang Fei was in poor health. When she arrived in the capital at the beginning of Decemberst year, she asked an imperial physician to visit her manor several times and Imperial Physician Liu Fang also knew this.
Duan Wang Fei¡¯s medical records were also in the Taiyuan Clinic, and he had seen it too.
Imperial Physician Liu Fang: ¡°Allow this physician to check the pulse of Duan Wang Fei first.¡±
Wang momo took a clean handkerchief to cover Duan Wang Fei¡¯s right wrist, Imperial Physician Liu Fang then carefully check for a pulse, the others around were waiting with muted voices and breaths, not daring to make the slightest sound, afraid to affect him.
A momentter, Imperial Physician Liu Fang got up, stepped two steps back, and the other two imperial physicians took her pulse in turn.
Then the three imperial physicians gathered around and discussed before Imperial Physician Liu Fang curtsied to Duan Wangye and said, ¡°Wangye, the wangfei is overworked not to mention she is also a little unustomed to the environment, and her body is already weak.¡±
Duan Wangye hurriedly asked, ¡°Wangfei is not seriously hurt, right?¡±
Imperial Physician Liu Fang replied respectfully: ¡°Duan Wang Fei needs to have a good rest and mustn¡¯t tire herself too much.¡±
Duan Wangye breathed a sigh of relief and said to Duan Wangfei, ¡°Benwang* had told you earlier that the journey from West Xinjiang to the capital is taxing. If you are not well, you didn¡¯t have toe but you insisted on following.¡±
(This king, this is their formal way of addressing themselves as a royal)
¡°s, you weren¡¯t able to get used here in the capital, look your health is not getting any better and this is getting bothersome. After a few days, you¡¯d better go back to Luo¡¯an City first.¡±
Thinking about what Imperial Physician Liu Fang just said and in addition to not being able to adapt well in the capital, Duan Wangye continued.
¡°You ah, you¡¯re too hard on your life. People often say that children will have their own children without any problem so we elders don¡¯t need to worry much and just enjoy our fortune but you just don¡¯t want to let go that¡¯s why you¡¯re sick.¡±
¡°Wangfei, listen to benwang¡¯s advice. The heir¡¯s consort is about to be a grandmother, she has been obedient, respectful, and elegant for so many years so after returning to West Xinjiang this time wangfei should give all the ledgers and ount books of the manor, with this you can also finally rx and take good care of yourself more. By then I can even say we will greet our great-grandson in theing year, how wonderful is that!¡±
Duan Wang Fei: ¡°¡.¡±
Her face was pale and her gaze downcast as she leaned weakly and feebly on Wang momo¡®s body, but the hands under her sleeves had clenched tightly into fists.
The three imperial physicians looked at each other, feeling that they heard something they should not hear.
On the other hand, Zhou Xin disapprove and said to himself: no wonder the emperor always said that Duan Wangye was biased, his heart was really biased to the sky.
Duan Wangye made a decision on his own: ¡°Then let¡¯s say that¡¡±
¡°Achoo!¡± Qin Jiu suddenly covered her mouth and sneezed, interrupting Duan Wangye.
Duan Wangye frowned and looked at Qin Jiu.
Without waiting for Duan Wangye to speak, Qin Jiu frowned and asked Wang momo: ¡°Wang momo, what incense did wangfei use today? Why is the smell so strong?¡±
¡°It¡¯s Jiuhe Incense.¡±
Wang momo replied, ¡°Wangfei has not been sleeping welltely and has been restless at night, so when she went out today, wangfei had this servant purposely add some more and bring it with her to calm her mind.¡±
With these words, Wang momo took out a hollow sachet with silver grape branches and leaves from Duan Wang Fei¡¯s purse. As soon as the sachet was taken out, the fragrance in the air became much stronger.
***
Chapter 252
Chapter 252
Physician Liu Fang¡¯s nose twitched as his expression suddenly change subtly, and a trace of doubt appeared on his face.
Qin Jiu took the sachet and put it under her nose and smelled it.
¡°Wang momo, maybe you have put in too much Jiuhe Incense. I read in the book that a pinch of it is enough for each use, you¡¯ve put too much in this sachet, I just got here but I already feel dizzy, let alone wangfei.¡±
Qin Jiu instructed like a guest acting as a host, ¡°Take it away take it away, don¡¯t let wangfei smell it again.¡±
She handed the silver-scented sachet back to Wang momo again.
The fold between Duan Wangye¡¯s eyebrows deepened as he said to himself with displeasure.
The rumors in the capital are indeed correct, this Third Miss Qin not only knows no manners but is also long-winded! Doesn¡¯t she see, she has no right to speak here!
Duan Wangye coughed twice and cleared his throat, ¡°Third Miss Qin, don¡¯t be ridiculous.¡±
¡°Wangye, wangfei is feeling stuffy and dizzy right now, perhaps she smelled this incense too much that¡¯s why she fainted.¡± Qin Jiu retorted with a look of disapproval.
Duan Wangye was unwilling to associate himself with this annoying troublemaker, frowning he called out, ¡°Zezhi.¡±
His intention was to let Gu Zezhi take care of his daughter-inw that hasn¡¯t even passed their door yet*.
(*isn¡¯t married yet)
Gu Zezhi smiled as if he didn¡¯t hear him and didn¡¯t say a word.
He looked at Qin Jiu with gentle and bright eyes.
This girl and he have a tacit understanding, she already knows what he wants without him saying a word at all.
In this world, there was no other person who could share his heart as much as Qin Jiu.
Seeing the grateful look she received from the golden thigh, her eyes brightened up thinking she had done a good job!
¡°Zezhi!¡± Duan Wangye¡¯s tone got heavier as he called out Gu Zezhi again.
¡°Xiao Jiu,¡± Gu Zezhi called gently, but instead of ¡°admonishing¡± her rudeness as the Duan Wangye wanted, he instead said, ¡°Whether the smell of this incense is the cause mother fainted or what father said it true, is useless. Physician Liu is here, let physician Liu take a look.¡±
¡°I agree.¡± Qin Jiu sang in the same tone as Gu Zezhi tacitly and naturallymanded.
¡°Wang momo, please show it to Physician Liu.¡±
And so, the sachet was handed to Physician Liu Fang.
When the sachet was just taken out, Physician Liu Fang felt something was wrong. After taking it, he smelled it immediately and carefully opened the sachet, took out the incense inside, looked at it carefully, and crushed it again. After breaking it a little, and smelling it again, his expression became more solemn.
Then he handed Jiuhe incense to the other two physicians before the three of them gathered around and whispered.
This time, even Duan Wangye could see something was wrong without Qin Jiu pointing out anything more.
Duan Wangye hurriedly asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with this sachet?¡±
Physician Liu Fang said hesitantly, ¡°Wangye the incense may be poisonous.¡±
As soon as these words came out, everyone was shocked, and the surrounding became even quieter.
Duan Wangye¡¯s eyes widened in shock and unconsciously blurted out, ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡±
¡°¡¡¡± Physician Liu Fang¡¯s expression was even more hesitant.
The rear courtyard always has shameful secrets, especially a harem like this, and it seems that this household was also the same. Physicians like him were the most unwilling to encounter this kind of situation, lest they identally implicate themselves in it.
However, it was Duan Wang Fei who was poisoned now, and Zhou Xin was still here, this matter would surely be reported to the imperial court and there was no way to hide it.
¡°How can it be poisonous?!¡± Duan Wangye still didn¡¯t believe it.
¡°This Jiuhe incense is used by wangfei every day.¡±
Physician Liu Fang looked sympathetically at the weakened Duan Wang Fei and said, ¡°Because wangfei is using it every day, she is eroded by the toxins in the incense which causes her to weaken.¡±
Duan Wangye questioned with a look of disbelief, ¡°Then tell me what poison is in it!¡±
Physician Liu Fang said, ¡°We have to light some incense, so this physician can judge.¡±
¡°Light it.¡±
Duan Wangye insisted, ¡°You must have made a mistake!¡±
So, Physician Liu Fang personally lit a piece of Jiuhe incense, as the incense was burning, the fragrance intensified. The three physicians gathered together, smelling the incense for a few seconds and discussing it in whispers for a while.
In the end, Imperial Physician Liu Fang came over to report to Duan Wangye on behalf of the other two physicians.
¡°Wangye, this incense is really poisonous!¡± Physician Liu Fang¡¯s tone was very certain.
Duan Wangye looked suspiciously at the burning incense and wangfei when heard Physician Liu Fang continue, ¡°This incense is indeed Jiuhe incense, but it is mixed with a kind of herb called Chifeng Grass.¡±
¡°This kind of Chifeng Grass is extremely rare in the Central ins. It only grows in a few small counties in the west of western Xinjiang. It is very poisonous. If an ordinary person smells it for a day or two, they will feel lethargic and after inhaling it a long time, the toxin will invade the heart and lungs through the nose and gradually erode the body.¡±
¡°At first, a person who inhaled this will only feel tired, but slowly, a feeling of thousands of ants crawling into the body hollowing out the flesh inside, and eventually the medicine can no longer help!¡±
After a pause, Physician Liu Fang¡¯s expression became even more serious, ¡°Moreover, the overwhelming toxicity of this Chifeng Grass lies in the fact that the diagnosis cannot be made by relying on the pulse alone.¡±
The other two imperial physicians also nodded slightly and looked solemn.
That¡¯s why, although Duan Wang Fei has seen several imperial physicians, all they did was examined wangfei¡¯s pulsed so they all just think she was overworked and tired.
If they have smelled the scent now, how couldn¡¯t they know that someone had tampered with the Jiuhe incense!
No, it should be mentioned that if they inhaled this incense little by little on a regr basis, they were afraid they couldn¡¯t distinguish it. After all, the smell of the Chifeng Gras was not that discernable in the Jiuhe incense.
But because Duan Wang Fei didn¡¯t sleep well today, the sachet she had with her contained a lot of Jiuhe incense than normal, and because of this, the smell was stronger causing Duan Wang Fei to faint which led them to realize that there was something wrong.
The short and stout imperial physician couldn¡¯t help but sigh and muttered, ¡°It¡¯s all heaven¡¯s will!¡±
***
Chapter 253
Chapter 253
This ident arising from many causes saved Duan Wang Fei¡¯s life! Otherwise, Duan Wang Fei might have gone underground, and she doesn¡¯t even know how she died.
Duan Wangye was still a little doubtful and repeatedly confirmed again and again.
¡°Is this Jiuhe incense really poisonous?¡±
If an ordinary official questioned the imperial physicians¡¯ judgment like this, Imperial Physician Liu Fang might have turned his back on him. However, Duan Wangye was the emperor¡¯s uncle with noble status so Imperial Physician Liu Fang wanted to show some face and nodded.
¡°This Physician is sure.¡±
Duan Wangye took two deep breaths and asked again anxiously, ¡°Imperial physician Liu, how is wangfei?¡±
¡°Allow this physician to check on wangfei¡¯s pulse again.¡±
So, Imperial Physician Liu Fang checked Duan Wang Fei¡¯s pulse again, and this time, it took longer.
Contrary to the defining silence, a burst of fireworks outside the lounge could be heard. The sound seemed to be far away which made the surroundings quieter.
After a while, Imperial Physician Liu Fang finally stopped and reported again.
¡°Wangfei must have been using the Jiuhe incense for several months now since her foundation is already weak. It will take some time to recuperate.¡±
Duan Wangye asked a little impatiently, ¡°What kind of Chifeng Grass that has no antidote or cure?¡±
Imperial Physician Liu Fang: ¡°Wangye, there is no medicine to cure this poison. People who are poisoned can only be nursed back to health slowly.¡±
Truth was, Duan Wang Fei was fortunate to be able to discover the problem earlier, her health could still be saved. If she waits until her body feels like a thousand ants hollowed her flesh from the inside, she would have no choice but to wait for her death.
With furrowed eyebrows, Duan Wangye was unable to hide his worry and couldn¡¯t help scolding the servants who were around him.
¡°I told you not to let wangfei use things of unknown origin, look, wangfei has suffered for nothing!¡±
Wang momo courtesied and said, ¡°Wangye, this Jiuhe incense was given by the heir¡¯s consort!¡±
Duan Wangye was stunned for a moment and then scolded: ¡°Nonsense!¡±
Duan Wangye¡¯splexion became even uglier and colder like frozen water, thinking how could this unruly ve dare to randomly use the heir¡¯s consort!
Wang momo then said, ¡°Wangye, this maidservant is not lying, this Jiuhe incense is really given by the heir¡¯s consort!¡±
Duan Wang Fei leaned back on the back of the Taishi chair* with her eyes half drooping and said nothing. But since she didn¡¯t contradict Wang momo, it was the same as telling them she agreed with her.
(*only chair named after an official position in Chinese furniture)
Qin Jiu on the side pursed her lips. Thest time, she heard Duan Wang Fei talk about the origin of Jiuhe Incense she said she got it from a monk.
But now that Wang momo dares to bring out the heir¡¯s consort, Gu Zezhi must have found something these days.
Qin Jiu nced and took a look at Gu Zezhi, he was standing by the window with his hands behind his back. The light of the fireworks outside put shadows on his face but his eyes were surprisingly bright.
Duan Wangye still did not believe it and did not bother to talk more with Wang momo, he turned his head to advise Duan Wang Fei, ¡°Wang Fei, even if you do not like the heir¡¯s consort, you shouldn¡¯t me this on her.¡±
¡°Bang!¡±
Outside, anotherrge firework exploded in the night sky, illuminating the face of Duan Wang Fei, looking miserably white as paper, with eyes as deep as a pool.
Qin Jiu: ¡°¡¡±
This Duan Wangye¡¯s biasedness is too obvious.
Not only do Qin Jiu think so, but Imperial Physician Liu Fang and two other imperial physicians also think so, all of them were silent, and just pretend that they hadn¡¯t heard anything. Ai, the less they know about the secret in the rear courtyard, the better.
Suddenly, Gu Zezhi, who had been silent for a long time, said, ¡°Imperial physician Liu, please write a prescription for my mother first.¡±
Gu Zezhi¡¯s handsome face was calm with no emotion could be seen, and even his tone was still gentle.
Imperial Physician Liu Fang felt as if she was granted amnesty, and thought that the third son of Duan Wangye was really good-tempered. He hurriedly said, ¡°Please wait a moment, Third Master Gu I will write a prescription now.¡±
Imperial Physician Liu Fang took the two imperial doctors to discuss the prescription, and ask a servant girl to hurry to prepare the pen and ink.
Zhou Xin took on all the scenes he had just seen because it was a household affair of the Duan Pce, it was inconvenient for him to say anything, so he never interrupted from beginning to end.
Seeing that the matter was over, Zhou Xin flung his horsetail whisk and nned to leave.
¡°Please stay, Eunuch Zhou.¡± When Duan Wangye saw that Zhou Xin was leaving, he hurriedly called out to the other party.
Zhou Xin smiled and cupped his hand at Duan Wangye, saying, ¡°Wangye, the Emperor is worried about Duan Wang Fei¡¯s condition, so this servant has to go back to report.¡±
Duan Wangye looked a little embarrassed, cleared his throat again, and said in a stern voice.
¡°Eunuch Zhou, this matter has not been investigated yet¡¡±
His intention was to ask Zhou Xin toe to the emperor and not talk nonsense.
Zhou Xin shook off the horsetail whisk again, with a smile still stered on his fair face. He said, ¡°Wangye, this ve will only report the truth. The emperor is wise and knows what¡¯s the best verdict.¡±
After saying that, he did not care what was Duan Wangye¡¯s reaction was and just turned around and walked away.
Duan Wangye: ¡°¡¡±
Looking at Zhou Xin¡¯s back as he left, Duan Wangye¡¯s face sank deeper, and his heart was in some turmoil.
He nced at Wang momo with displeasure and med her for talking nonsense just now.
The heir¡¯s consort has been married to their family for so many years. She has always been a virtuous person, and she respects the wangfei very much, so how could she do such a thing!
Even if Wang momo had doubts about the heir¡¯s consort, she could have just said this after they go back to the mansion but she really had to talk in front of Zhou Xin and outsiders, which caused unnecessary troubles.
This matter was originally very simple. After they returned to the mansion, they would carefully interrogate everyone, and they would certainly be able to find out the details of the matter, so why bother and make trouble in front of the emperor!
To say the least, even if the incense was really from the heir¡¯s consort, then she must have been used by someone, and the person behind this must be found out first, right?
Duan Wangye was upset and inevitably got angry. He turned to Duan Wang Fei and said, ¡°Wangfei, you should take good care of your servants!¡±
Duan Wang Fei: ¡°¡.¡±
Although Duan Wang Fei didn¡¯t say a word, Qin Jiu was right beside her and could clearly feel her body tightening up.
***
Chapter 254
Chapter 254
Qin Jiu quickly ordered the maidservant to pour a cup of warm water and personally fed Duan Wangfei, ¡°Wangfei, you should drink some warm water.¡±
Duan Wang Fei slowly sipped water but never looked up at Duan Wangye again and the back of her hand gripping the teacup has protruding veins.
Obviously, Duan Wang Fei was not as calm as she appears.
The surrounding servants of the wangfu also know that the atmosphere was not right, one by one, their heads crouched even lower and trembling with fear.
Only Qin Jiu noticed that Gu Zezhi did not even say a single word to Duan Wangye from the beginning to the end. She could not help but nce at Gu Zezhi again who was a few steps away, he was listening intently to the three physicians discussing the prescription.
The imperial physicians gathered around and talked for about a cup of tea before finally Physician Liu Fang came up with two ns.
¡°Third Master Gu, the first prescription we will prescribe is a warm tonic to supplement her body for half a year. And as for the second prescription, we will use a strong medicine to detoxify the poison¡.¡±
Gu Zezhi read both prescriptions with a single nce, and said with a gentle but decisive expression, ¡°Use the warm tonic.¡±
As soon as the prescription was settled, Zhou Xin returned and delivered a series of oral instructions on behalf of the emperor.
¡°Wangye, the emperor has invited you toe over.¡±
¡°Third Master Gu, the emperor asked Master Gu to apany Duan Wang Fei back to the residence, and also, order of two Imperial Physicians to apany you on your trip to the Duan Wang residence as well.¡±
Gu Zezhi and the two imperial physicians all received the order: ¡°I will obey the order.¡±
Only Duan Wang hesitated for a moment.
After thinking about it, he was afraid that since the emperor didn¡¯t know much about the heir¡¯s consort he might misunderstand her, not to mention what Wang momo said just now, he must go and exin it to the emperor.
But he was also worried about wangfei, so after hesitating for a while he told Gu Zezhi.
¡°Zezhi, take good care of your mother, while benwang goes to see the emperor.¡±
Duan Wangye then followed Zhou Xin out of the private room.
Gu Zezhi neither answered nor looked at Duan Wangye. He said to Qin Jiu, ¡°Xiao Jiu, go back. I will send mother back to the mansion first.¡±
Qin Jiu obediently agreed since she couldn¡¯t help much anyway.
The servants of the pce immediately took action. Soon, the room became empty, leaving only a wisp of Jiuhe incense.
Qin Jiu returned to Empress Dowager Liu¡¯s side again. Seeing her back all the other nobledies craned their necks to look at her, their expressions were either worried, curious, or surprised.
Without waiting for Qin Jiu¡¯s courtesies Empress Dowager Liu anxiously asked, ¡°Xiao Jiu, how is Duan Wang Fei?¡±
Empress Dowager Liu and Duan Wang Fei have been sisters-inw for many years, and they still have some friendship.
Qin Jiu told all the things that had just happened, including how the imperial physician found the Chifeng Grass mixed with Jiuhe incense. However, she didn¡¯t mention anything about Wang momo¡®s identifying the heir¡¯s consort, while all the nobledies around her pricked up their ears and were all stupefied.
There was no need for Qin Jiu to say anymore, this alone was enough for Empress Dowager Liu¡¯s imagination to roam: imagine that! Who will poison Duan Wang Fei? The answer is obvious.
The corners of Qin Jiu¡¯s lips curled slightly at an angle that Empress Dowager Liu could not see, leaving Empress Dowager Liu make her own associations.
Empress Dowager Liu slowly twirled the beads in her hand and was lost in her thoughts: In all likelihood, this incident has something to do with Wangye¡¯s firstborn son.
She still remembers how the emperor ruefully said how Gu Zezhi the legitimate son was overthrown by a concubine-born son and that if Gu Chenzhi was a small-minded person, Gu Zezhi would suffer.
At that time, Empress Dowager Liu didn¡¯t think much of it. She had met the eldest son of Duan Wangye, Gu Chenzhi, he was a well-educated and sensible man, and he was so much older than Gu Zezhi. He watched Gu Zezhi like how a father watched over his son, the status of the heir was already been determined so how could the elder brother treat the younger brother badly!
But now it seems that she still underestimated people¡¯s hearts.
If this matter was really done by Gu Chenzi, then Side Concubine Feng might also be involved in it. Gu Chenzhi must want to help Side Concubine Feng so that he could make room for his mother and make her the Duan Wang Fei!
Once Side Concubine Feng was given the right to be the legal wife, and since Gu Chenzhi was also the first son, his position as the heir apparent would naturally be more stable and solidify.
The more Empress Dowager Liu thought about it, the more she thought it was usible. The discord between a consort and a side concubine was a big taboo, and it was a sign of unrest in the family whether it was an ordinary family or the royal family.
Empress Dowager Liu secretly sighed as she held the teacup in front of her and was about to take a sip to calm her mind, but suddenly thought of Gu Jing and Gu Zhen which made her hands pause midair.
Weren¡¯t the situation of these two brothers the same with the Duan Wangfus¡¯?!
She has so many grandchildren, and because of the Liu family¡¯s blood flowing in Gu Jing¡¯s body, she has been partial to him since he was a child. However, recently she was disappointed with Gu Jing for pleading on behalf of Qin Xin but Gu Jing was still her grandson after all. And these days he oftenes to the Cining Pce to pay respect and cheer on her, so this somewhat softens her heart.
But now, Empress Dowager Liu couldn¡¯t help but shiver.
Gu Zhen was the legitimate son, if the elder brother seeds to the throne, would he be able to amodate his younger brother in the future?!
For thousands of years, has been there any few cases where brother don¡¯t kill each other?!
Empress Dowager Liu¡¯s expression change from bright to dim as she twirls the beads on her hand before stopping, and all of these were seen by Qin Jiu.
And for a while, Empress Dowager Liu did was silent.
A momentter, she looked at Qin Jiu again and said, ¡°Xiao Jiu, thentern festival only happens once a year. You don¡¯t have to stay here to apany this dowager empress, go and y by yourself.¡±
Qin Jiu responded but since she wasn¡¯t really in the mood for a stroll she sat back in her seat and continued to watch.
In front of the high tform, the dragonntern dancers have retired and reced with a lion dance team, Qin Jiu held her chin and watched for a while, but seeing that it was still the same dance with a different costume she was feeling bored.
Qin Jiu was so idle that she feel agitated when a pce maid in blue from Lanse Pce came over to serve her tea, then silently pointed in a certain direction, and said, ¡°Third Miss Qin, look down.¡±
Qin Jiu looked in the direction she pointed and saw a purple figure in the crowd on the street.
Gu Zezhi looked up at her, smiled, waved to her, and motioned for her toe down.
***
Chapter 255
Chapter 255
Qin Jiu made a gesture, which meant that she woulde right away.
After thinking for a moment, Qin Jiu said to Du Ruo, ¡°If someone asks for me, just say I went out to buy antern.¡±
She didn¡¯t wait for Du Ruo to answer and went ¡°deng, deng¡± down the stairs.
Putting on a bright red cloak with a rabbit fur hood, Qin Jiu happily walked toward Gu Zezhi.
She wore a pair of red gold dotted emerald butterfly buttons on her hair that were tied in buns, making the butterfly wings flutter slightly with her brisk steps, as her dark almond-like eyes shine brightly.
Gu Zezhi pointed in a direction and said with a smile: ¡°Go, look at thenterns.¡±
Qin Jiu rolled her eyes and deliberately lowered her voice: ¡°¡ did you sneak out?¡±
Gu Zezhi smiled and said nothing, his beautiful eyebrows, and fair skin glowed under the light from thentern, looking like a fine jade.
After returning to the pce just now, Duan Wang Fei urged him to go back quickly, saying that today was thentern festival and there was no need to spoil his interest because of some people.
And since the emperor and his delegates would still stay here for more than one hour before returning to the pce, Gu Zezhi sneaks out quietly.
This Lantern Festival only happens once a year, so of course, Qin Jiu wanted to see thenterns hang up in establishments, in fact, she has been itching to sightsee but the problem was¡
¡°Brother, it¡¯s not good if we¡¯re discovered, right?¡±
Duan Wang Fei was still ¡°sick¡±, and yet Gu Zezhi came out to enjoy thentern festival, definitely not good!
While talking, she swept around and her eyes lit up as she grabbed Gu Zezhi¡¯s hand. ¡°Follow me!¡±
Qin Jiu hurriedly dragged Gu Zezhi to a stall selling masks. Before she could speak, the stall owner greeted them warmly, ¡°Young master and Young Miss, are you two going to buy masks? I have the most types of masks here. As you see, there are twelve Chinese zodiac signs, as well as cats, ghost faces, foxes¡ You can pick any of them!¡±
Qin Jiu looked halfway around, grab a white fox mask with long eyeliner, and beckoned to Gu Zezhi, signaling him to lower his face.
Gu Zezhi bowed slightly and let her put on the white fox mask for him.
On the mask, the pair of fox eyes with eyeliner were particrly striking, and the upturned corners of the eyes looked evil and mysterious.
¡°Not bad.¡± Qin Jiu looked at him and smiled with a brow arched cunningly.
Sure enough, this fox mask really suits him!
Gu Zezhi faithfully took off a mask from the stall as well, and also put it on for Qin Jiu, his fingers inadvertently brushing between her ears.
Qin Jiu stiffened, feeling an itch between her ears, her long eyshes trembled slightly, as she let the young man¡¯s slender fingers fiddle gently with her soft hair, adjusting the tie of the mask for her.
The stall owner took the bronze mirror to Qin Jiu.
In the mirror, the brightly colored red fox mask matched her big red cloak perfectly.
The stall owner smiled and tteringly said, ¡°Young Miss, you see, this fox mask is very suitable for you. This young man has discerning eyes!¡±
The white fox mask blocked Gu Zezhi¡¯s face, but could not block his lightughter.
The sound was like a feather gently scratching her heart making Qin Jiu¡¯s heart beat unusually faster.
She fished out a few coins from her sleeve and dropped them on the stall, ¡°These two, we¡¯ll buy them!¡±
Gu Zezhi smiled again, pointed to themphouse in front, and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go take a stroll there!¡±
¡°Mmm!¡±
Qin Jiu responded happily and walked forward with Gu Zezhi.
Since it was antern festival, there were people who sellnterns. And since Qin Jiu and Gu Zezhi didn¡¯t haventerns, they naturally be the targets of the vendors who sells thosenterns wanting them to buy one. Thosenterns were much more exquisite than the rabbitnterns made by Qin Zeyu. Qin Jiu picked out a catntern for her and a mousentern and Gu Zezhi respectively.
Qin Jiu gently bumped Gu Zezhi¡¯s mousentern with the catntern in her hand and suddenly asked, ¡°Is it really the heir¡¯s consort?¡±
On both sides of the street werenterns, and the orange light softly sprinkled on her red fox mask.
Qin Jiu remembered thest time Duan Wang Fei told her that the Jiuhe Incense was obtained by meeting a monk from the State of Bogo by chance when she was offering incense, but just now, in front of Zhou Xin and Duan Wangye, Wang momo directly mentioned the heir¡¯s consort.
Then it must have been Gu Zezhi who found out that the Jiuhe Incense was given by the heir¡¯s consort, and that¡¯s why Wang momo said this in front of them.
Gu Zezhi nodded and said, ¡°After confirming that the Jiuhe incense was poisonous, I asked Wang momo to find out where the Jiuhe incense came from and then sent a letter back to Xijiang and ask someone to check the Buddhist monk.¡±
¡°Finally, it was found that the heir¡¯s consort had contacted the monk in the name of offering incense and asked him to give the incense to mother.¡±
His voice was as gentle as the spring breeze in March, and he added: ¡°Before mother got married, she liked to collect all kinds of spices and incense, which many people know.¡±
The descendants of the Xiao family in Jiangnan were the most elegant, Duan Wang Fei was not only good at tea ceremonies, but she was also very passionate about incense and incense with fragrance. This was no secret in Xijiang.
That¡¯s why ¡°people with aspirations¡± take advantage of this.
After finding out all this, it was already the tenth day of the first lunar month when Gu Zezhi received the pigeon carrying the letter from the border.
Gu Zezhi was most aware of Duan Wangye¡¯s temper. If he takes this evidence and puts them directly in front of Duan Wangye and tells him that the heir and the heir¡¯s consort poisoned the incense used by Duan Wang Fei. Duan Wangye would not believe it.
In the heart of Duan Wangye, his eldest son was honest and was his best sessor.
Therefore, Gu Zezhi never thought of mentioning it to Duan Wangye at all. Instead, he took advantage of today¡¯s Lantern Festival to expose it directly to him.
A smile bloomed at the corner of Gu Zezhi¡¯s lips as a sharp light shed across his eyes.
Qin Jiu waved the catntern in her hand and asked again, ¡°Is Chifeng grass in the Jiuhe Incense that poisonous?¡±
Gu Zezhi: ¡°The Chifeng grasses from the Western Regions. As the imperial physician said, it is extremely poisonous, and since its smell is like mint if a person intentionally added it to the Jiuhe incense, the smell will be covered.¡±
¡°Originally, the poison in the Chifeng Grass should not re up that quickly. Its biggest feature is that it can erode people¡¯s bodies little by little. Butst October, my mother suddenly learned that I was hunted down by the heir¡¯s men so this made her extremely agitated and fell ill.¡±
¡°This illness gave the Chifeng Grass an opportunity to attack faster, and instead revealed clues.¡±
¡°Otherwise, mother is afraid she dies without knowing the cause¡.¡±
Between the words, Gu Zezhi¡¯s tone inevitably revealed a bit of fear.
***
Chapter 256
Chapter 256
Duan Wang Fei likes and was also knowledgeable about incense. Normally, she could always tell if there was something mixed with any incense she uses but this Jiuhe Incense was extremely rare and since ites from other states, not to mention she has only seen it in books, plus Jiuhe Incense has aplex scent, which mixed at least thirty kinds of spices, and part of the spices was unique to the western region.
Qin Jiu suddenly thought of something and said: ¡°Brother, when wangfei got the Jiuhe Incense, were you on your way to the capital?¡±
Gu Zezhi nodded.
As soon as he left West Xinjiang, he was ambushed. In that attack, all the apanying bodyguards died. Only he escaped desperately, but he was also seriously injured.
Later, he simply took a detour with his injuries but failed to get rid of the assassins. If he hadn¡¯t happened to meet Qin Jiu in Yaoqing County, he estimated that the worst oue would be death.
The phoenix eyes behind Gu Zezhi¡¯s mask narrowed as he turned his head to look at Qin Jiu, and the corners of his mouth curved and his gaze softens.
Thinking about it now, Qin Jiu¡¯s appearance was like a miracle, whether it was for him or his mother.
Qin Jiu was trying to recall the plot in the novel and muttered to herself: ¡°If the heir had seeded at that time, then wangfei would have been poisoned soon¡by then, Consort Feng will have the right to be the legal wife?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± the white fox mask covered Gu Zezhi¡¯s expression and was cast with ayer of glistening light from thenterns hanging on themphouse. He said calmly, ¡°For the sake of solidifying the heir¡¯s status, father will choose Concubine Feng as his new legal wife.¡±
Just like what Qin Jiu thought, Duan Wangye¡¯s heart had already gone to the horizon!
She nced at Gu Zezhi with sympathy and felt that the golden thigh was pitiful.
Qin Jiu motioned her mask downwards as she guesses that she should be a variable in the plot.
That was to say, if not for her, Gu Zezhi may not reach the capital on this trip. It¡¯s no wonder that during this period in the original plot, there was no Gu Zezhi in the capital.
Her eyebrows were tightly furrowed under her mask.
In that case, in the original plot, Gu Zezhi who did not arrive in the capital must have hidden somewhere to recuperate first¡
And since Duan Wang Fei was angered to the extreme after knowing that Gu Zezhi was being chased by assassins, this causes the poison to attack earlier. Considering that Gu Zezhi¡¯s ¡°life and death¡± was unknown¡
What would happen to Duan Wang Fei?!
Qin Jiu¡¯s heart jumped, and suddenly felt that she seemed to find the hidden plot of the novel!
In the novel, while on his way to the capital Gu Zezhi¡¯s life and death were presumably ¡°unknown¡± which causes aggravation to Duan Wang Fei leading to the poison acting up earlier. If then, would Duan Wangye realize Duan Wang Fei was poisoned?
Still assuming, Duan Wangye found that the Jiuhe Incense Duan Wang Fei was using has poison in it. And following this lead, he discovered that it has something to do with his heir apparent¡given this solid evidence, would Duan Wangye still believe the heir apparent?!
So, what would the heir do in the face of Duan Wangye¡¯s anger?!
Would he ¡°kill his own father¡± in order to keep his position as the heir, and then put the me on the ¡°missing¡± Gu Zezhi?!
The answer seems obvious!
Qin Jiu winced and thought she might have guessed right!
So, was she really a variable?
Qin Jiu couldn¡¯t help but turn around and look at Gu Zezhi, who was more than half a head taller than her and happened to meet Gu Zezhi¡¯s eyes. She said to herself sympathetically: Golden thigh is so pitiful. From now on, I¡¯d better be nice to him!!
Though the red fox mask covered her face, Gu Zezhi could still clearly see a hint of sympathy in her eyes.
Gu Zezhi: ¡°?¡±
Although he did not understand why she was sympathizing with him, it did not prevent him from getting a little benefit for himself in due course.
Gu Zezhi sighed softly and said nothing, his whole body seems to be shrouded in faint loneliness, even the mousentern in his hand shook slightly, looking pitiful, in contrast to the cat¡¯sntern.
The next moment, he felt his left hand warm, and that warm little hand held his left hand and shook it gently.
¡°Let¡¯s go and see the lights!¡± Qin Jiu said with her eyes curving into slits.
¡°En.¡± The corner of Gu Zezhi¡¯s lips behind the mask were raised higher.
Sensing that the golden thigh was in a good mood, Qin Jiu thought she had already coaxed him.
She was about to release her hand when she heard another ¡°bang¡± and huge red fireworks flew up in the night sky, followed by orange, painting the sky beautifully.
The people on the street stopped in their tracks, and all raised their heads in unison, including the stall owners. Some people excitedly pointed their fingers at the fireworks in the night sky, saying, ¡°Look, this is Lianzhu fireworks!¡±
¡°It¡¯s just a series of fireworks, I heard that this year there are six consecutive fireworks!¡±
¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. The official posted a notice that said, the six consecutive fireworks will not be released until the end of thentern festival¡¡±
¡°¡.¡±
At this time, four or five children ran from behind, shouting as they ran, ¡°Hurry up, let¡¯s go to the Chenghuang Temple to see the fireworks¡¡±
The boy running in front looked up at the fireworks in the sky, without looking at the road at all, and was about to bump into Qin Jiu.
When the two of them were about to collide, Qin Jiu felt Gu Zezhi grab her hand and pulled her towards him with a quick nce, ¡°Be careful.¡±
At the next moment, the boy ran past her like a gust of wind, causing the corner of her cloak to flutter. Several other children followed him withughter as they ran briskly beside Qin Jiu.
Qin Jiu gave a low shout as she stumbled into his arms.
Although separated by a mask, at that moment, her sense of smell was extremely sharp, as the tip of her nose smelled the scent of green bamboo after rain.
¡°Xiao Jiu¡¡±
His warm voice like the sun came from above her head making Qin Jiu stand up straight and looked at Gu Zezhi. With his head lowered, his mask brushed against her.
The white fox¡¯s mouth kissed the red fox¡¯s cheek.
Qin Jiu froze for a moment as if petrified.
Heughed lowly, his chest rising and falling slightly with hisugh.
She could feel the powerful pounding soundsing from his warm chest under her palm, which seemed to spread down to all her limbs.
The scent of his body, the sound of his heartbeat, and the warm touch beneath her palm made Qin Jiu a little ufortable.
Her heart thumped up and she stared at Gu Zezhi with wide eyes.
The phoenix eyes behind Gu Zezhi¡¯s mask seemed like the summer sun sizzling on her face.
¡°You¡¡±
She wanted to ask, but Gu Zezhi¡¯s warm voice sounded again: ¡°Watch the fireworks.¡±
His words were just swallowed by another burst of fireworks, as several fireworks burst in the night sky.
Subconsciously, she tilted her head again, attracted by the wonderful session of fireworks, and for a moment felt as if she had forgotten something, which she quickly put behind her.
The colorful fireworks burst one after another, reflecting the raised faces in the street below.
The fireworks stopped after about one tea time, while Qin Jiu was still wishing there would be other fireworks when Gu Zezhi took her hand and walked forward.
The stall owners on both sides of the street began to shout loudly again, attracting Qin Jiu¡¯s attention.
This was her first time experiencing an ancientntern festival, so everything she saw was new to her.
Only after strolling for a cup of tea time, Qin Jiu had already bought a lot of misceneous small things, such as incense pouches, diamond flower mirror,ce, fan, and so on, filling up the small basket she bought from one of the stalls.
Qin Jiu still felt that she had more to buy, but at this time, the direction of the Chenghuang Temple began to disy fireworks again, which was the six consecutive fireworks, which means that today¡¯sntern show was about to end, and the emperor and empress would soon leave for the pce.
So, Gu Zezhi sent Qin Jiu back to the Chenghuang Temple.
¡°Then I¡¯m going in¡¡± Qin Jiu has taken off her mask, and her jade-like cheeks were flushed with a faint blush from excitement, like a blooming camellia flower that was delicate and fully vibrant.
With a small basket in one hand and a catmp in the other, she was about to go in when she stopped abruptly and muttered, ¡°I almost forgot.¡±
She first gave Gu Zezhi the catmp in her hand, then took out a purse from her sleeve pocket, put it in Gu Zezhi¡¯s hand, and said with a smile, ¡°Take the New Year¡¯s money!¡±
With these words, she took back her catmp again. This time, she returned to the terrace without looking back.
Gu Zezhi grasped the purple purse embroidered with green parrots in his hand and looked at Qin Jiu¡¯s back, the corners of his lips behind the fox mask curving higher and higher.
Only when he could not see Qin Jiu¡¯s figure, Gu Zezhi withdrew his gaze and yed with the heavy purse for a while before putting it away in his sleeve pocket and returning to the Duan Wang Mansion.
***
Chapter 257
Chapter 257
It was alreadyte at night, and the stars surrounding the full moon hung high in the night sky. Compared with the hustle and bustle of thentern festival, the whole Duan Pce was particrly quiet.
Gu Zezhi handed the horse over to the boy and carried the ratntern to the main courtyard to see Duan Wang Fei.
Duan Wang Fei hasn¡¯t rested yet, she was leaning on the royal couch in the inner room, reading. Inside, there were silver frost charcoal pots ced in two corners to warm up the room like spring.
Seeing that Gu Zezhi had returned, Duan Wang Fei put down the book in her hand, sat up, and asked, ¡°Zezhi, did you have fun?¡±
¡°It was fun.¡± Gu Zezhi said while putting aside that ratntern and white fox mask, he then took out that embroidered parrot¡¯s purse and fished out a cat-shaped silver ingot from the purse.
¡°New Year¡¯s money.¡± He gave the silver coin to Duan Wang Fei, with a smile on his face.
Duan Wang Fei: ¡°??¡±
Duan Wang Fei grasped the exquisite silver ingot, confused. Feeling that her son was getting more and more unfathomable with mystery.
As Duan Wang Fei rubbed the silver ingot between her fingers, she could not help thinking of Gu Zezhi when he was ten years old. That year, during the Spring Festival, he came to her and said, ¡°Mom, I¡¯m grown up, so I don¡¯t need you to give me new year¡¯s money.¡±
At that time, Gu Zezhi was just over her shoulder, but now he was much taller than her.
Duan Wang Fei¡¯s eyes fell on Gu Zezhi¡¯s engraved purple-gold cap on his head. Her son wearing this means that he has now grown up and would soon start a family of his own¡
Her eyes shone with kindness as she muttered, ¡°It¡¯s time to get ready¡¡± She has to save some New Year¡¯s money for her future grandchildren, the early the better.
Gu Zezhi raised his eyebrows and was about to open his mouth when the curtain door was pulled from the outside. Wang momo came in, bent her knees, and said, ¡°Wangfei, Third Master, young eunuch Lu hase to see you and said that the emperor had asked Third Master toe to the pce for an audience!¡±
The second half begins.
Gu Zezhi smiled faintly, stood up, and said, ¡°Mother, it¡¯s gettingte, you should rest early. I¡¯ll go to the pce.¡±
Gu Zezhi had juste back and within a short time of burning incense but he hurriedly rode out again. This time, he went to the pce with the servants who came to pass the word.
At this time, thentern festival has almost ended, and there were not many passers-by on the street, only a few people withnterns could be seen walking on the roadughing.
As soon as these people saw the official from the pce, they hurriedly gave way.
At this time of day, the pce gate has long been locked, but today was an exception. Not only did the curfew was lifted at night, but also the pce gates would be open until midnight before closing.
By this time, the emperor has returned from the Lantern Festival, and together with Duan Wangye they were in the imperial study.
Both of them looked at Gu Zezhi with different expressions. There was no happiness or anger that could be seen with the former, while thetter frowned.
¡°Your Majesty the emperor.¡± Gu Zezhi followed Eunuch Lu to the front of the imperial study without looking askance and saluted respectfully.
Seeing Gu Zezhi after the incident, the emperor¡¯s eyes were a bitplicated, and he asked with concern, ¡°Zezhi, how is your mother doing?¡±
¡°Replying to the emperor, mother has rested,¡± Gu Zezhi replied with a bow, ¡°but she didn¡¯t sleep very well. When I went out, she just woke up from coughing and took some loquat before resting again.¡±
The emperor rubbed the emerald ring on his thumb and said, ¡°The imperial physician has told me that your mother is poisoned. What is going on?¡±
Duan Wangye frowned even tighter, trying to wink at Gu Zezhi, signaling him not to talk nonsense.
However, Gu Zezhi did not look at Duan Wangye at all, so naturally, he did not see the wink from Duan Wangye. He looked up at the emperor and said, ¡°Answering to the emperor, this Jiuhe Incense was given to mother by the heir¡¯s consort.¡±
The emperor has long heard from Zhou Xin, and sure enough, his appearance doesn¡¯t look shocked at all.
Truth was, the emperor was not surprised by this. In the final analysis, whether it was the heir, Gu Chenzhi who sent people to kill Gu Zezhi, or the heir¡¯s consort secretly poisoned Duan Wang Fei, it was all for the title of Duan Wang.
Duan Wangye¡¯s face seemed to be sshed with ink, and he scolded: ¡°Zezhi, don¡¯t talk nonsense!¡±
Duan Wangye stood up from the armchair beside him and solemnly bowed to the emperor and said, ¡°Your Majesty the emperor, please give me some time. I will find out about this¡¡±
¡°Your Majesty the emperor, you cannot convict the heir¡¯s Consort based on the words of one momo!¡±
¡°I believe that the heir¡¯s consort was also deceived. Even if the incense was really given by the heir¡¯s consort, the culprit must be someone else. He must be plotting against the wangfei!¡±
Duan Wangye keeps on talking.
Since the emperor dered they would be going back to the pce two hours ago, he tried to exin, but at that time the emperor simply ignored him and only focused on watching the lights and talking with Empress Wei.
Duan Wangye also knew that the emperor was deliberately being cold, and was helpless. After all, since the family affairs of Duan Wang¡¯s Mansion had been brought to the front of the emperor, he would be viewed as someone who was beingx in governing his family.
It was only now, just now that he was given a chance to speak, so he wanted to take this opportunity to exin clearly to the emperor.
¡°Your Majesty the emperor, I can guarantee the character of the heir¡¯s consort, she will never do such unfilial and unkind things. Zezhi is also worried about wangfei, which will lead to mixing things up¡¡±
Duan Wangye still wanted to exin something on behalf of the heir¡¯s consort, but was interrupted by the Emperor: ¡°Enough!¡±
Duan Wangye was the emperor¡¯s uncle, and the emperor has always been polite to him so this was the first time that Duan Wangye was scolded so harshly by the emperor which made hisplexion be even uglier, and couldn¡¯t help but somewhat med the servants for ¡°talking nonsense¡±
***
Chapter 258
Chapter 258
The emperor looked at Gu Zezhi again.
¡°Zezhi, what can you say?¡±
The emperor disapproved of Duan Wangye, whose heart had long been biased.
Gu Zezhi said with a straight face, ¡°Your Majesty the emperor, please let Mother stay in the capital.¡±
¡°¡¡¡± The emperor raised his eyebrows in surprise, he looked at Gu Zezhi and two pairs of eyes stared at each other.
The emperor understood what Gu Zezhi meant, he had previously told him to stay in the capital after the marriage. And right now, Gu Zezhi¡¯s words mean that he wanted to let Duan Wang Fei live in the capital permanently.
This was no small matter.
The emperor did not immediately agree, instead, he formed a fist with his right hand and hesitantly tapped the imperial table twice, with a thoughtful look showing on his face.
Duan Wang Fei was a dignified consort and living separately from her n and her fu was something rare, or rather unheard of.
Even if there was, it was because they made a mistake, and to punish them as they simply found an excuse to let them fast and chant Buddha or something away from their fu.
Not to mention, Duan Wangye would not agree, and if the n knew about it, they might have objections.
But¡
The emperor frowned and clenched his fists tighter.
However, Gu Zezhi would be staying in the capital permanently. So, if Duan Wang Fei returns to Western Xijiang which was thousands of miles away, Gu Zezhi would be beyond reach if something happens.
The emperor darted a quick sideway nce at Duan Wangye.
It may be hopeless to expect Duan Wangye to protect Duan Wang Fei, after all, Duan Wangye was biased. Ai, he was obviously brave and good at fighting on the battlefield and uses soldiers like a god. His prestige was resounding throughout the western border and surrounding areas of more than a dozen foreign countries,rge and small, forcing other countries not to dare vite the border for several years!
However, Duan Wangye, who was wise and decisive on the battlefield, was stupid in family matters and was even blindsided by the matter of his own son!
The emperor¡¯s mind turns a hundred times and his eyes were getting darker.
Seeing the emperor¡¯s face Duan Wangye was worried and hurriedly said, ¡°No!¡±
Gu Zezhi took two steps closer and red at him angrily. It was only at this time that Duan Wangye realized that Gu Zezhi was already half an inch taller than him.
¡°Zezhi, could it be that even you think it was your sister-inw who wanted to harm your mother?¡± Duan Wangye said with dissatisfaction.
Gu Zezhi and Duan Wangye looked straight into each other¡¯s clear and bright eyes. Even though he didn¡¯t say anything, his meaning could not have been clearer.
Gu Zezhi turned his head first, bowed to the emperor again, and said, ¡°Please allow this servant to establish my own residence here in the capital your majesty, the emperor.¡±
Silence filled the whole imperial study.
Even the emperor was shocked and looked at Gu Zezhi who was a few steps away.
If Gu Zezhi opened another residence, it would be the same as if he had voluntarily given up the title of Duan¡¯s heir.
Has Gu Zezhi really made up his mind?
Thinking about what happened in the past few months, the emperor sighed and felt sorry for Gu Zezhi. He was the legitimate son of Duan Wangye, but the eldest son had pushed him hard step by step to this point.
Duan Wangye also looked at Gu Zezhi stunned, and his body tense.
Last time Zezhi told him that he wanted to split the family, but he was still thinking about whether he should consider this option.
After all, deep inside he doesn¡¯t want to separate his legitimate son like this. So, he was caught off guard when Zezhi suddenly bring up the matter again now and proposed it in front of the emperor, on top of requesting to let wangfei stay in the capital as well.
Was Zezhi ming him?!
This child who was now an adult was acting like a spoiled child, this matter has not been investigated but because of the words and phrases of a servant, he was already determined that the one behind was the heir. He was being too rash!
Duan Wangye was in an irritable mood and had to take two deep breaths to make his violently heaving chest calm down a little, then said patiently.
¡°Zezhi, don¡¯t be willful, there must be something wrong with Jiuhe Incense.¡±
Gu Zezhi acted as if he had never heard what Duan Wangye had said, he even didn¡¯t even raise his eyebrows nor did he talk to Duan Wangye.
Of course, his purpose was not only to split from the family, after all the son dares to do it if he dares to do it, and he wants to make his sure that there would be no more danger in the future for his mother.
The emperor looked back and forth between Gu Zezhi and Duan Wangye, when Zhou Xin came in at this time and reported, ¡°Your Majesty the emperor, Duan Wang Fei requests an audience.¡±
¡°¡¡..¡±
¡°¡¡±
¡°¡..¡±
Not only the emperor and Duan Wangye were surprised but so was Gu Zezhi, he did not expect that Duan Wang Fei woulde.
The emperor also saw Gu Zezhi¡¯s surprise and immediately said, ¡°Announce her!¡±
Zhou Xin retreated, and in a short while, came in again and led Duan Wang Fei in.
Duan Wangfei walked slowly towards the side, with a dignified posture and a calm expression, a calm and graceful demeanor could also be even seen in her steps.
The three men in the room all looked at Duan Wang Fei.
She obviously didn¡¯t say anything but deep inside Gu Zezhi had already vaguely guessed what her purpose here was, with his eyes slightly condense no happiness nor anger could be seen on his handsome face.
Duan Wang Fei quickly walked to Gu Zezhi¡¯s left side, not even looking at Duan Wangye who was on Gu Zezhi¡¯s right side, as if she didn¡¯t even notice that Duan Wangye was also there.
Seeing how Duan Wang Fei positioned herself, the emperor also had already some clues about what her purpose was for visiting and this made his expressionplicated.
¡°Your Majesty, the emperor¡± Duan Wang Fei solemnly curtsied to the emperor and her first words were, ¡°This woman wants to divorce Duan Wangye and I hope his majesty the emperor will give permission!¡±
***
Chapter 259
Chapter 259
Duan Wang Fei¡¯s words were resounding, that after saying these words, the imperial study became even quieter that they could hear a pin drops.
Even Zhou Xin who had been in the pce for decades and had seen a lot was so startled at this moment that he slipped his hand and almost lost his grip on the whisk as he looked at Duan Wang Fei in shock.
Duan Wangye was no different, he couldn¡¯t believe his ears and looked at Duan Wang Fei in disbelief. In his opinion, Duan Wang Fei was letting her anger talk.
s, the wangfei who was always been dignified and steady, was making a fool out of herself this time.
It was Duan Wang Fei¡¯s servants¡¯ fault, who had been whispering nonsense in her ears all day long which caused Duan Wang Fei to have a deep misunderstanding with his eldest son and his wife.
Duan Wangye sighed, stretched out his hand to support Duan Wang Fei, and said, ¡°Wangfei, are you also convinced that it was the heir¡¯s consort who has done this?¡±
¡°The heir¡¯s consort and you were mother-inw and daughter-inw for many years and she had been filial to you, so how could she do such a treacherous thing.¡±
¡°Wangfei, you¡¡±
Duan Wangye wanted to say something else, but Duan Wang Fei didn¡¯t want to listen any further, she coldly shook off his hand and only looked at the emperor as she repeated.
¡°Your Majesty, the emperor, I your subject want to divorce the wangye.¡±
Her face was slightly pale, but her back was still straight, and even though her body was weak due to poisoning, she did not waiver the slightest.
Five days ago, when she learned from her son that she was in fact poisoned, Duan Wang Fei¡¯s whole being was stupefied but was not surprised when her son told her that it was the heir¡¯s consort who used the Buddhist monk to give her the poisoned Jiuhe incense.
As what she was afraid of, only Duan Wangye thinks that his heir was good and a filial child¡
For Duan Wang Fei, the eldest son could be regarded as the child she had watched grow up.
She has been married to Duan Wangye for more than ten years but was not able to conceive even after seeing many physicians saying that it would be difficult for her to have a child. But wangye has many concubines and children, and although she does not treat these children as her own, she really loves them and never treats them unfairly.
Later, when Gu Chenzhi was seventeen years old, he was established as the heir apparent, and she also gave birth to Zezhi after that.
Zezhi was clearly the legitimate son, but he was overwhelmed by the concubine-born and eldest son of Duan Wangye right after he was born, this, of course, made her somewhat unhappy, but the situation forced him to establish an heir at that time, so she also epted it. All she wanted when Zezhi was growing up was only to make contributions to Zezhi¡¯s career and earn a title for himself even if there was no Duan Wangfu nor the heir¡¯s title.
But¡
As Zezhi was growing up, the heir was unable to tolerate him more and more, day by day.
When Zezhi was fourteen years old, he entered the military camp, and from the age of fourteen to seventeen, he fought against the enemy in blood on the battlefield and defeated Xidi again and again which gave him several achievements and garnered so much praise from the generals.
However, wangye suddenly recalled him to Luo¡¯an City, and who seeded Zezhi¡¯s achievements? It was the heir.
It was only three months after that, they defeated Xidi and greatly wounded him. After that, he did not vite the border again for several years, and it was the heir who was instead known to have made ¡°great achievements¡±.
At that time, in the face of her questioning, Duan Wangye speaks forcefully and with justice.
¡°Wangfei, Zezhi is already the legitimate son, if he achieves another great feat, how should the heir handle himself?¡±
¡°The eldest son is the heir of the Duan Wangfu, there cannot be two masters in the military, otherwise it will cause turmoil and a chaotic military is not a good image.¡±
¡°Ai. wangfei, you should understand.¡±
At that time, Duan Wang Fei¡¯s heart chilled as she listened.
ording to Duan Wangye, it was not enough for Zezhi to give away his legitimate title as the heir apparent, but in order to ensure the ¡°supremacy¡± of his eldest son, it was necessary to make him never have the chance to rise in his life?!
Even though three years had passed, Duan Wang Fei still couldn¡¯t control the resentment she had whenever she thought of that scene at that time, as if a cluster of mes were burning her entire body.
¡°Wangfei,¡± said Duan Wangye helplessly as he sigh, ¡°you have always been sensible before.¡±
¡°You have been poisoned, and benwang* is also very anxious.¡±
(*this king- a formal way to address themselves)
¡°Benwang was not trying to protect anyone, but the truth of this matter has not been found out yet so how can we convict the heir¡¯s consort with just words from a servant?¡±
¡°Forget it, we still have to take care of your body, so stop making trouble. Zezhi why don¡¯t you take your mother back yet.¡± Duan Wangye turned to look at Gu Zezhi.
Gu Zezhi stands with his hands down, as if he didn¡¯t hear anything.
He gave a faint smile to Duan Wang Fei, this smile was gentle, yet clearly expresses meaning, that he respected Duan Wang Fei¡¯s decision.
If his mother wanted to stay in the Duang Wangfu, then he would solve the hidden dangers in the fu for her.
And if his mother decided to divorce, then let her divorce!
Gu Zezhi¡¯s support made Duan Wang Fei¡¯s determination stronger. Asking for a divorce today was not a whim of hers, but what happened tonight made herpletely determined.
Duan Wang Fei knew very well in heart: he never said that he never love Gu Zezhi but whenever the heir was involved, he would stand by him unreservedly.
The heir ordered people to chase and kill Zezhi, but even if the evidence was conclusive, wangye believes that the heir sent those people to protect Zezhi secretly.
She was poisoned, and Wang momo just mentioned that it has something to do with the heir¡¯s consort, and what did Duan Wangye do? He decided that the heir¡¯s consort was innocent without even thinking about it and that someone must have schemed against the heir¡¯s consort.
Since in Duan Wangye¡¯s heart, only his heir apparent was important and the lives of the mother and son were insignificant, what else does she have to do with Duan Wangfu?
¡°Wangye,¡± said Duan Wang Fei with a calm expression, ¡°I am tired, let¡¯s divorce so we can get over this and go home.¡±
Duan Wangye and his heir could just live their lives.
Dismayed and discouragement could be clearly heard in Duan Wang Fei¡¯s voice, even the emperor could see that she was not just talking nonsense but had made up her mind.
The emperor¡¯s lips were tightly pressed into a straight line, not knowing what to say.
In the more than 100 years since the beginning of the Daqi dynasty, there has never been a divorce in the n. Not only the n, but even those noble families, and even repudiation was extremely rare.
The emperor looked back and forth at Duan Wangye, Duan Wang Fei then at Gu Zezhi, he guessed that Duan Wang Fei might want to follow Gu Zezhi to stay in the capital, but never thought that the first thing she said was to divorce Duan Wangye.
¡°Imperial uncle,¡± said the emperor looking at Duan Wangye hesitantly, ¡°look at this ¡¡¡±
¡°No, I will not divorce!¡± Duan Wangye was also a bit flustered this time, he hurriedly went to pull Duan Wang Fei, trying to exin to her properly, but once again he was lightly flung away.
Duan Wangye: ¡°!¡±
At this moment, his heart sank little by little and finally realized that wangfei probably really wants to divorce him.
They have been married for nearly forty years, and wangfei has always done her best to manage their fu for him and raise his children. In Duan Wangye¡¯s heart, wangfei was different from the side concubines and concubines in the house.
Obviously, they have respected each other for so many years and lived well. Why did she want to divorce him now?
It¡¯s all the fault of the evil person who poisoned wangfei!
Duan Wangye thought to himself and said again.
¡°Wangfei, benwang assures you that this matter will be thoroughly investigated and we will find the culprit!¡±
A bit more seriousness could be heard in Duan Wangye¡¯s voice this time.
¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, benwang will immediately call the heir and his consort to the capital, and questioned them in front of the emperor, to find out clearly!¡±
¡°Benwang will definitely not protect anyone.¡±
Duan Wangye said in a pleading tone, ¡°Don¡¯t divorce me, okay, wangfei, let¡¯s go back first and talk about it when we get back ¡¡¡±
But even after pleading, Duan Wang Fei still did not waver in the slightest and only said, ¡°This woman has already made up her mind.¡±
¡°Wangfei, think about Zezhi ah.¡± Duan Wangye could only pull his son, ¡°If you and I get divorced, wouldn¡¯t Zezhi be in an awkward position in the royal family! Zezhi, what do you think?¡±
Gu Zezhi smiled: ¡°Unlikely.¡±
¡°¡¡¡± Duan Wang was so angry and speechless at the same time.
Emperor: ¡°¡.¡±
***
Chapter 260
Chapter 260
The emperor nodded slightly, what Duan Wangye had said was right, once Duan Wang Fei divorce him, Gu Zezhi¡¯s future position would be awkward.
Although ording to thew of etiquette, the divorce of parents does not affect the status of Gu Zezhi as the legitimate son. But Duan Wangfu already has an heir so if Duan Wangye was divorced, he would need to remarry, if there was another first son born from the new wangfei, how would Gu Zezhi be able to handle himself?
Gu Zezhi certainly knows this, but he still made it clear that he supports Duan Wang Fei, and it was as if also showing how disappointed he was with Duang Wangye¡
s, because Duan Wangye¡¯s partiality was too extreme, it reached the point where husband and wife, father and son would separate, and he couldn¡¯t even realize what his mistakes were.
¡°Imperial Aunt, divorce is a very important matter.¡±
After thinking things thoroughly and taking some considerations, the emperor could only persuade in a gentle voice.
¡°You are the wangfei who has been given a jade document*. You can¡¯t say that you can divorce and leave, nor can I say that I have the final say.¡±
(*a book that records the genealogy, calendar, and government decrees of the emperor)
These words were not purely coaxing Duan Wang Fei.
Imperial couples couldn¡¯t just sign divorce papers that easily, especially marriages in the imperial n, even those aristocratic families with little background couldn¡¯t just divorce that easily!
¡°Right.¡± Duan Wangye seemed to have grasped the straw to save his life.
Feeling that the emperor was really wise, he urged Duan Wang Fei kindly, ¡°Wangfei, let¡¯s discuss the matter of divorce¡ another time!¡±
¡°Wangfei, it¡¯s gettingte, let¡¯s go back to Duan¡¯s residence first.¡±
Dripping with cold sweat, Duan Wangye¡¯s back was already soaked when he suddenly remembered that wangfei has always been virtuous and sensible, with decisive nature, especially when she was young, she was an upromisingdy. These years as she gets older, she lived reclusively and her temper became milder.
True to his memory, Duan Wang Fei didn¡¯t bother with Duang Wangye and just curtsied to the emperor before going out, still ignoring wangye.
Since she had already said the word ¡°divorce¡±, she would never take it back.
The emperor asked Duan Wangye and his wife to retreat, leaving only Gu Zezhi to speak with him alone.
¡°Zezhi, don¡¯t go, I have something to tell you.¡±
Duan Wangye was curious about what the emperor was going to say to Gu Zezhi, and was also afraid that Gu Zezhi would persuade the emperor to agree to the divorce. However, at the moment he was hopelessly alone.
Seeing that Duan Wang Fei walked out of the imperial study room, he gritted his teeth and could only go after Duan Wang Fei first.
An incense stickter, Duan Wang Fei¡¯s vermilion paint wheel carriage drove out from the pce, and since Duan Wangye was not able to get on the carriage, he could only follow on a horse while feeling very upset: he still found it hard to believe, they had been married for forty years, and yet wangfei wants to divorce him!
How could this be possible!
Duan Wangye almost pinched his thigh to see if he was dreaming.
When Duan Wangye and Duan Wang Fei arrived at their residence, it was already midnight.
As soon as Duan Wang Fei returned to the mansion, she ordered people to tidy up. The whole main courtyard was in amotion, and it was simply cleaned up in less than half an hour.
Duan Wang Fei had a dowry house in the capital. She only took some clothes with her, and directly asked the servants to carry several boxes of personal belongings onto the carriage.
Since returning home, Duan Wangye had been following Duan Wang Fei all the way, persuading her in a cold sweat.
¡°Wangfei, it¡¯s already gettingte. What can benwang do for you to calm down? We¡¯ll talk about it tomorrow.¡±
¡°Wangfei, if you don¡¯t believe benwang, benwang can swear to heaven right now that he will give you an exnation.¡±
¡°I can go to Luo¡¯an now¡¡±
However, no matter what Duan Wangye said, Duan Wang Fei ignored it.
Seeing that Wang momo had ordered the gatekeeper to open the gate, Duan Wangye became anxious and ordered the royal guards, ¡°Stop it! Don¡¯t let Wangfei go!¡±
A group of guards looked at each other, but could only stand in a row and blocked the entrance.
Seeing this, Duang Wang Fei gave only one word: ¡°Go!¡±
The guards were able to stop them but did not dare to be rough on Duan Wang Fei, so in the end, wangfei¡¯s carriage was able to squeeze out from among several guards and drove away along the open street.
The sound of horses¡¯ hooves and cartwheels was particrly loud in the silent midnight.
¡°Wangfei!¡±
Duan Wangye chased out the gate, but he didn¡¯t let go of his arrogance to chase the carriage after all, but his face was so ugly that it was about to drop ink while the guards surrounding him were silent.
Themotion in front of Duan Wang¡¯s mansion could not be concealed from the eyes and ears of other nearby residents, so that night, some people knew that Duan Wang Fei wanted to divorce Duan Wangye.
Not only that, but by the next day, almost all the people in the capital knew the news, and there was an uproar.
All of them inevitably had a fewments about it in private.
They only knew that Duan Wang Fei suddenly fainted when they were watching the fireworksst night. And right now, Duan Wang Fei was making a scene of divorcing her husband causing people to inevitably have various guesses.
Some people say with conviction that it was most likely due to the dispute between Duang Wangye¡¯s wangfei and concubines, or perhaps Duan Wangye wants to spoil his concubine and neglect his wife.
While some people think that Duan Wang Fei was too stupid if she divorces Duan Wangye, wouldn¡¯t she be giving up Duan Wangfu whom she had worked hard to manage to a concubine?
And others think that Duan Wang Fei wanting to divorce was a way to use as an advantage to force Duan Wangye to re-establish her son¡
***
Chapter 261
Chapter 261
In just half a day, all sorts of discussions were raging in the capital, and it even reached the Marquis manor. Qin Jiu inevitably heard from Du Ruo¡¯s mouth about the gossip that was spreading outside.
As soon as yesterday¡¯s incident happened, Qin Jiu knew that there would bemotion in Duan Wangye¡¯s mansion but she didn¡¯t expect Duan Wang Fei would actually want to divorce Duan Wangye.
Feeling furious with the injustice, Du Ruo said at the side: ¡°Young Miss, seeing how Duan Wangye helped the heir¡¯s consortst night, wangfei¡¯s heart must have chilled.¡±
¡°Duan Wangye will definitely regret it, wangfei is so nice!¡±
Du Ruo has been in Fengluan Pce for many years and has seen at least hundreds of nobles from different ns, so she has some kind of insight into this kind of situation.
Qin Jiu repeatedly nodded and was in deep thought, ¡°Wangfei is a nice person, and Duan Wangye doesn¡¯t really know how lucky he is! ¡±
With just the little time Qin Jiu spend with Duan Wang Fei, she could already clearly tell that with Duan Wang Fei¡¯s temperament, she was not the kind of person who woulde up with the idea of retreating to advance just like what others spected, she truly wanted to divorce Duan Wangye.
And with the golden thighs beside her, Duang Wang Fei would definitely get her wish.
After thinking about it, Qin Jiu asked, ¡°Du Ruo, do you know where wangfei moved to?¡±
Du Ruo had already inquired about it and immediately replied, ¡°Jinyu Alley is the house where wangfei¡¯s dowry was.¡±
Qin Jiu: ¡°Send a word to Jinyu Alley. Wangfei must be busy moving now, so I¡¯ll go help.¡±
Du Ruo hurriedly went to prepare and asked someone to pass the word.
So, on the morning of the 17th day of the first lunar month, Qin Jiu went to help Duan Wang Fei in her new house at Jinyu Alley. But the truth was,ing here to help wangfei was just an excuse. After all, wangfei already has Wang momo to supervise the servants and tidied up the ce, so there was no need for Qin Jiu to help.
Qin Jiu instead apanied Duan Wang Fei drinking tea and ying chess as they chat, in addition to making sure Duan Wang Fei take her medicine properly, she also coaxes her to eat an extra bowl of noodles.
Seeing Duan Wang Feiughing, herplexion looked much better than that night of Lantern Festival. Qin Jiu also heaved a sigh of relief, thinking that it would be best for wangfei to forget about the scumbag Duang Wangye.
Qin Jiu didn¡¯t leave until the sky darkened, and as soon as the carriage went out, she bumps into Duan Wangye in the alley and saw him through the carriage window.
Duan Wangye was walking with his arms folded, with neither a carriage nor a servant by his side, he looked like he had been wandering in the alley for a long time.
When he saw Qin Jiu in the carriage, Duan Wangye froze and stopped in his tracks.
No matter what the current situation was, Duan Wangye was still and also Gu Zezhi¡¯s biological father so Qin Jiu could only order the coachman to stop, then got out of the carriage and curtsied to Duan Wangye.
¡°Wangye.¡±
Duan Wang looked at Qin Jiu with aplicated expression, he was also embarrassed, awkward, and surprised. He cleared his throat as if nothing had happened and asked, ¡°Is wangfei okay?¡±
Qin Jiu pursed her lips and sighed lightly as she hesitated to answer but said at the end: ¡°Wangfei is not feeling well and didn¡¯t eat a bite of lunch today.¡±
Du Ruo who was standing behind Qin Jiu also heard this and silently stared at the tip of her shoe, thinking that her young miss could really talk. Yes, Duan Wang Fei did not eat a mouthful of rice, but she ate two bowls of noodles.
Qin Jiu: ¡°She also doesn¡¯t talk much, and was always dazed.¡±
An image then shed in Du Ruo¡¯s mind, Duan Wang Fei was in a very good mood as she kept on ying five-game chess with her young miss, defeating the young miss. So naturally, they didn¡¯t talk much since they were too focused on the game.
Qin Jiu: ¡°She finally fell asleep just now. She wasn¡¯t really sleeping well previously.¡±
Du Ruomented to herself again: just now young miss had been coaxing Duan Wang Fei to rest.
Duan Wangye¡¯s eyebrows were getting tighter and tighter as he listens, and the wrinkles in the middle of his eyebrows could almost kill mosquitoes.
He sighed deeply: ¡°Ai!¡±
Duan Wang Fei is seriously ill but still refuses to rest in the manor, she must be really angry.
What to do? Duan Wang Fei is really going to divorce me¡
Duan Wangye rubbed his temples distractedly, up to now, he still couldn¡¯t figure out how things hade to this point. He couldn¡¯t help muttering, ¡°Is it my fault?¡±
Qin Jiu nodded solemnly: ¡°Of course.¡±
She also didn¡¯t wait for Duan Wangye¡¯s reaction before she curtsied and said, ¡°Wangye, I will leave first.¡±
Qin Jiu gets on the carriage with Du Ruo¡¯s help, as the master and the servant exchange a look tactfully and think of one thing: scum man!
This time, Qin Jiu¡¯s carriage drove smoothly all the way out of Jinyu Alley.
She did not return to the marquis mansion immediately but went to a bookstore on Dachang Street that specializes in books. She was nning to buy two new books and bring them to Duan Wang Fei in a couple of days so that she would not be bored.
As soon as she stepped through the door, she was interrupted by a somewhat familiar female voice: ¡°Third Miss Qin.¡±
Qin Jiu followed the voice and saw Yun Jiaoing from a row of bookshelves with several books in her arms, smiling kindly at Qin Jiu.
This was the first time that Qin Jiu saw Yun Jiao afterst year¡¯s winter hunt. Compared to the previous two times when the other party was lively and delicate, today she vaguely feels she was depressed behind her smile.
Qin Jiu nodded graciously, ¡°Third Miss Yun.¡±
¡°Third Miss Qin, are you also here to pick out a book?¡± Yun Jiao smiled as she pointed to the row of bookshelves behind, ¡°The new ones are over there.¡±
Seeing that they were acquaintances, the owner and staff of the store tactfully stepped aside.
The two walked to a row of bookshelves against the east wall, Yun Jiao pointed to one of the rows and said, ¡°These are the new books, I do not like the sad ones so I didn¡¯t buy those¡¡±
Her long, slender fingers tapped on a few new books, and out of the corner of her eye, she happened to sweep over a copy of ¡°Records of Princess Husband,¡± a thought swept in her mind, and out of curiosity, she asked in a lowered voice, ¡°Miss Qin, does Duan Wang Fei really want to divorce?¡±
Qin Jiu nodded.
Seeing Qin Jiu look calm, Yun Jiao raised her eyebrows in surprise, she knew she shouldn¡¯t make shallow conversation, but still couldn¡¯t help but ask again, ¡°Aren¡¯t you ¡¡ worried?¡±
Qin Jiu: ¡°What should I be worried about?¡±
Yun Jiao frowned and thought that since Qin Jiu had grown up outside and her parents had died, maybe she didn¡¯t understand the situation. She said positively, ¡°If wangfei divorce Duan Wangye, and in case, Duan Wangye makes his side consort Feng her legitimate wife, then his eldest son will be his legitimate son.¡±
What¡¯s more, Side Concubine Feng was just a concubine. If she became the legitimate wife, she would be Qin Jiu¡¯s rightful mother-inw. After Qin Jiu married to Duan¡¯s pce, wouldn¡¯t she be living under Side Concubine Feng?!
Yun Jiao looked at Qin Jiu anxiously as she frowned more tightly, looking like she was pulling out her heart and lungs.
Qin Jiu naturally understood Yun Jiao meaning and smiled, ¡°So what?¡±
Her eyebrows and eyes curved like a crescent moon, and she said solemnly: ¡°Since wangfei is not happy in Duan Wangfu, why should she force herself to continue? Important is, Duan Wang Fei is happy!¡±
Yun Jiao Niang: ¡°¡.¡±
***
Chapter 262
Chapter 262
Qin Jiu: ¡°After a woman gets married, she has to show filial respect to her parents-inw and raise her children. This is already very hard enough, so if her husband doesn¡¯t know how to be considerate to her, her life will be too miserable.¡±
¡°Anyway, we have dowry, money, hands, and feet. Why should we wrong ourselves!?¡±
¡°If the husband is not good then kick him out, isn¡¯t it much better to live happily on your own dowry?!¡±
¡°Why do you have to work hard for a heartless scum, and work yourself into old age! Life is just a few decades, be happy.¡±
Qin Jiu spoke eloquently.
Yun Jiao tilted her face and was still a bit confused but felt that what Qin Jiu said seemed reasonable, on the other hand, she felt that something was not quite right, as if it waspletely different from what she had heard since she was a child.
Qin Jiu continued to tell her ¡°truth¡±: ¡°You see, wangfei is elegant and dignified. Shees from a Zanying Noble Family and has a son. She has no shortage of anything. In the first half of her life, she worked hard to manage the internal affairs of wangye, but she didn¡¯t get a word of thanks.¡±
¡°After the divorce, she can do whatever she wants, so why does she have to condemn herself to babysit concubines and raise concubine sons for Duan Wangye?¡±
Qin Jiu¡¯s words sounded logical, and Yun Jiao was drawn in by her without her knowing it. She was reminded of her mother, Madam Weiyuan. Her father treated her mother well, but at the same time, her mother was also bullied for no good reason by her father¡¯s concubine and concubine-born children.
Yun Jiao nodded: ¡°You are right, Third Miss Qin!¡±
Her dark eyes flickered and shed, her gaze burning at Qin Jiu.
After expressing her thoughts straightforwardly and in a cheerful mood, Qin Jiu nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s for sure.¡±
She looked at Yun Jiao a little friendlier, thinking that the little girl in front of her was really a child who could be taught!
¡°Du Ruo, let¡¯s have these three books.¡± Qin Jiu gave Du Ruo the three books she had picked out and told her to go check them out.
As soon as she finished giving her orders, she heard Yun Jiao say with a hint of expectation: ¡°¡it would be great if the emperor would also allow me to divorce in the future.¡±
Qin Jiu: ¡°¡¡±
Yun Jiao pouted her small mouth and said with a sigh, ¡°Third Miss Qin, have you heard about me¡¡±
Her words were not clear, but Qin Jiu knew that she was talking about her marriage with second prince Gu Jing and after a short thought, she nodded.
¡°What do you think?¡± Yun Jiao¡¯s voice was lowered a few more times, and her expression wilted.
Qin Jiu: ¡°¡¡±
Qin Jiu picked up the book again and flipped it without saying anything.
Yun Jiao looked around to make sure there was no one around, and then tugged on Qin Jiu¡¯s sleeve and whispered, ¡°It¡¯s just the two of us here, I¡¯m actually bothered and confused inside.¡±
At the moment, there are only two customers in the bookstore, and Du Ruo was checking out with the owner on the other side.
¡°Not a good match.¡± Qin Jiu gave four words in a concise manner.
In this novel, the hero and heroine were a couple, and anyone who interfered with them would have no good end.
Although she and Yun Jiao only had only met each other a few times and were not very familiar with each other, she still knew that the girl from the Yun Mansion had a forthright disposition. And she has now been dragged into the hero and heroine¡¯s love affair for no good reason, it seems that her bad luck for eight lifetimes was being used now.
Thinking about it, Qin Jiu¡¯s face showed obvious sympathy, thinking that the other party should really go to the temple to worship and get rid of her bad luck.
Yun Jiao naturally saw it, shrugged her shoulders, and said, ¡°You also think I have bad luck.¡±
After a pause, she couldn¡¯t help but add, ¡°It¡¯s just like stepping on dog poop!¡±
When she said the first sentence, Qin Jiu could still bear it but when Yun Jiao said the second sentence, Qin Jiu couldn¡¯t hold it and burst outughing.
Yun Jiao sighed dejectedly, ¡°My parents don¡¯t want to agree, and so do I. But Empress Dowager sent her momo to ask about my birthdayst time, and I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t refuse.¡±
¡°As soon as I heard what you said, I thought, if I can¡¯t avoid this marriage, I¡¯d better find a way to leave in the future, and then I will live freely with my dowry.¡±
Yun Jiao¡¯s small mouth pouted almost like she could hang an oil bottle, she looked both wronged and depressed. She really does not understand why Empress Dowager took a liking to her, could she still change herself?
Qin Jiu felt that the other party was like a pitiful cat, and her hands couldn¡¯t help but felt itchy as she wanted to rub her soft hair.
Closing the book, Qin Jiu said meaningfully, ¡°Miss Jiao, the emperor didn¡¯t grant a marriage yet.¡±
Yun Jiao: ¡°?¡±
Qin Jiu winked her right eye at her, then walked towards the owner of the bookstore and pointed at the book, ¡°Boss, this one, I¡¯ll take it too.¡±
Yun Jiao was afraid that she would lose against the authorities, so she hasn¡¯t realized this truth yet.
It stands to reason that after the second prince and Qin Xin broke off their engagement, the imperial family should arrange a marriage for the second prince as soon as possible, as to alleviate the impact of this incident on the imperial family and suppress outside spection and gossip.
So, Empress Dowager Liu has already chosen the new bride, and she also has chosen a new second additional concubine but the emperor has not conferred a marriage even after a long time, which means that the emperor does not agree.
Although Qin Jiu did not know whether the emperor wouldpromise with the empress dowager in the end, if the Yun family really did not want this marriage, now was a good opportunity to show their intention to the emperor.
Yun Jiao stood in the same ce and looked at Qin Jiu¡¯s back. She closed her mouth thoughtfully as her eyes lit up and suddenly felt a sense of relief.
She quickened her pace and caught up with Qin Jiu, giving her an intimate hug, ¡°Third Miss Qin, thank you.¡±
Yun Jiao was so happy that she left a silver ingot and went away with three books in her arms, without letting the boss change her money.
Looking at the lively back of the young girl, Qin Jiu smiled and said: I hope she gets what she wants and does not marry a scum!
Du Ruo look at Yun Jiao, then look at her young miss, and felt that for the short time she was away, something extraordinary must have happened.
After buying the book, Qin Jiu went to the snack shop next door and bought some snacks. Shen then went back to the Marquis Mansion and gave her younger brother a snack, thinking that the naughty boy has been practicing martial arts diligently with his master these days.
The next day, she visited Duan Wang Fei again with the books she had just bought.
On the third day, she brought some small embroideries bought by the embroidery workshop.
On the fourth day, she went out of her way to buy the snacks just produced by Jinshiji.
And on the fifth day, when she went to Jinyu Alley again, she saw a new que erected in front of the gate, with the words ¡°Xiao¡¯s Mansion¡± written on it.
***
Chapter 263
Chapter 263
The words ¡°Xiao Mansion¡± was written strongly and powerfully, each stroke was like a silver hook painted on iron, and couldn¡¯t be seen to be something written by a woman.
Qin Jiu recognized at a nce that these words were written personally by Duan Wang Fei, she had seen Duan Wang Fei herself write these words with her own eyes a few days ago.
Looking at the que unblinkingly, she knew that this was clearly the mirror of Duan Wang Fei¡¯s heart.
Qin Jiu knew that this que was a deration, which represents Duan Wang Fei¡¯s determination not to get back together with Duan Wangye.
As far as Duan Wang Fei herself was concerned, she and Duan Wangye have already separated. And from now on, her home would be ¡°Xiao Mansion¡± instead of ¡°Duan Wangye Mansion¡±, and she would no longer call herself by her husband¡¯s surname.
The only difference between them was that piece of paper and the divorce agreement.
After a few days of rigorous cleaning, the house has taken a brand-new look, not only has the que been reced, but also the door has been repainted, and the smell of the paint hasn¡¯t dissipated until now.
Duan Wang Fei was indeed someone with elegant quality, originally the ce where she lived now was just a dowry house. In the past few decades, it has only left a few old servants to take care of but Duang Wang Fei never lived here since.
When Qin Jiu came here for the first time, it waspletely empty and deserted. Some pavilions had not been repaired for many years, and the paint was mottled. However, soon as Duan Wang Fei moved in, she repaired the courtyard in just a few days. As far as it goes, the courtyard was full of green shade dotted with mountains, rocks, flowers, and trees, and the arrangement was elegant and unique.
¡°Third Miss Qin, this way.¡±
A little maidservant walked in front to show Qin Jiu on the way, and lead her to a small flower hall in the garden.
Duan Wang Fei was sitting by the window brewing tea, she was wearing a lc-colored four-tipped pattern robe while her hair was tied into a bun with a white jade hairpin that has a gold-studded swastika pattern that would shimmer if reflected in the sun. She looked elegantly breathtaking as if she looked several years younger.
Thinking about the miserable days that Duan Wang Fei had before, Qin Jiu thought that Duan Wang Fei¡¯s divorce was worth it!
She raised her hand to signal the maid to remain silent, walked over with lighter steps, and sat down quietly without disturbing her.
Duan Wang Fei looked focused with her eyebrows lowered, the little finger of her right hand was slightly curved while holding the bottle, like a flower, her movements were not too fast, it was elegant and smooth. Her every move was harmonious like a beautiful painting.
Duan Wang Fei¡¯s elegance was only bred by a century-old family andes from within.
Wangfei was so good but that scum wangye doesn¡¯t know how to cherish it. He deserves to be kicked!
Soon, Duan Wang Fei finished brewing tea and looked at Qin Jiu with a smile. ¡°Xiao Jiu, have a cup of tea.¡±
Wisps of white air rose from the ck-green tea cup and a picture of a flying bird in the distant mountains was dotted on the dark tea liquid which was so beautiful and exquisite that amazed Qin Jiu.
Thinking about the que outside the mansion that had just been reced, Qin Jiu no longer called her wangfei and changed the way she addressed her: ¡°Thank you, Madam Xiao!¡±
Madam Xiao was stunned and smiled, then her expression became softer thinking how cute the girl was in front of her!
Qin Jiu carefully picked up the teacup, then smelled its fragrance for a while before she took a sip of the tea to savor its taste.
The bitter taste of the tea due to the technique used was slightly bitter than usual, ironically the general taste should be sweet and smooth which was what she read in the book titled ¡°ssic of Tea¡± and drinking it for the first time, she roughly has an idea, it was indeed¡ª
Bitter.
Qin Jiu said in all conscience, ¡°It¡¯s good!¡±
Madam Xiao looked at the smile under Qin Jiu¡¯s eyes making the smile that was already on her face deeper, she then orders the maidservant, ¡°Go and tell Zezhi that Xiao Jiu is here.¡±
The maidservant then went and carry the order.
Only then did Qin Jiu know that Gu Zezhi was also here today.
On the night of the Lantern Festival, Madam Xiao moved out of the Duan pce. That night, Gu Zezhi also moved out to live with Madam Xiao and never lived in the Duan pce again.
Qin Jiu already knows this, but after the 15th day of the first lunar month, Gu Zezhi was very busy that every day he doesn¡¯t have time to see anyone. Qin Jiu hade several times but today was the first time she would see Gu Zezhi after the Lantern Festival.
Before long, Gu Zezhi came, together with a servant boy behind him that was holding a western clock.
This western clock was about half a foot high, and it is made into the shape of a western castle, it was gorgeous and exquisite.
Madam Xiao knew who this was a gift for at a nce and said with a smiled, ¡°Zezhi, is this for Xiao Jiu, right?¡±
Gu Zezhi nodded calmly.
The young servant silently put the Western clock on the square table next to him, and only now did he realize why the third master suddenly bought a fancy Western clock from Tian Gong Zhai, so it was for the future thirddy ah.
At this moment, a small door on the western clock opened automatically, and a green parrot, which was the size of a baby¡¯s fist, slowly moved out and gave a clear sound: ¡°Coo, coo, coo¡¡±
Qin Jiu was not used to using hu lou* to tell the time. For her, this western clock was very useful.
(*literal trantion was pot leak, it was used as a clock in ancient times)
Her eyes shone like jewels as she carefully examined the brightly colored and chic Western-style clock and said with a happy smile, ¡°This Western-style clock is really exquisite.¡±
Madam Xiao¡¯s smile deepened even more as she looks back and forth at Qin Jiu and Gu Zezhi, she then said to herself: My son is quite good at making this young miss happy, not bad!
Gu Zezhi lift up his robe to sit down and changed the topic: ¡°Mother, father sent someone back to the west of Xinjiang yesterday to invite the heir and his consort toe to the capital to ¡®rify¡¯ something.¡±
He meaningfully entuated the word ¡°rify¡±.
A maidservant quickly served the three people hot tea that had just been brewed. The cup that Madam Xiao had just picked stopped in mid-air for a few seconds before slowly reaching her lips.
Qin Jiu on the other hand had different thoughts in mind, after drinking the tea for a while she remembered how other people said that Longjing tea was mellow and fresh which she couldn¡¯t understand before but after drinking the cup of tea that brewed by Madam Xia, she could only know the difference byparison.
This brewed tea was really much better mellow, sweet, and fresh leaving a lip-smacking taste.
She took a sip of tea and narrowed her eyes contentedly.
Gu Zezhi looked at Qin Jiu and the corners of his lips curled, he then said, ¡°However, mother, you do not need to pay attention to this, left all this matter to me.¡±
His voice was neither light nor heavy, neither fast nor slow, and from what he said, it carried a kind of power tofort people¡¯s hearts.
Madam Xiao said with a smile, ¡°Okay.¡±
She was now living a very happy life, with her son and future daughter-inw who respects her, why does she care about all the crap in the Duan Wang Mansion! What¡¯s the point of making trouble for herself?
Madam Xiao looked at Gu Zezhi and a warm current flowed through her heart. Her Zezhi had grown up and could protect her now.
Since her son wanted to vent her anger for her, she won¡¯t stop him. Besides, it was time to settle the ounts with the heir, after he had assassins chase her son!
Madam Xiao said again, ¡°Zezhi, you can do it with confidence.¡±
Qin Jiu smiled as she continued to drink her tea as her eyes shed.
***
Chapter 264
Chapter 264
In the novel, after being used of killing his father and mother, Gu Zezhi lives in hiding for a few years. And while he was in hiding, he was already also nning a big surprise for the heir, killing him in one fell swoop and taking control of the military power of West Xinjiang with swift and decisive force.
Gu Zezhi picked up the teacup, and elegantly brushed the tea foam with the tea lid calmly and with a rxed manner looking like a bright moon, pure and honest.
When he was in West Xinjiang, he was suppressed by his father and his heir so all the people around him were basically her father¡¯s people. And in order to ease his father¡¯s mind and to show that he had no intention ofpeting with the heir, he was always under his father¡¯s orders all those years.
However, his concession was only reciprocated with constant pressure from them instead. From the time his father recalled him from the front to Luo¡¯an City when he was seventeen years old, he saw everything clearly and then began to arrange his n secretly. Today, although he hasn¡¯t met many people he could trust, it was still enough.
After taking a shallow sip of hot tea, Gu Zezhi raised his head and proposed again, ¡°Mother, should we bring your dowry to the capital as well?¡±
Madam Xiao felt that her son was too thoughtful and dly responded, ¡°Good!¡±
Looking at her son and her soon daughter-inw, Madam Xiao couldn¡¯t help but think of the future, it would be good for their family to live in the capital for a long time. They don¡¯t need to pay attention to the troubles in the west. Besides, Qin Jiu doesn¡¯t need to marry far away and her son could also stay in the capital and earn a career by himself.
Seeing Madam Xiao¡¯s generous and magnanimous expression, Gu Zezhi feltpletely relieved: mother is finally over it.
Gu Zezhi smiled: ¡°Mother, after a while the weather will be warmer, how about you go back to your uncle¡¯s ce for a while? You haven¡¯t been back to Jiangnan for many years.¡±
When Madam Xiao heard this her eyes instantly lit up and got really excited.
The capital was far from Jiangnan, and since she got married, she has never been back to her parent¡¯s house,ter, with Duan Wangye, she went to West Xinjiang. It had been thirty years and this was the first time she had left West Xinjiang in these years.
She has not seen her brother and sister-inw, nieces, and nephews for many years¡
And for so many years now, her brother and sister-inw have also kept her parents¡¯ courtyard for her. She doesn¡¯t know if the wutong tree which was three hundred years old at home was still there, nor was the swing and flower garden¡
The picture of her family and their fu shed through Madam Xiao¡¯s eyes. That was the ce where she grew up, but even though she hadn¡¯t returned for so many years, it was still deeply engraved in her memory.
Madam Xiao couldn¡¯t wait just thinking about it.
Anyway, she was very free now and could leave whenever she wanted.
She was enthusiastically thinking about when would be better to start her journey, ¡°We have to travel by boat from the capital to Jiangnan, so we need to check if ice has already melted this year and whether there is spring flood along the way¡¡±
Gu Zezhi timely replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, mother. I will send someone to look into this matter. Now the most important thing is that you should listen to the imperial doctor to get well and take care of yourself.¡±
Madam Xiao has already started to think about what gifts she should take to her brother, sister-inw, and nephews when she goes to Jiangnan this time. She waved her hand casually, ¡°Isn¡¯t my body much better?¡±
Gu Zezhi said, ¡°It¡¯s up to the imperial physician to decide whether you are in good health.¡±
Seeing the mother and son enjoying themselves, Wang momo couldn¡¯t help but smile more and said jokingly to Madam Xiao, ¡°Wangf¡madam, third master is right. You should take good care of yourself, so that they won¡¯t worry about you.¡±
Qin Jiu on the other hand continued to sip her tea one after another with her gaze downcast.
Why does she think Gu Zezhi was deliberately supporting his mother?
Was it just her imagination?
Qin Jiu cast her gaze upwards and looked at Gu Zezhi beside her.
Gu Zezhi was drinking his tea gracefully, exuding a noble self-confident temperament. He even looked gentle and harmless at first sight but in fact¡
Cough cough, with Gu Zezhi¡¯s ck-bellied nature, it¡¯s probably¡ no, she should be confident to say that this was definitely not her imagination!!
What to do? She seems a little impatient waiting for the show!
With her lips curled up, Qin Jiu¡¯s imagination was already running wild thinking that there would be some excitement in the future.
Unbeknownst to Qin Jiu, her smiling face as she nced at Gu Zezhi fell into Madam Xiao¡¯s eyes just now, and thetter couldn¡¯t help but smile even more openly and understandingly. In addition, she cast a gaze on how an elderly looked at the younger generation.
Seeing Madam Xiao smiling at her, Qin Jiu also smiled back at her obediently.
In the reception hall, the atmosphere was warm and merry.
Madam Xiao kept Qin Jiu in the house for lunch until half past afternoon, before Qin Jiu excused herself and was apanied by Gu Zezhi.
Qin Jiu did not ride the carriage and walked along Jinyu Alley with Gu Zezhi, as for Du Ruo and the western clock they were in the carriage and followed at a distance behind them.
Today¡¯s weather was good, the sun shines brightly, but the cold wind stilles with a biting chill.
Qin Jiu¡¯s small body was always afraid of the cold, although she was covered with a thick cloak, her hands and feet were still cold. She raised her hands and breathed into her red hands.
She was dressed in threeyers on the inside and threeyers on the outside, almost wrapping herself in a quilt while Gu Zezhi next to her was only wearing a thin purple robe forming a stark contrast.
¡°Give me your hand.¡±
Gu Zezhi said suddenly.
Qin Jiu obediently handed him her right hand, his dry and warm palm covered her small, cold hand in, warming her hand and giving a tingling sensation.
It¡¯s so warm!
The two held hands, arms next to each other, and moved even closer to each other that when the wind blew the pleasant scent of his body prated into the tip of her nose, apanied by his gentle and melodious voice:
¡°Xiao Jiu, have you ever been to West Xinjiang?¡±
Qin Jiu looked at his clear profile and shook her head honestly. ¡°Never.¡±
¡°There are many sandstorms in the western Xinjiang, so it¡¯s better not to go there.¡±
Gu Zezhi smiled, ¡°It¡¯s cold in winter and hot in summer. At the beginning of spring, there are many insects and ants so people are often bitten by poisonous insects, this is also the reason why people in the West have the habit of wearing insect-repellent sachets.¡±
Qin Jiu blinked her confused eyes.
Gu Zezhi stopped and covered her left hand instead, his smile deepened, ¡°The heir has cared for my mother so much so I just brought a gift for him as well.¡±
When he said this, Qin Jiu naturally understood and blinked. In other words, Gu Zezhi returned the favor by adding the Chifeng grass to the incense sachet and giving it back to the heir.
Right?
Qin Jiu looked up at Gu Zezhi and asked with her eyes.
Gu Zezhi smiled and said nothing. Instead, he looked at Qin Jiu and silently affirmed her guess.
***
Chapter 265
Chapter 265
He and Qin Jiu were already engaged to be married, so he would not hide anything from her. Also, he was never a person who repays grievances with kindness, he has always retaliated against every grievance and held vengeance.
That¡¯s him!
Qin Jiu¡¯s eyes shone brightly, if not for her hand being held by Gu Zezhi, she would have already apuded him, nodding her head and saying, ¡°Wow!¡±
Golden thighs were really worthy of being golden thighs, they won¡¯t suffer a loss nor eat their grief!
Gu Zezhi chuckled softly, his adam¡¯s apple rolled up and down as his brightughter was blown away by the wind¡
Qin Jiu curiously pulled Gu Zezhi¡¯s sleeve with her eyes still brightly shining and asked curiously, ¡°Is there anything else?¡±
She firmly believes that with Gu Zezhi¡¯s character, he must have done more than just this one thing, but must pay them back ten times more after all this was more in line with the personality of the boss viin.
With ripples in his eyes, Gu Zezhi looked at her quietly as his smile thickens.
He suddenly snapped his fingers, and the white horse that had been following the two of them ¡°walked¡± over beside them.
Gu Zezhi pulled out from the leather pouch on the white horse back a pumpkin-shaped hand stove that was already warm and stuffed it into Qin Jiu¡¯s hand. ¡°Take it.¡±
Qin Jiu stared at him, then stared at him, and stared at him.
Since he has a hand stove, why didn¡¯t he take it out sooner!
Gu Zezhi made a gesture of putting the hand stove back into the leather pouch, which made Qin Jiu took a step forward, snatched the hand stove, and hid it in her cloak before she let out a contented sigh between her lips and teeth.
Forget it, for the sake of the hand stove, she won¡¯t bother with him!
She grunted arrogantly before she turned to the corner with big strides.
Gu Zezhi who was two steps behind immediately caught up, then said, ¡°I have someone bring that monk to the capital, as for the heir.¡± He said meaningfully, ¡°For the time being he won¡¯t being here¡¡±
Qin Jiu was curious about his words again and listened with great interest.
The street across them was very lively, with countless peopleing and going, the noise was too loud that Gu Zezhi¡¯s voice drowned out.
As they walked leisurely, she listened while he talked so they didn¡¯t notice that in the lounge on the second floor of the private room in Shenghua Pavillion a burning gaze was looking at their retreating backs.
¡°Sister Xin!¡±
Princess Yingluo¡¯s voice came from the person¡¯s next ear, this made Qin Xin¡¯s sensese back, and looked away from the people below. She looked at Princess Yinglou, and closed the window cover to hide her unusual behavior.
¡°Princess,¡± Qin Xin put her hand across the square table between them and pressed Princess Yingluo¡¯s right hand, and with a bit of helplessness could be heard from her voice ¡°¡ The emperor will probably make peace with Beiyan.¡±
Qin Xin remembered that in herst life, Daqi did not make peace with Beiyan, but only signed an agreement, asking Beiyan to paypensation and pay tribute every year. Later, within a few years, Beiyan tore up the agreement and sent troops to attack western Xinjiang again.
At that time, she was far away in the exile area of Lingnan, this news was supposed to be blocked but this incident shocked the Daqi Dynasty so it also spread in Lingnan.
Qin Xin subconsciously exerted a little force on Princess Yinglou¡¯s hand as her eyes flickered.
In herst life, she once overheard a demoted official from the capital say by chance that the reason why Beiyan turned against the Daqi and tore up the agreement was because the two countries could not agree on the same ground to make peace. Beiyan people were forced to sign the agreement, which made them hate Daqi more.
She persuaded Gu Jing to ask the emperor to let him participate in the peace talks between the two countries. With Gu Jing¡¯s coordination, the two countries would surely be able to make an agreement and reach peace talks. At that time, the two countries would have a permanent truce, and Gu Jing would be able to take the lead.
And she, too, could use it to make Gu Jing think more highly of her.
Thinking of this, Qin Xin¡¯s eyes brightened even more.
¡°Really?¡± Princess Yingluo anxiously holds Qin Xin¡¯s hand, ¡°Sister Xin, you¡ did you hear it from Second Prince?¡±
Qin Xin just said, ¡°Princess, this rapprochement is about peace between the two countries. It is imperative.¡±
She neither said yes nor no, but in Princess Yinglou¡¯s ears, she only thought Qin Xin was inconvenienced to say it straight.
Princess Ying Luo: ¡°¡.¡±
Princess Yingluo¡¯s face turned paler, and the uneasiness in her eyes was hard to conceal as her body tensed up.
Not only Princess Changning was afraid of marriage, but so was Princess Yinglou.
Now everyone thinks she hurt Princess Changning¡¯s face, if Daqi really wanted to make peace with Beiyan, the emperor would use her for a political marriage. After all, Daqi couldn¡¯t send a disfigured princess to a political marriage.
She had also thought of asking her mother to settle her marriage so that she wouldn¡¯t be chosen for the marriage, but her mother always said she was overthinking it and that in the rush, she couldn¡¯t pick any good candidates for her marriage. She was a dignified daughter of a prince who couldn¡¯t be married hastily, not even as a consort!
¡°Don¡¯t worry, Princess.¡± Qin Xin¡¯s other hand covers Princess Yingluo¡¯s right hand and tightly held her right hand with both hands. ¡°I know you are being misunderstood because of me¡ Don¡¯t worry, I, I will help you!¡±
Qin Xin looked at Princess Yingluo sincerely, her eyes were bright as stars.
¡°Sister Xin!¡± Princess Yingluo was moved by Qin Xin¡¯s gesture and with her eyes sore she feels Qin Xin¡¯s kindness and sincerity toward her.
Everyone, including her father and brother, all thought that she had hurt Changning, it was only Qin Xin who believed her.
Only Qin Xin knows what she was afraid of, and only Qin Xin would help her!
Princess Yingluo hurriedly said, ¡°Sister Xin, what should I do?¡± She couldn¡¯t just sit still and wait for the emperor to issue an order for her to marry, by then it would be toote!
Princess Yingluo looks at Qin Xin as if a drowning man had caught a piece of driftwood.
Qin Xin looked at her steadily and asked, ¡°Do you believe me?¡±
¡°Yes.¡± Princess Yinglou nodded her head vigorously, ¡°Of course, I believe you.¡±
***
Chapter 266
Chapter 266
Qin Xin hooked her finger and moved her head closer, she then whispered to her ear, ¡°Now, as long as Prince Yelu takes the initiative to propose who he wants to marry, you can naturally escape.¡±
Princess Yingluo immediately thought of Qin Jiu, frowns, and says, ¡°But, Prince Yelu already asked for Qin Jiu¡¯s hand in marriage but the emperor didn¡¯t agree.¡±
¡°Qin Jiu is just merely a minister¡¯s daughter. How can she represent Daqi for marriage alliance.¡± Qin Xin chuckled lightly with disdain.
Princess Yingluo thinks so too. Historically, when two countries go on a marriage alliance, both parties should be from the royal family or n.
Qin Xin eloquently continued, ¡°Besides, in case the two countries go to war, how can a mere daughter of a minister, Qin Jiu be qualified to represent Daqi to ease the dispute between the two countries, such marriage is meaningless, the emperor naturally will not agree to it.¡±
After listening to Qin Xin, Princess Yingluo also felt it was reasonable and unconsciously follows Qin Xin¡¯s words and asks, ¡°Sister Xin, who do you think is better for this marriage?¡±
Qin Xin smiled and asked, ¡°Who does the princess hate most?¡±
Princess Yingluo bit her lower lip slightly.
To say that the most annoying person for Princess Yinglou, no, the most hated person for her was first Qin Jiu, and next was Princess Changning.
Thinking of Princess Changning¡¯s lovely and pitiful face, Princess Yingluo couldn¡¯t stop the anger from welling up, she gritted the back of her mr and said, ¡°Changning!¡±
Qin Xin nodded and responded, ¡°Okay, then Changning it is.¡±
Her voice carried an overwhelming sense of confidence and sincerity as if she was willing to do anything as long as she could help Princess Yinglou out.
Princess Yingluo immediately believes Qin Xin and was eager to try: ¡°Sister Xin, what can I do?¡±
¡°Princess, listen to me¡¡±
Qin Xin smiled as her clear and bright voice carried a kind of demagogic force. She poured a cup of tea for Princess Yingluo herself, and the sound of pouring tea echoed in the private lounge.
By the time Princess Yingluo left the lounge alone, it was half an hourter.
Qin Xin did not rush away, sitting alone by the window, slowly sipping tea.
The Qin family couldn¡¯t help her anymore, so she must n for herself. She must let the Second Prince know that she would be more helpful to him than Miss Yun Jiao!
Even if Miss Yun Jiao would soon be the second prince¡¯s legal wife, so what, an unfavorable main wife would only live in the cold pce in the future, so there was nothing to fear.
With these thoughts, Qin Xin¡¯s gaze became more determined as she vowed that she would make this happen.
Step by step she would walk on this glorious road by herself!
One day, she would make Qin Jiu kneel down in front of her, wagging her tail while begging for mercy!
¡°Shuxiang, have someone prepare a pen and ink for me.¡± Qin Xinmanded.
Shuxiang, the maidservant who waited on her, answered quickly and went out to tell the maids in the pavilion.
Shenghua Pavilion has always had brush, ink, papers and inkstones, and other four treasures of the study for calligraphy for thedies of the prominent family to use at any time. Soon, two maids came in, put the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone on the table in the corner of the private lounge, and then quietly withdrew.
With confidence, Qin Xin finished writing the letter in one breath, handed it to Shuxiang, and said, ¡°You take this letter to Qingming Tea Room.¡±
The shopkeeper of Qingming Tea House was Gu Jing¡¯s milk brother*. Since Qin Xin was demoted to serve as a concubine, she has fewer opportunities to meet Gu Jing, so she has beenmunicating with Gu Jing through Qingming Tea House.
(*the son of the wet nurse/nanny.)
Shuxiang answered and hurried to do it.
When the next morning came, the second prince, Gu Jing, was the first to stand out from the line, and said to the emperor, ¡°Emperor Father, the five hundred Turkic horses that second prince Yelu gifted to Daqist time have arrived at the northern border.¡±
As soon as this was said, many of the military officers in the Golden Luan Hall were beaming with joy.
Daqi¡¯s horses were far inferior to Turkic horses in terms of speed, endurance,bat effectiveness, so much that Daqi¡¯s cavalry was weaker than Beiyan as a whole. If they want to improve thebat effectiveness of their cavalry, it was simply not enough to enhance thebat effectiveness of the generals and soldiers.
These Turkic horses were too precious for Daqi.
Remaining calm and collected, Lord Cheng wink at an official in his thirties with a goatee who was a few steps away.
The official stepped out from the row of rank ministers, curtsied the emperor on the golden throne, and said in a righteous way: ¡°Your Majesty the emperor, the second prince deserves the first credit for the five hundred turkic horses that Daqi have won this time.¡±
Gu Jing said modestly, ¡°Emperor Father, Beiyan also sincerely negotiated peace to Daqi with me. The truce between the two countries is of great benefit to the country and the people.¡±
The official immediately followed Gu Jing¡¯s words and echoed: ¡°That¡¯s right, Beiyan is willing to donate five hundred Turkic horses which show their sincerity. Third Master Gu has been in charge of the peace talks with Beiyan for several months but the peace talks have not been concluded¡¡±
What he said was close to scolding Gu Zezhi for his failure in doing things.
As soon as this was said, some ministers in the line were exchanging their eyes in twos and threes showing thoughts in the matter.
Talking about peace negotiation with Beiyan was a favorable task, since Beiyan has already surrendered to Daqi. It was conceivable that the conditions for the peace talks were naturally in favor of Daqi. In short, this task was not difficult at all, it would be all depending on how much Beiyan was willing to pay for the peace agreement.
When the agreement between the two countries once signed, that would be great achievement that would go down in history!
When the emperor entrusted Gu Zezhi with the simple task of peace talks, many people were inwardly dissatisfied but because Gu Zezhi was the son of Duan Wangye and belonged to the imperial n, if they object for no reason they would only be attacked by the imperial n.
However this time it was different, Gu Zezhi was not doing his task well.
***
Chapter 267
Chapter 267
Seeing that an opportunity came, a middle-aged official with a goatee walked out of the line and said to the emperor in front of him, ¡°Your Majesty the emperor, the third master Gu is still young, he may be responsible for the peace talks between the two countries but this official is afraid that the will is there but not the strength.¡±
As he said this, he also couldn¡¯t helpmenting to himself: just imagine, Beiyan is willing to give up five hundred Turkic horses for the sake of peace talks. This alone is proof of how sincere they are, so if the peace agreement is entrusted to the second prince, the negotiation will end in ten days!
With this in mind, the middle-aged official continued in a righteous way: ¡°Your Majesty the emperor, as far as I know, Duan Wangye and Duan Wang Fei are in the middle of a divorce, this official is afraid that Third Master Gu¡¯s mind is not on the peace talks now, so it is inevitable that there will be some negligence.¡±
¡°This official asks the emperor to choose another wise person to take charge of the overall situation. And with these thoughts, the ministers rmend His Highness the Second Prince, who made it possible for Prince Yelu to offer the Turkic horses on his own initiative. It can be seen that with his talents in strategizing, he will be able to strive for greater benefits to Daqi.¡±
Gu Jing suppressed the corner of his mouth that was about to curl up, and just modestly bowed his head, then said, ¡°Lord imented me. Emperor Father, this son is only doing his small part for Daqi.¡±
¡°¡¡± The emperor looked at Gu Jing below silently.
Therge golden pce fell into silence.
Seeing that the emperor did not immediately oppose, Gu Jing¡¯s eyes lit a fire of hope, thinking they have a chance.
Not only Gu Jing thought so, but so was the ministers. Immediately afterward, several ministers stood out one from the line, one after another to express their opinions:
¡°Your Majesty the emperor, the Second Prince, is wise and is the same with your majesty. He will definitely be able to shoulder this important responsibility.¡±
¡°I second the motion.¡±
¡°¡.¡±
¡°Your Majesty the emperor, Duan Wangye holds arge military power in the western border and is an important minister of the country. However, there is a saying, how can one manage a country if one couldn¡¯t even manage a room? Duan Wangfu is restless, so it is inevitable that Third Master Gu is affected. The peace talks between the two countries are not trivial as they concern the people of the two countries so if the peace talks are ¡®deliberately¡¯plicating the issue because of Duan Wangfu¡¯s circumstances, isn¡¯t this a disaster for Daqi?¡±
Thisst remark was made by Lord Xu again, and these words were also meaningful. On the surface, they worry that the family affairs of Duan Wangye¡¯s residence would affect the peace talks between the two countries, but they deliberately emphasize that ¡°Duan Wangye already has military power in the western border¡± and they were ¡°deliberatelyplicate the issue¡± by clearly reminding the emperor that if Gu Zezhi secretly reaches an agreement with Beiyan behind the emperor¡¯s back it might be a ¡°disaster¡± for Daqi.
Among the ministers present many were cunning old foxies who immediately understands the underlying meaning behind the words. Some nodded with approval, some did not approve or agreed, while some thought it was necessary to be defensive, and some thoughtfully frowned.
As for those military generals, most of them did not express their opinions, after all, Duan Wangye has great war achievements and has always been quite reputable among military generals. Moreover, since ancient times, most of the military generals who hold military power would be the object of the emperor¡¯s scorn.
The emperor on the golden throne watched them coldly taking in the expressions of the officials below.
Four or five officials bowed their heads together, requesting for Gu Jing.
Silence still enveloped the golden pce, no one spoke for a long time until the emperor¡¯s majestic voice sounded.
¡°Granted.¡±
¡°Let the second prince assist the matter of peace talks between the two countries from the side to help Gu Zezhi.¡±
Hearing these words, overjoyed Gu Jing. He bowed his head and said, ¡°I will live up to my emperor father¡¯s hope.¡±
Gu Jing was not disappointed after hearing that he would only assist Gu Zezhi after all he did not expect the emperor to hand over the peace talks to him at once. For him, it was already a very sessful start for his father to let him participate in peace talks.
Although now he was not leading but was only assisting from the side, as long as his emperor father sees how outstanding he was, he believes that he could squeeze Gu Zezhi down.
Gu Jing retreated to the line, his eyes shining with an unusually bright light.
He had already written to Gu Chenzhi, the heir of Duan Wangye who was on the Western Border, informing him about Duan Wang Fei¡¯s threat to divorce Duan Wangye.
Gu Jing¡¯s heart was like a mirror. The so-called divorce to put it bluntly was just a trick women use to make trouble and throw a tantrum. How could Duan Wang Fei ask for a divorce, not to mention if Duan Wangye agree or not, the n would certainly not agree to this. Then the only reason Duan Wang Fei was doing such a fuss was to force Duan Wangye to abolish his heir and rece him with Gu Zezhi.
He asked Gu Chenzhi to make preparations in advance, and surely Gu Chenzhi would view this as his goodwill.
And since Duan Wangfu would soon be very busy Gu Zezhi would be too upied to even be interested in peace talks between the two countries. And when this timees, he would definitely be the first to contribute to the peace talks.
Gu Jing¡¯s eyes zed even more, almost a little impatient.
What else was said in the morning court after that, Gu Jing didn¡¯t even pay attention at all as all of his thoughts were coiled on Gu Chenzhi and Gu Zezhi, the brothers, and an hourter, the morning court ended.
After leaving the court, Gu Jing rushes to find Gu Zezhi.
¡°Imperial Uncle,¡± Gu Jing politely bowed his hand to Gu Zezhi, ¡°Emperor Father has ordered me to assist Imperial Uncle in charge of the peace talks between the two countries, so I would like to ask for more guidance from Imperial Uncle in the future.¡±
His tone sounded very modest and decent, but his face was full of undisguised pride. The corners of his lips were raised, which made him somewhat noble and proud.
A seventeen-year-old youth, this age was still young, this was the age of high spirits, and does not know how to hide his emotions.
Gu Zezhi, who was sitting behind a bookcase, raised his head from an official document and looked at him with a smile. His warm, jade-like face didn¡¯t even lift his eyebrows, showing no emotion.
***
Chapter 268
Chapter 268
In Gu Jing¡¯s opinion, Gu Zezhi probably got the news about him assisting one step earlier and knew what happened in the Golden Pce, so he was able to behave so calmly.
Also, Gu Jing doesn¡¯t really care, what was important was his emperor father had already issued a verbal order in the court earlier so it didn¡¯t matter what Gu Zezhi thought about this matter.
¡°Imperial Uncle,¡± Gu Jing sounded troubled and considerate as he said, ¡°I know Imperial Uncle has something going on at home and know it¡¯s tiring so why don¡¯t imperial uncle leave the peace talks to this nephew. This nephew will definitely make proper arrangements and will not disappoint emperor father and imperial uncle.¡±
Gu Jing said this just to insult Gu Zezhi on purpose, he knew that Gu Zezhi could not let go of this matter easily. After all,pared with Gu Chenzhi, the heir of Duan Wangye, who had great military achievements, Gu Zezhi now has neither military achievements nor qualifications. Besides being a legitimate son, what does hepare with Gu Chenzhi?!
So, this peace talk was the simplest and most effective opportunity for him to make contributions. As for his emperor father, he was letting Gu Zezhi take charge of the peace talk because he was also intending to let himpete with Gu Chenzhi, so as to make Duan Wangye abolish his heir apparent.
Gu Jing looks down at Gu Zezhi who was only one case away from him with a detached look.
However¡ª¡ª
¡°En.¡±
From the beginning to the end, Gu Zezhi only gave this word, then took up the blue and white porcin tea cup with his hand and drank tea elegantly.
¡°¡.¡±
Gu Jing couldn¡¯t believe his ears as his eyes slightly widened looking at Gu Zezhi who was sitting on the imperial chair, who now looked shorter than him, with a boiling haze of doubts and suspicion.
Why was Gu Zezhi willing to give in and let himself take charge of the peace talks?
Was he trying to show his goodwill to him, was that it?
Impossible!
Between the two of them, their rtionship was not something that show each other goodwill, also, he didn¡¯t think that Gu Zezhi would have such a broad mind to let this opportunity pass¡
Gu Jing suppressed his doubts, thinking that no matter what Gu Zezhi¡¯s intentions were, the most important thing for him right now was to do well in the peace talks. As for Gu Zezhi¡¯s intention, if he has any ns, he would reveal them sooner orter.
In the next few days, Gu Zezhi really let Gu Jing do all the talk making him feel like a fish back in the water* having frequent contact with Prince Yelu Luan to discuss the terms of the peace talks between the two countries. The progress of the peace talks could be described as swift.
(*d to be back in one¡¯s proper surroundings)
In just two days, Gu Jing asked Prince Yelu Luan to agree to give a gift to Daqi, in addition to the five hundred Turkic horses, he also agreed on giving another one hundred mares with young horses. So, on the 24th day of the first month, the emperor, at Gu Jing¡¯s request, sent Prince Tai to northern Xinjiang to receive the six hundred horses.
All eyes of the court and the public fell on Gu Jing, the second prince. Making only a few people notice that Yu Fuyun had left the capital quietly, and the emperor once again have Gu Zezhi, look after Gu Zhen, the sixth prince.
After not seeing each other for a while, Gu Zezhi¡¯s first sentence to Gu, Zhen was: ¡°Xiao Zhen, you have to read it slowly and calmly with your eyes, think about it after reading, and tell me when you think you understand.¡±
Gu Zhen blinked his pair of mirror-like eyes and nodded solemnly: ¡°Thank you for the guidance of the imperial uncle.¡±
He made an earnest bow to Gu Zezhi again in a proper manner.
Gu Zezhi smiled slightly. The next moment, he saw the little guy raise his head and asked in his childish voice, ¡°Imperial Uncle, can I go to y with Sister Jiu?¡±
The smile on Gu Zezhi¡¯s face deepened, and leaned over to rub Gu Zhen¡¯s head, his voice was so gentle that it sounded like dripping water, ¡°Xiao Zhen, when you understand what you read, I will take you there.¡±
There was also a bit of coaxing that could be heard in his voice.
Gu Zhen nodded vigorously, feeling that he must work hard!
Qin Jiu, who was missed by a certain little guy, suddenly felt some tickling in her throat and covered her mouth with a handkerchief to cough. Seeing this, Old Madam Qin asked nervously, ¡°Jiu¡¯er, you didn¡¯t catch a cold, did you?¡±
Old Madam Qin hurriedly ordered a maidservant to serve her hot tea and help her.
¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Qin Jiu casually said, ¡°Maybe someone is thinking about me.¡±
Old Madam Qin was still worried, she immediately ordered someone to give Qin Jiu a hand stove then she looked at Qin Jiu and tteringly said, ¡°Jiu¡¯er, all your spring clothes for this season are already done. After you go back, try it quickly so if you don¡¯t like it there is still time to change them.¡±
Qin Jiu likes the new clothes and was already anticipating wearing one but after thinking of fitting all of those clothes she felt burdensome. Ancient clothes were reallyplicated to wear not to mention theyer she needs to wear, and because of this, she sweats every time. She had already predicted that she would be wasting her time in the morning by just trying four clothes, so why would she go her way and waste her time!
She said with a smile: ¡°Grandmother, the needlework is good so it is certainly good¡¡¡± there is no need to try.
¡°You still have to try.¡± Old Madam Qin interrupted Qin Jiu as she patted her hand and continued, ¡°You are growing fast at your age. I think you are much taller thanst year.¡±
Old Madam Qin expressed her affection to Qin Jiu awkwardly.
Ever since she took back the right to run the residence from Madam Su, she had gradually noticed Madam Su¡¯s negligence towards Qin Jiu.
Qin Jiu¡¯s autumn clothes and winter clothes were left over by other girlsst year not to mention the materials and patterns were out of date. The furniture in the room was all old things, not only that, Madam Su deliberately made things difficult for her when ites to her meals making sure that her servants won¡¯t listen to her.
Every time Old Madam Qin thinks about it she felt ashamed to face her dead eldest son and daughter-inw.
And whenever she remembered them, Old Madam Qin looked at Qin Jiu withplicated emotions. If it weren¡¯t for the girl¡¯s cleverness, she might have suffered a lot from Madam Su¡¯s hand.
Thinking about how this girl has suffered for more than ten years, Old Madam Qin feels she really owed her granddaughter.
***
Chapter 269
Chapter 269
Du Ruo has been serving Qin Jiu for some time now and knows the nature of her mistress, so she advised, ¡°Miss, you can choose one set and try it out.¡± As Qin Jiu said, the needlework and its craftsmanship were good, so as long as one set was good, the others wouldn¡¯t be far behind.
Even Cui momo, who was on the side, chime in.
Faced with three pairs of eager eyes, Qin Jiu, who was ¡°alone and powerless¡±, could only nod. She¡¯ll just try one set.
Seeing that she agreed, Old Madam Qin finally breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly ordered someone to pass the message to the sewing room, then looked at Qin Jiu tteringly as she said: ¡°Jiu¡¯er, are you used to the food in the house, do you want grandma to open a small kitchen just for you?¡±
While talking, Old Madam Qin felt even more guilty thinking that since Qin Jiu grew up in Jinzhou when she was young, she might not be used to the food in the capital. Ai, she was really so careless and ignored this girl before.
She really believed that Madam Su was very considerate of everything after all over the years, the Marquis mansion has been managed well. Who would have thought that Madam Su was only acting for her reputation.
¡°Thank you, grandmother.¡± Qin Jiu readily agreed.
Although she ate everything and there was nothing she was not used to, it would be much more convenient to have a small kitchen in her own courtyard so she could eat whatever she wanted anytime.
Seeing that Qin Jiu was straightforward and not polite to her at all, Old Madam Qin was so happy that she was finally able to rx at once, she then hurriedly instructed Cui momo, ¡± Cui momo, hurry up and make arrangements for a momo who is good at cooking and send it to Jiu¡¯er.¡±
Cui momo smiled and said, ¡°Yes madam, this servant will go now.¡±
Cui momo has served Old Madam Qin for so many years so she naturally knows her temperament. Old Madam Qin was kind-hearted and loves the third miss, but she was indecisive by nature and easily sways.
Ai, fortunately, she was by her side and could watch her. In case, Old Madam Qin was coaxed by Madam Su and Qin Xin again, she could quietly inform third miss Qin.
At the same time as Cui momo withdrew, she took another look at Qin Jiu and the smile on her lips deepened even more.
Old Madam Qin who was sitting on the kang bed sipping her tea when she suddenly remembered something. Raising her hand, she made a gesture and the maidservants in the room retreated politely.
¡°Jiu¡¯er,¡± Old Madam Qin asked cautiously, ¡°do you also know about Duan Wangye and Duan Wang Fei¡¯s divorce?¡±
¡°I know.¡± Qin Jiu nodded.
Madam Qin inwardly sighed andforted softly, ¡°Jiu¡¯er, don¡¯t worry the Marquis will support you.¡±
Qin Jiu blinked as she didn¡¯t quite understand what Old Madam Qin was trying to say.
However, in the eyes of Old Madam Qin, she felt that this third granddaughter of hers was really pitiful, it was not easy for the emperor to point out a good family, and then something like this happened, this happy asion was instead oveid by this simple issue that was deliberately beingplicated.
The more Old Madam Qin thought about it, the more she felt sorry for her granddaughter. Holding the Buddhist bead in her hand, Old Madam Qin said, ¡°I heard that Duan Wang Fei has already written the divorce letter, but Duan Wangye refused to ept it so the letter was handed over to the n¡¯s residence.¡±
This was the first time Qin Jiu heard about this, so the hand that was about to pick up the teacup stopped midair as she asked: ¡°Has written a divorce letter and sent it?¡±
Old Madam Qin nodded in response, with aplicated expression, ¡°I just learned about it today, too.¡±
It was said that this morning, Duan Wang Fei sent people to deliver the divorce paper to Duan Wangye¡¯s Mansion but Duan Wangye tore it directly. However, Duan Wang Fei was even more ruthless, she simply ignored Duan Wangye and wrote another divorce agreement and sent it directly to the n¡¯s residence, and asked the trusted people to tell her in public that if the n ignored it, she would not be reconciled and would have yijue.
The n residence has no choice but to take Duan Wang Fei¡¯s divorce paper, and now this has be a headache.
Duan Wang Fei didn¡¯t hide her actions at all, so all the officials in the capital know about it. At first, many people thought that Duan Wang Fei was only threatening Duan Wangye to make him bow but now that Duan Wang Fei has acted so decisively, it was clear that she doesn¡¯t want to give Duan Wangye any face, and now believe that she really wants to divorce her husband.
If Duan Wang Fei really wants to divorce, this was an embarrassment to the n.
Fearing that Qin Jiu would be worried, Old Madam Qin didn¡¯t say much, but just sighed and said, ¡°Ai, if she doesn¡¯t think about herself, she should think about the third master.¡±
Third Master?! Qin Jiu was stunned for a moment before realizing that the third master Old Madam Qin was referring to Gu Zezhi.
With a subtle feeling Qin Jiu looked at Old Madam Qin and said with a straight face, ¡°Grandmother, Duan Wang Fei did the right thing.¡±
Qin Jiu didn¡¯t say much after she said this, and she just wanted to show Old Madam Qin that she was on Madam Xiao¡¯s side.
Old Madam Qin: ¡°¡¡±
Old Madam Qin thoughtfully looked at Qin Jiu.
Although her granddaughter was still young, she sees far more clearly than herself. She has these piercing eyes that even Taoist Priest Yun Guang, who has been swindling and cheating in the capital for so many years has shown her true colors in front of her. So, since her granddaughter said so, she should have her reasons.
Thinking carefully about it, Gu Zezhi has now a job here in the capital, and would most likely stay in the capital in the future, while Duan Wangye always has to go back to the western border.
In the matter of the divorce, it was better for her granddaughter to choose her mother-inw. After all,ter, when her granddaughter marries into their family it would be better to live with her mother-inw who thinks of her well so that she could live her life easier.
On this thought, Old Madam Qin felt that her granddaughter was more reasonable, so she followed her words and said, ¡°Jiu¡¯er, you know what¡¯s in your heart, just go to see the Duan Wang Fei more these days, and apany her to relieve her boredom.¡±
After she settled with this thought, Old Madam Qin then talk a lot more.
***
Chapter 270
Chapter 270
Half an hourter Qin Jiu left Ronghe Hall dazedly, she did not understand what was happening to Old Madam Qin today, she was acting differently as if she was a different person.
¡°Du Ruo¡¡± Qin Jiu looked at Du Ruo who walking beside her, holding a food box that contained a milk poria cream given by Old Madam Qin.
Du Ruo waited for Qin Jiu to finish her sentence but thetter turned her head back to the road and continued to walk forward against the cold wind.
Forget it. Qin Jiu thought that since the changes were beneficial to her it was all good.
Qin Jiu had only taken two or three steps when she remembered another matter and suddenly stopped.
¡°By the way, Du Ruo, what does yijue mean?¡±
Qin Jiu was listening to Old Madam Qin but in fact, she didn¡¯t understand what she meant.
She only knew that in ancient times there were repudiations and divorces. The former was a man abandoning his wife in the name of ¡°seven out¡±*, while thetter should be equivalent to a peaceful breakup?
(*seven reasons, mainly: adultery, filial piety.. and so on)
What about yijue?
Du Ruo was surprised at Qin Jiu¡¯s confused eyes, but soon understand the reason: Ai, miss is so pitiful. No one taught her even thismon sense.
Du Ruo straightened out her thoughts and quickly exined: ¡°Just like Madam Xiao this time if it is proven that the heir¡¯s consort was the one poisoned Madam Xiao, the heir¡¯s consort who is rted to Duan Wangye but not to Madam Xiao, since the heir is not her son, ording to Daqi¡¯sw Madam Xiao can divorce Duan Wangye, even if Duan Wangye refuses it will be useless.¡±
Qin Jiu then realized that it was what a forced divorce was!
No wonder Gu Zezhi took the trouble to get those monks from Bogo state to the capital.
Qin Jiu pondered as she nodded: ¡°This is not bad!¡±
Otherwise, she¡¯s afraid Duan Wangye would make it moreplicated.
Qin Jiu heard Wang momo sayst time that Duan Wangye would go to Jinyu Alley almost every day, even if he couldn¡¯t get in, he would wander in front of the gate for more than an hour before leaving with a sigh.
Qin Jiu doesn¡¯t sympathize with Duan Wangye at all. In her opinion, Duan Wangye has forced his wife away, and he still wants to put on an affectionate gesture at this time. Who was he trying to show it to?
At this time, a young maidservant in green going in the direction of Ronghe Hall walked with hurried steps, originally Qin Jiu did not care, but as soon as that young maidservant saw Qin Jiu, she immediately came towards her and eagerly reported, ¡°Third Miss, something has happened to Eldest Master!¡±
Qin Jiu¡¯s pair of eyes slightly widened as she asked, ¡°What happened to big brother?¡±
¡°Third Miss, Zhang Chen said that master fell off the horse and was injured so he asked this servant to report to old madam. Zhang Chen is still in the front yard.¡± The young maidservant hurriedly replied.
Zhang Chen was Qin Zening¡¯s personal servant. For him toe here and report, this matter must be serious.
¡°I¡¯ll go take a look.¡± Qin Jiu turned around and went to the front yard.
Zhang Chen was walking back and forth outside the gate; he was already waiting impatiently as his face profusely sweats.
Seeing Qin Jiu approaching, Zhang Chen quickly curtsied and did not wait for her to ask as he said first: ¡°Third Miss, the eldest master made an appointment with some masters today because Master Pei just got a new horse, and met Fifth Master Su on the way¡¡±
¡°Wait.¡± Qin Jiu interrupted him and asked, ¡°Who is Fifth Master Su again?¡±
The interpersonal rtionship in the capital was tooplicated, and she hasn¡¯t been able to sort it out yet. However, this fifth master Su, this familiar Su surname, was he connected to the marquis family?
Zhang Chen said: ¡°He is the madam¡¯s nephew, and is a frequent visitor here in our marquis mansion, but has always been at odds with the eldest master.¡±
The fifth son of the Su family, this Master Su likes to hang out in the red-light district alley most of the day, and because of his uncle¡¯s background, he bullies others with his power. While Qin Zening and his friends don¡¯t really care about him since they never yed together and were on a different group of friends.
Qin Jiu: ¡°¡¡ you continue.¡±
Zhang Chen began to talk with more details.
To say it in a simpler way, that was, this fifth master Su first took the initiative to provoke Qin Zening and proposed topete with thetter.
Qin Zening was good at martial arts and they as the son of noble families in the capital have their own pride. If someone challenges them and they refused, retreating without fighting was more shameful than losing. Besides everyone knows that in terms of riding and shooting, Qin Zening was far more better than the ipetent Fifth Master Su.
So, after Master Pei and other masters who were with them made fuzz, Qin Zening agreed.
Unexpectedly, during thepetition, Qin Zening identally fell off the horse.
Due to the ident, Qin Zening hurt his leg and couldn¡¯t move for a while. Master Pei and the others were afraid that he hurt his bones so they didn¡¯t dare to move him casually and ordered Zhang Chen to go to the marquis manor to ask for a physician. Zhang Chen wanted toe back first and report to Old Madam Qin, and then took a carriage to ask for a physician.
¡°I¡¯ll go too.¡±
Qin Jiu said decisively and then asked someone to call Qin Zeyu, before asking Zhang Chen where Qin Zening was now. She then sent Zhang Chen to ask for a physician and took Qin Zeyu there first.
Qin Zening and the others were in the western suburbs of the capital.
Aftering back from winter hunting, Qin Jiu practice riding a horse whenever she has free time, and with Qin Zening¡¯s advice after two months of practice, she was already a qualified beginner and could ride decently.
From a distance, Qin Jiu saw that Qin Zening was sitting against a tree, and seemed unable to move. There were seven or eight handsome young men around him, including Master Pei, whom Qin Jiu had seen once before, while she did not recognize the others.
Five or six steps away, there was a white-faced young man of seventeen or eighteen years old in a blue robe and behind him were two or three young men with greasy faces and thin bodies.
Before Qin Jiu could even get closer, she heard fifth master Su say sarcastically: ¡°¡this master is right, Qin Zening ah Qin Zening, with your meager ability you still want to enter the fifth military battalion and want topete against me, are you even worthy?¡±
***
Chapter 271
Chapter 271
¡°Qin Zening, you still im to have made merit in the military? Look at your revolting behavior, from what I can see, your outstanding military service is something fishy. You in fact have the audacity to steal other people¡¯s credit and take it for yourself.¡±
¡°If I were you, I would have no face to see anyone. I would be too embarrassed. A royal guard is so weak that he can¡¯t even ride a horse, he¡¯s not even as good as a woman!¡±
¡°You¡¯re such a pussy, yet you want to enter the Fifth Military Camp, dream on!¡±
The young masters surrounding the fifth master, Su Xiyang, all let out a burst ofughter, exaggeratingly swaying forward and backward.
Pei Qi stepped two steps forward with an ashenplexion and said angrily: ¡°Su Xiyang, don¡¯t push your luck!¡±
¡°Yo! What Pei Xi, are you trying to back up Qin Zening?¡± Su Xiyang yfully skimmed his mouth as he mischievouslyugh and looked past Pei Qi, provoking Qin Zening who was at the back, ¡°Qin Zening, if you cannot afford to lose in the future do note out to see people, acting like a child and expect others to defend you.¡±
The faces of the other young masters beside Pei Qi didn¡¯t look good as they endured his insults.
This circle of noble young masters was not big, and the people present have known each other since they were young, they fought together, let alone challenge each other. When Qin Zening lost, they didn¡¯t say anything, after all, a loss was a loss but this Su Xiyang was so mean and chattered endlessly, how could they tolerate him more!?
¡°Su Xiyang, do you think we¡¯re made of paper¡.¡±
Before the words fell, there was a sharp sound of something piercing through the air, and a ck whip was whipped toward Su Xiyang.
Su Xiyang subconsciously raised his hand to block it, and the long whip easily cut his sleeve, leaving a red whip mark on his arm.
Su Xiyang miserably screamed and his facial features were slightly distorted as he subconsciously looked at the owner of the whip.
Under the light behind her, Qin Jiu who sits on the red horse with a big cloak on her body has a faint halo cast by the sun setting her jade-like appearance unbridled.
She then looked down at Su Xiyang condescendingly and said in a light voice. ¡°Have the guts to say the words again.¡±
¡°¡¡± Qin Zeyu who was behind Qin Jiu didn¡¯t say anything but couldn¡¯t helpmenting to himself: Sister is so ruthless!
But¡
It hurts if his sister beats him, but it¡¯s quite enjoyable to watch his sister beat someone else!
Su Xiyang has a cheap mouth, and he deserves to be whipped by his sister.
Qin Zeyu excitedly apuded, and hailed as if he was herckey: ¡°Third sister, you¡¯re awesome!¡±
On the other hand, not far away, Qin Zening was dumbfounded.
Why was his sister here?
Zhang Chen! It must be Zhang Chen!
Zhang Chen this guy really doesn¡¯t know how to do things. He actually told his sister, and now he has lost face.
Su Xiyang covered his injured arm and blurted, ¡°Bitch¡.¡±
As soon as the word ¡°bitch¡± came out of his mouth, Qin Jiu whipped him down again and this time the whip fell directly from his shoulder.
¡°Pak!¡±
Qin Jiu waved the whip lightly in her hand but the crisp sound breaking through the air made people shudder.
Qin Jiu said with a smirk, ¡°What did you just say, I didn¡¯t hear it, say it again.¡±
¡°Woah! Qin Zening, who is this?¡±
Qin Zening¡¯s friends either elbowed him or hit his knees as they looked at him, wanting to ask who Qin Jiu was.
¡°My sister!¡± Qin Zening replied quickly, shing a pleasing smile at Qin Jiu.
In contrast, Su Xiyang, who had received twoshes, was simply going crazy with anger, looking at Qin Jiu with a fierce expression and grinding the back of his back teeth as he said, ¡°Little bitch, your seeking death!¡±
As he said that, he took a big step toward Qin Jiu, wanting to see her face.
Qin Zening broke his leg and couldn¡¯t move for the time being, but his friends around him wouldn¡¯t just watch Qin Zening¡¯s sister get bullied. One of them, who had ¡°fox-like eyes¡± in a green robe, stepped forward and quickly stood in front of Qin Jiu¡¯s horse.
¡°Sister, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m here!¡±
The ¡°fox-like eyes¡± said with a smile, thinking that Qin Zening¡¯s younger sister was very pleasing in the eye. Her temper was really to his liking, unlike the previous one who always looked like everyone bullied her. In short, she was not interesting at all.
¡°A¡¯ning¡¯s sister is my sister, no one can bully you!¡±
Saying that the ¡°fox-like eyes¡± hooked his finger at Su Xiyang provocatively, telling him toe!
Pei Qi and others also rushed forward. He said glumly, ¡°Gong Liu, don¡¯t show off by yourself, aren¡¯t we a group?¡±
Several other young masters smiled at Qin Jiu as they said, ¡°That¡¯s right, sister, there are still a few of us!¡±
¡°Su Xiyang, what, you still dare to make a move on our sister?¡±
¡°If you want to fight,e on, who¡¯s afraid of who!¡±
Pei Qi and others rolled up their sleeves and were eager to go on a rumble as if they would strike first if there was any disagreement.
When ites to fighting, they wouldn¡¯t be afraid of anyone. Just fight!
Qin Jiu: ¡°¡¡¡±
Qin Zeyu: ¡°¡¡±
Qin Zeyu felt a little upset, he was also Qin Zening¡¯s younger brother but why didn¡¯t they say that Qin Zening¡¯s younger brother was their younger brother!
Su Xiyang looks at Gong Liu, Pei Qi, and others as hisplexion constantly changes from blue to white when a young man in brown behind him pulls his sleeve and gives him an awkward meaningful nce.
Gong Liu and Pei Qi were all from archduke, duke, and marquis houses. Gong Liu, for example, was from the family of a duke, inparison although they were all descendants of honorable families, their status was somewhat lower.
When they argue, it was only a matter of talking big and no one would go back to tell their parents after all if they really fight for real and end up hurting someone it would be troublesome. And to avoid hurting someone whenever they end up into scruples, they need to restrict themselves, then wasn¡¯t that the same as not doing anything at all?!
Pei Qi¡¯s group was of well-known young masters in the capital. They grew up fighting, and these young masters¡¯ values drops when ites to beating someone!
¡°Xiyang, forget it, okay?¡± Another young master in a greenish robe persuaded him in a low voice.
Su Xiyang covered his right arm that had been whipped with one hand while holding his breath as his protruding veins were pulsating.
A whileter, he flicked his sleeves as he said angrily, ¡°Forget it, this lord is magnanimous.¡±
He acted like he didn¡¯t care about how the woman in front of him confronted him, and barely suppressed the storm that was about toe.
Qin Jiu asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±
Su Xiyang mockingly skimmed his mouth and said, ¡°Just because you lost, you called your sister here for support. I won¡¯t even dare to think about it, Qin Zening, you are the only one!¡±
Qin Jiu gave him a sidelong nce and waved the whip in her hand again, ¡°Did I ask you?¡±
Su Xiyang: ¡°¡¡¡± his fist started to itch again!
Gong Liu on the other hand, burst outughing straight away, thinking that this little sister Xiao Jiu was really their middleman. She was so refreshing!
While Qin Zening was a little embarrassed to be seen by his little sister in this situation.
He was already an old man but his little sister was the one worrying about him.
He briefly and sinctly told the truth, what he said was simr to what Zhang Chen reported, that in the midst ofpeting in riding and shooting with Su Xiyang, halfway he fell off the horse, and his right legnded first and it seems that his right calf was fractured.
While talking, there was another sound of horses¡¯ hooves and cartwheels in the distance, gradually approaching.
Zhang Chen finally arrived with the carriage and hurriedly brought a thin middle-aged physician.
Pei Qi and the others hurriedly stepped aside and allowed the physician to examine Qin Zening¡¯s injuries.
Qin Jiu looked at him with a frown. Qin Zening grew up on horseback since he was a child and in terms of riding and shooting skills, he was well-known to be good at both of these but they said he fell on the horse that easily?
She looked around and asked, ¡°Where is my big brother¡¯s horse?¡±
¡°Over there.¡± Gong Liu was very attentive and helped point the direction of Qin Zening¡¯s horse.
Three or four feet away, a tall, vigorous ck horse was under a big tree, asionally flicking its long tail twice and the reins that were naturally hanging down.
Qin Jiu recognized this horse and was convinced that it was the ck horse Qin Zening had always ridden, named Mo Yun.
***
Chapter 272
Chapter 272
Mo Yun was raised by Qin Zening when he was young, this horse also apanied him when he was in the army. Such a fine horse that was not afraid of going to the battlefield should not be surprised for no reason.
Qin Jiu¡¯s eyes darkened as she asked again, ¡°Brother, how did you fall?¡±
Qin Zening: ¡°Probably the saddle is not properly secured.¡±
Qin Jiu followed Qin Zening¡¯s gaze and looked at the horse, Mo Yun¡¯s back. Indeed, the horse¡¯s back was empty and there was no saddle.
Qin Jiu continued to ask, ¡°What about the saddle?¡±
Without waiting to be asked, another young master wearing an indigo robe smilingly came forward and helped: ¡°The saddle is over there, sister, wait, I¡¯ll go pick it up!¡±
He ran seven or eight steps from Mo Yun and picked up the saddle that had fallen on the grass.
Su Xiyang gave a cold snort and covered his injured right arm. He said in a cold voice, ¡°There¡¯s nothing else, then we¡¯ll go first!¡±
¡°No one is allowed to leave!¡± Qin Jiu took a step in Su Xiyang¡¯s direction, ¡°No one is allowed to leave until this matter is cleared up!¡±
As soon as she said that, Pei Qi and others immediately acted spontaneously, they surrounded Su Xiyang and his followers with horses, not allowing them to leave.
Su Xiyang held his chin high and said in a cold voice, ¡°Get out of the way!¡±
¡°Are you deaf?¡± Gong Liu smirked as he looked at Su Xiyang with his arms sped around his chest and said as a matter of fact, ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear our sister say not to leave!¡±
Qin Zeyu: ¡°¡¡¡±
He doesn¡¯t know why, but he felt that his sister seems to be quite suitable to enter the army battalion¡
Qin Jiu took the saddle and looked at it carefully, her eyes slightly narrowed as she saw the obvious cut on the saddle strap which was not natural but a mark left by a sharp de.
¡°Brother, no wonder you fell from your horse. Someone tampered with your saddle!¡±
Qin Jiu slowly said as she clutched the saddle in her hand, and shot Su Xiyang a sword-like re. Who actually tampered with the saddle, one could well imagine¡
Qin Zening: ¡°!¡±
When he fell off the horse, he only felt the saddle was somewhat loose, then he fell off the horse, and after that, because his leg was fractured and he couldn¡¯t move, he didn¡¯t bother to look at the saddle.
Qin Zeyu also wanted to understand the sequence of events as hisplexion turns extremely ugly after hearing his sister.
The young man was so furious that he took the saddle from Qin Jiu¡¯s hand and said angrily, ¡°Su Xiyang, you asked my brother for a ridingpetition, and just by coincidence, my brother¡¯s saddle was tampered with causing him to fall off his horse!¡±
¡°Su Xiyang, don¡¯t say you don¡¯t know!¡±
Qin Zeyu pointed at Su Xiyang¡¯s nose in fury and rebuked.
Gong Liu and Pei Qi were also angry, and as their anger rose slowly, they shouted and cursed.
¡°How dare you cheat, Su Xiyang!¡±
¡°I used to think you only know how to go to the redlight district, it turns out that I also underestimated you¡¡±
¡°Isn¡¯t this clear? Didn¡¯t this little son-of-a-bitch just say that Zening wasn¡¯t capable ofpeting with him? I¡¯ve heard that he was also fighting for themander position in the fifth army battalion! But he lost to A¡¯ning two days ago!¡±
At this moment, Qin Jiu saw the guilt in Su Xiyang¡¯s eyes.
Themander of the Fifth Military Battalion was adder to the sky for aspiring generals.
Most importantly, her eldest brother told her that the emperor was nning to order the imperial army to send troops to suppress the bandits. If he could enter the fifth army battalion, win this opportunity, make a great contribution and return triumphantly he could ask the emperor to bestow him a manor, he would be by then able to split the family.
The day before yesterday, her eldest brother also said that he came first ce in the written exam, and the next assessment was a martial arts test which he made sure he would not lose face and was confident with his sess.
However, her eldest brother¡¯s leg was now fractured, so he would not be able to participate in the martial arts assessment in theing days. Su Xiyang resorted to such despicable means just to get into the Fifth Army Battalion?!
But of course, Su Xiyang didn¡¯t admit to it as he said coldly: ¡°You have no evidence, what are you pointing at me!¡±
He deliberately increased the volume on the words ¡°no evidence¡±, and his arrogant virtue was close to saying, ¡®even if I did it, but what can you do to me!!¡¯
At this time, the middle-aged physician had already put a splint on Qin Zening¡¯s right calf and said to Pei Qi, ¡°Master Pei Qi, Master Qin¡¯s right tibia was fractured, but the bone has no crack. I put a splint on him first to fix the leg but I¡¯m afraid he needs to keep his leg for a month to get itpletely healed.¡±
When Su Xiyang who was a few steps away heard this, the corner of his lips curled up visibly.
Several young masters who were with Su Xiyang were still helping him: ¡°Yes, even if someone tampered with Qin Zening¡¯s saddle it wasn¡¯t necessarily Su Xiyang who did it.¡±
¡°Also, wasn¡¯t Qin Zening offended many people?¡±
¡°Who knows who is not pleased with him and cut his saddle¡¡±
The two sides confronted each other with sparks shooting through the air and swords being drawn.
Qin Zeyu couldn¡¯t stand listening, so the young man with a flushed face painted on his immature face shouted loudly, ¡°It¡¯s you!!¡±
He rolled up his sleeved and was ready to rush forward, determined to seek justice for his brother but felt his cuffs tighten.
¡°Don¡¯t¡¡±
He wanted to say, ¡®Don¡¯t stop me¡¯ when he met Qin Jiu¡¯s disapproving eyes and had to swallow his words back.
Qin Jiu pulled Qin Zeyu¡¯s cuffs with one hand and didn¡¯t let go, and said in a good-natured manner, ¡°Is letting you learn martial arts mean letting you fight casually?!¡±
Qin Zeyu: ¡°¡.¡±
Su Xiyang also thought that Qin Jiu wimped out and felt much better, feeling as if even the injury on his arm did not hurt so much.
¡°Third Miss Qin this¡¡±
Su Xiyang was about to make fun of her a few more times, but he instead heard Qin Jiu say with a smile, ¡°Report to the official.¡±
Report to the official?! Su Xiyang immediately forgot what he was going to say and was dumbfounded.
Few of the young masters beside Su Xiyang also lost their voices and looked at each other nkly. What report to the official?! The third miss of the Qin family was not really normal and was unreasonable!!
Qin Jiu was smiling too much that her eyes and eyebrows curved into slits as she said, ¡°Young Master Su, let¡¯s just go to the public court in the capital!¡±
Su Xiyang: ¡°!!!¡±
Su Xiyang originally thought that Qin Jiu would only go to the pce toin to Empress Wei at most, so he wasn¡¯t afraid at all.
After all, it was Qin Zening who promised topete with him personally before, but he fell off his horse and broke his leg in thepetition. He didn¡¯t touch even a single of his hair!
And instead after losing, he ran to the adults toin. If this news spread, he would be viewed as some suckling child. And at this point, many people in the capital would think highly of him, Su Xiyang, the one who wins against suckling Qin Zening.
Therefore, Su Xiyang was determined that even if Qin Jiu wanted toin, Qin Zening would stop Qin Jiu.
However, he never expected that Qin Jiu would actually want to go to the public court in the capital! Was this miss from the Qin family crazy?!
The situation took a sharp turn, and all the people on Su Xiyang¡¯s side looked like they were being strangled, unable to speak.
Su Xiyang¡¯s face on the other hand was turning blue, white, and purple, as he looked at Qin Jiu in disbelief.
Seeing that the situation was getting awry, his friends silently took a step back followed by one after another.
Qin Jiu nced at the young man, smirking.
Qin Zeyu was also shocked by his sister and carefully lowered his voice to confirm, ¡°Third sister, do you really want to go to the public court?¡±
¡°Go.¡± Qin Jiu domineeringly confirmed.
As she said this, she once again looked at Su Xiyang, ¡°Didn¡¯t Master Su say that there was no evidence? Then let¡¯s report to the official, let the magistrate of the capital make a clear decision, to see if Master Su trying to kill my brother secretly is justifiable just because of the position he wants in the fifth army battalion!¡±
¡°We can¡¯t wrongly use Master Su for nothing, can we!¡±
¡°¡¡¡± Su Xiyang¡¯s face looked uglier.
Meanwhile, Qin Zening¡¯s friends were shocked at first, and then they all showed interesting expressions as they exchanged nces in twos and threes.
They¡¯ve never been to a public court before, this would be interesting!
***
Chapter 273
Chapter 273
The young man in the indigo robe waved his arm and said in a tone as if he wanted the whole world to be in chaos: ¡°Go, let¡¯s report to the official!¡±
At this time, Qin Zening¡¯s right leg was already bandaged and stood up with the help of Zhang Chen.
Qin Jiu looked at Qin Zening and said, ¡°Brother, what do you think?¡±
Qin Zening has always listened to his sister, and without thinking twice, he nodded and said, ¡°Okay.¡±
Since they decided to report to the officials, they also ignored Su Xiyang¡¯s gang. Pei Qi helped Qin Zening onto the carriage.
Afterwards, Pei Qi and the others got on their horses one after another while one of them put on the saddle that had been tampered with, and set off to their new destination, leaving Su Xiyang and his group without hesitation or waiting for their answer.
¡°Brother Su, then we¡.¡±
Su Xiyang¡¯s face was extremely ugly as he gave him a supercilious look.
What else?!
¡°Go back to the capital!¡± Su Xiyang flung his sleeve and said.
Su Xiyang and his party also embarked on their journey back to the capital.
On the way to the public court, horses¡¯ hooves were flying and dust was billowing.
More than half an hourter, Qin Jiu, Qin Zening, and others arrived at the public court which was located in the south of the capital.
Their horses and carriages had just stopped when Madam Su, who got the report of what happened arrived in a hurry.
¡°Ning¡¯er, Jiu¡¯er!¡±
With the help of the maidservant Madam Su got out of the carriage while sweating profusely as she tried to call Qin Zening and Qin Jiu, she said with a smile, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about what¡¯s going on at home.¡±
¡°Naturally, not at home.¡± Qin Zeyu raised his chin as he replied for his brother and sister. With his chin and chest raised high, looking like a fox who exploits a tiger¡¯s might. Hmph, his brother¡¯s injury couldn¡¯t be in vain!
Madam Su smiled politely, ignoring Qin Zeyu, and persuaded Qin Zening instead, ¡°Ning¡¯er, if there¡¯s anything wrong with Yang¡¯er, I¡¯ll make amends for him. Later, when hees, I¡¯ll ask him to apologize!¡±
¡°Yang¡¯er is your cousin, some discord between cousins is inevitable so why bother make trouble with the government?!¡±
Qin Jiu didn¡¯t want to listen to Madam Su¡¯s nonsense at all, ¡°No, I still have to report to the official today!¡±
As she said that, Qin Jiu had already stridden towards the gate of the public court.
¡°¡¡± Madam Su was almost driven mad by Qin Jiu.
How could there be such an extremely damned girl?
¡°Jiu¡¯er!¡± Madam Su wanted to overtake her but Qin Zeyu blocked the way.
The veins in Madam Su¡¯s forehead twitched and could only patiently say to Qin Zeyu: ¡°Yu¡¯er, you are a good boy, hurry up and persuade your third sister, this is all family affairs¡¡±
¡°Dong! Dong! Dong!¡±
Mingyuan drum* sounded heavy, one after another until one of the guards ran in to inform the magistrate.
(*a drum to cry out grievances but nowsuit can be brought directly to the court)
Many of the people passing around also heard the drums, they all looked at where the sound was which made some people gather in twos and threes.
At this time, Su Xiyang arrived on horseback, looking in disbelief at Qin Jiu, who was beating the drums andining about her grievances.
He never expected that she would dare to take this matter to public court.
¡°Dang! Dang! Dang!¡±
The sound of the grievance drum continued, it was also getting louder each time, dering the determination of the drummer.
Since someone has sounded the drum of injustice, it was only natural that the capital magistrate opens the hall.
Qin Jiu went to strike the drum of injustice even louder in the public court, and amidst the ¡°mighty¡± sound the officials couldn¡¯t just stop nor ignore her plea.
Although the magistrate did not recognize Qin Jiu before handling the case, he could see that Qin Jiu shoulde from a good family background just from her clothes so he didn¡¯t let her kneel down. He merely ps to stop her from striking the drum and asks, ¡°Who are you, and why are you beating the drum of injustice?¡±
¡°Lord Hu,¡± Qin Jiu smiled at the magistrate as she curtsied, ¡°I¡¯m the third miss from the marquis¡¯s residence, and I sounded the drum of injustice to avenge my eldest brother.¡±
Qin Jiu eloquently and fluently exined exactly what happened which made the magistrate a little dumbfounded and his head started to twinge.
The Qin family and Su family belonged to the marquis fu, the one in front of him belonged to the paternal side of the Qin family, and the two were inws. Sure, conflict was amon urrence in the family but it was never a serious matter such as attempted murder. From what he understands, it was nothing more than two masters provoked into a fight. In short, there was no need to settle things in the public court, they could just talk it out between the two families ah!
There was a saying, even an honest and upright official would have difficulty resolving family disputes.
This kind of case was the most troublesome, it was because, at the end of the trial, he might have offended both families at the same time, which was not worth the loss!
The magistrate politely said, ¡°Third Miss Qin, there must be some misunderstanding between your brother and Master Su¡¡±
The magistrate was determined to be a peacemaker and make peace.
At this time, Madam Su finally caught up to Qin Jiu, not only her, so was Pei Qi and Gong Liu including Qin Zening who was carried in a sedan chair, not long, a dozen of them crowded the public hall.
These people present were all from honorable officials¡¯ families, so everyone stood upright in the hall. It was a rare scene in the public.
This time the magistrate recognized Pei Qi and Gong Liu, and this made the corner of his eyes twitch, vaguely feeling that today¡¯s hearing might be more troublesome than he expected.
Madam Su interjected as she was sweating more profusely, ¡°What Lord Hu said is that this is just a private matter between two families.¡±
¡°Second Aunt, this is not a private matter.¡± Qin Jiu retorted forcefully and with justice.
¡°Your nephew, Su Xiyang, deliberately used such insidious means to cause my eldest brother to fall off his horse in order to lose his chance topete for the post in the Fifth Military Battalion. If such a thing can be discussed ¡°privately¡± because of this small trouble I cause, then why do we need thew for?!¡±
¡°Lord Hu, if in the future there is someonepeting against you on an assignment, will you kill that person first?! Then why do we need thew for?!¡±
Qin Jiu speaks with a loud and impassioned voice.
The magistrate was once again dumbfounded by Qin Jiu¡¯s words, it was nothing but a fight between two masters, so how could this third miss of the Qin family raise this issue into something big with her words alone?!
What she said clearly meant that if Su Xiyang was not severely punished, in the future, those officials and generals would cripple theirpetitors first whenever they get into an argument?
¡°¡¡± Madam Su¡¯s face on the other hand was livid and hated Qin Jiu to death.
The imperial court would select generals for the fifth military camp every three years, and only quite a few people knew about this position offered in the fifth military battalion. This time, it was necessary to select two top fourmanders and two top five guerri generals for the middle military camp. For others, in particr, the position ofmander was considered a lucrative position in the eyes of everyone as it would be much easier for the person to rise up in the army in the future. Generally, they could be promoted in three years.
Madam Su was also aware that her nephew Su Xiyang wanted to get the position, so the Su family already made some preparations, also Qin Xin offered to ask the second prince for help. Originally, it was to attack one problem from two angles at the same time and the position would be sure goes to him.
But Qin Zening actually stepped in and nned to fight for the same position.
Remembering this, a gleam of cruelty shed across Madam Su¡¯s eyes as she looked at Qin Zening.
Qin Zening obviously had already a position as a ranked fourth imperial bodyguard, it was good enough to serve the emperor but he still came to grab her nephew¡¯s position.
The day before yesterday, Qin Zening ced first in the first round of assessment while her nephew was seventh, losing to him.
There were still two rounds of assessment, and they already have taken care of it. Her nephew would definitely be able to get good results in the next two rounds of assessment but because Qin Zening was here the variables of uncertainty only increases.
It was clear that as long as Qin Zening does not steal, this position would go to her nephew.
But just because Qin Zening lost in riding and shooting, and injured his leg¡ªthe injury was not even serious, couldn¡¯t he just take care of it himself?!
And this Qin Jiu unexpectedly wanted to make a scene in the public court to disgrace the Qin and Su family, telling it was her nephew¡¯s fault, which in fact and was clear that Qin Zening himself couldn¡¯t do his job properly and had to drag her nephew into this mess, harming his reputation!
***
Chapter 274
Chapter 274
Madam Su reprimanded again: ¡°Don¡¯t be willful, Jiu¡¯er!¡±
¡°I¡¯m your aunt, do children don¡¯t have any respect to their elders now?¡±
No matter what this damned girl does, she was still an elder and there was no reason for her to call the shots here!
Madam Su took a deep breath, suppressing the anger inside, and added in a meaningfully warning tone: ¡°Jiu¡¯er, Duan Wangye, and Duan Wang Fei are still in the capital!¡±
The reason why Madam Su deliberately mention Duan Wangye and his wife was to suppress Qin Jiu, thinking that even if Qin Jiu doesn¡¯t care about her maternal family, she has to think of her husband¡¯s family. After all, she hasn¡¯t passed the gate yet, and if her soon-to-be inw knew how aggressive she was it would make the whole family uncertain about choosing her as their inw, also wouldn¡¯t she be afraid that the Duan Wang would have prejudiced against her?
However, Qin Jiu, on the other hand, didn¡¯t even bother with Madam Su, and instead looked at the magistrate calmly, and asked in a loud voice: ¡°Lord Hu, are you going to take this case or not? If not, then I will continue to beat the drum!¡±
Magistrate Hu: ¡°¡¡±
Seeing this scene unfold in front of them, Pei Qi, Gong Liu, and the others became even more excited, pulling their voices they shouted at the top of their voices.
¡°Sister, let¡¯s go, we¡¯ll apany you to beat the dengwen drum* instead!¡±
(*hung outside the court hall for those who have grievances or urgent cases¡, so as to establish awsuit)
¡°Go go go! With us around, no one will try to bully you into beating that drum!¡±
¡°Let¡¯s do it together to give you a strong voice!¡±
Looking at this scene, the magistrate¡¯s forehead was visibly seeping with cold sweat, he also almost wanted to kneel down to these young men while thinking that ending this in peace today was impossible.
Originally, a fight between two children of inws was mostly nothing serious, to put it bluntly, these noble children would always fight every now and then, but he has never seen anyonein to a magistrate before.
Ai, why did this kind of thing happen to him?
Of course, the magistrate couldn¡¯t just sit and watch Qin Jiu go and beat the drum again, wiping his cold sweat with his cuff, he hurriedly said, ¡°Yes, of course, I will!¡±
¡°Someone is beating the grievance drum to appeal for grievances so of course as the magistrate, this government naturally wants to uphold justice for the people in the capital.¡±
He sounded dignified as he made himself appear pompous, then knocked the gavel and started questioning Su Xiyang ording to the trial procedure: ¡°Su Xiyang, what can you say about third miss Qin using you of attempting to murder her brother?¡±
Naturally, it was impossible for Su Xiyang to plead guilty so he denied it without thinking twice: ¡°Lord Hu, how could I do this insidious means? Qin Zening is not as skilled as others; he fell on his horse on his own and turned his anger to me instead.¡±
Qin Jiu casually raised her hand and made a gesture, and her little attendant, Qin Zeyu immediately showed Qin Zening¡¯s saddle while giving her a meaningful nce.
One of the officials in the public court took the saddle and presented it to the magistrate for the official case
Qin Jiu: ¡°Lord Hu, this is my eldest brother¡¯s saddle. As what you can see, the strap on the saddle was cut with a sharp weapon.¡±
¡°Lord Hu, please look closely at the cut on the strap, the strap was cut very smoothly, yet shows fine jagged marks which are different from the cut marks left by ordinary sharp tools.¡±
The magistrate looked at the strap carefully on the saddle as he stroked his beard, and nodded, ¡°Indeed.¡±
Qin Jiu raised her finger and pointed to the knife embedded with seven-colored gems on the side of Su Xiyang¡¯s waist, ¡°Lord Hu, that scimitar that Master Su has on his waist is a scimitar from Persia, which not only has a tough and sharp de but also has a concealed serrated edge.¡±
As soon as this sentence was uttered, the atmosphere in the court changed.
The magistrate¡¯s expression froze, while Su Xiyang¡¯splexion changed drastically as he unconsciously grasped the scimitar at his waist. However, such arge scimitar could not be hidden even if he wanted to.
Lord Hu has been a magistrate for many years and has officiated not only a few nearly thousand cases but thousands of cases, so he immediately saw something from Su Xiyang¡¯s subtle changes of expression, and he knew the meaning of these expressions: I¡¯m afraid the saddle really has something to do with Su Xiyang!
The magistrate said politely, ¡°Master Su, please show me your scimitar, and let me have a look!¡±
Su Xiyang gripped his scimitar tighter and didn¡¯t move, but one of the officials had already walked up to him, looked at him with a leathery smile, and extended his hand to him, ¡°Master Su.¡±
Su Xiyang hesitated for a while before he finally handed the scimitar to the official.
The official pulled out the scimitar nimbly and took a closer look, indeed it was exactly what Qin Jiu said. The scimitar he had was a scimitar from Persia, with a serrated de.
Afterparing the scimitar with the cut on the saddle strap, the magistrate confirmed and nodded, ¡°The saddle strap was indeed cut by this scimitar!¡±
There was another silence in the court. Madam Su¡¯s face darkened that it was about to drop ink, she didn¡¯t know whether she should hate Qin Jiu for being troublesome or me her nephew for being stupid, leaving such obvious evidence.
¡°Lord Hu, the evidence of the crime is conclusive.¡± Qin Jiu continued, ¡°In order to rob the position he wanted in the fifth military battalion, Master Su deliberately cut my eldest brother¡¯s saddle with the intention of plotting to kill my eldest brother. Fortunately, my eldest brother was lucky and only injured his leg.¡±
¡°Master Su clearly attempted a murder. Lord Hu, ording to Daqi¡¯s Law, how should we deal with those who attempt to kill but failed and cause injury instead?!¡±
The magistrate¡¯s face sank as if he was drowning in deep water. This case was not easy to judge!
He didn¡¯t say it, but Gong Liu answered it for him: ¡°I remember I remember!¡±
¡°ording to Daqi Law, those who attempt to kill but cause injury instead should be hanged!¡±
Qin Zening who was sitting on the sedan chair with his arms around his chest said leisurely, ¡°Gong Liu, you remember Daqi¡¯s Law very well ah!¡±
¡°Naturally!¡± Gong Liu said a sarcastic remark as he smiles, ¡°My family is strict, my father always taught me not to have the intention of harming others, he was afraid that I use my hand easily to harm others so he read the Daqi¡¯sw to me day after day and not even missing to tell me that when youmit murder one must pay with his life!¡±
Pei Qi then jokingly chimed: ¡°That¡¯s right! It¡¯s only right to ask life for a life and even if it was only attempted, he still has the intention of killing someone. Just because he has no skills and can¡¯t get the position, he tried to secretly attempt murder. He should be sentenced to hang!¡±
Su Xiyang: ¡°!¡±
Hearing all of this, Su Xiyang¡¯s mind was in a mess as he went numb from fear, if Qin Zening hadn¡¯t insisted on fighting with him, he wouldn¡¯t have made such a decision! Why should he be hung instead?
His forehead was now covered with cold sweat as he defiantly shouted at the top of his voice, ¡°He¡¯s alive and well, it¡¯s just a fall, I didn¡¯t take his life!¡±
¡°Xiyang!¡± Madam Su couldn¡¯t take it anymore and hurriedly interrupted Su Xiyang. What was he even talking about!
Qin Jiu looked at the magistrate again and said, ¡°Lord Hu, you heard it too, this master Su has confessed. His criminal intention is clear, so Lord Hu can now sentence him.¡±
The magistrate: ¡°¡¡±
The capital¡¯s magistrate was now having a massive headache, what he really wants to do even earlier was so settle the Su family and the Qin family privately but the matter hase to this point. Su Xiyang even admitted to the court that he indeed intentionally hurt someone, and if refuses toe up with a verdict, it would inevitably spread throughout the whole capital and if that happens, people would think that he was protecting the Su family!
¡°Tak Tak!¡±
The magistrate knocked the gavel wood again, and seriously said: ¡°Su Xiyang, although your intention was not to kill, you have the heart to hurt others¡¡±
***
Chapter 275
Chapter 275
But of course, the magistrate would not convict Su Xiyang of attempted murder just like what Pei Qi said, with that said he also needs to follow Daqi¡¯sw in judging this case but just before he could finish his sentence, an anxious male voice sounded from outside: ¡°Lord Hu wait!¡±
The marquis, Qin Zhun, and another middle-aged man in his forties hurriedly entered the public hall, sweating profusely.
Seeing them both made Madam Su feel relieved, she shouted: ¡°Lord, brother!¡±
The middle-aged man walking with Qin Zhun was none other than Madam Su¡¯s eldest brother, Yanbai, who was also Su Xiyang¡¯s father.
Both of them were relieved when they saw the situation inside, thinking that fortunately, they came in time. The magistrate has not given his verdict yet, after all, once the judgment was made and the case was settled, they could never talk it out in private.
The two exchanged nces with each other. On the way to the public court, the two had already agreed that Qin Zhun woulde forward to help Su Xiyang and in return, Yanbai would help him find a vacant position in the Court of Imperial Study.
Qin Zhun has been appointed as the young minister in the government office for several years now. The job there was very idle and was only for fifth-grade ministers, the court of imperial study on the other hand was for ministers under fourth grade, more importantly, the minister assigned to that office was nearly sixty years old, and he was afraid that before he could get his position that minister would soon return to his hometown in two years. He needs to get this opportunity first.
He needs his brother-inw¡¯s help, so he mustn¡¯t make any mishap in this situation.
Qin Zhun¡¯s stomach was burning with anger, but he said in a righteous way in the surface as he scolded Qin Jiu: ¡°Jiu¡¯er, this is the public court, it¡¯s not our house, don¡¯t mess around! What are you doing here in the first ce, why don¡¯t we go home and talk to uncle?!¡±
Immediately afterwards, Qin Zhun curtsied directly to the magistrate and politely said, ¡°Lord Hu, this is just a fight between two children in our family. It¡¯s because the child doesn¡¯t know anything and disturbs the adults instead.¡±
¡°Ai, this eldest nephew of mine has always been aggressive, just because he fell on a horse, he got angry and was a bit impulsive ining here in the public court. After returning to the manor, this marquis would talk to him properly.¡±
¡°This marquis apologizes to your lordship on behalf of my nephew.¡±
Since he was apologizing in behalf of Qin Zening, it was obvious that he med Qin Zening for everything.
For the magistrate, he thought this oue was the best way after hearing the marquis. After all, if this was really judged as attempted murder, then the Su family would not ept it¡and if this continues it may even cause trouble to the imperial court.
Also, the magistrate didn¡¯t want to take this muddy water either, since Qin Zhun had already said so he just went along with the situation and said, ¡°Second Marquis is being polite, it¡¯s just a misunderstanding.¡±
Qin Zhun was all smile as he faces the magistrates, but when he turned his head towards Qin Jiu and Qin Zening his expression hardened, and reprimanded them, ¡°Ning¡¯er, your sister is still young, so it¡¯s understandable but you are not a child anymore. How can you be so careless in doing things?¡±
¡°You are the eldest son of the eldest house, you should learn to be more reasonable, otherwise how can you be a good example for your younger siblings!¡±
Qin Zening¡¯s thin lips were drawn into a straight line. As he was about to say something, he felt his sister tugging his sleeve and strode in front of him.
¡°Second Uncle,¡± Qin Jiu looked at Qin Zhun with her clear and bright eyes as he said in an aggrieved and stubborn tone, ¡°Are you helping Master Su?!¡±
Qin Zhun stood with his hands behind his back and looked at Qin Jiu with a righteous expression as Qin Jiu continued, ¡°Uncle is helping others while ignoring his family.¡±
Qin Jiu then slightly bit her lower lip looking even more aggrieved, and asked again clearly and courteously, ¡°The evidence is irrefutable, and yet second uncle wants eldest brother to hold his tongue?¡±
¡°Second Uncle, do you want your eldest nephews to have no chance to seed?¡±
Qin Jiu took another step closer to Qin Zhun and looked up at him who was three steps away. The fourteen-year-old youngdy stood next to the grown-up man forming a sharp contrast, the former was petite, slim, and pitiful while thetter was tall and burly as he scowls while looking at the pitiful youngdy who invokes tenderness.
¡°Second uncle, big brother he¡. just wants to build a career, why don¡¯t you even give him this opportunity¡.¡±
The youngdy¡¯s voice was a little choked and weak looking as if she couldn¡¯t continue to speak anymore, and could only lower her head.
She covered her face with her handkerchief as her shoulders trembled slightly, just like a delicate flower under the wind and rain.
Qin Zhun: ¡°¡¡±
Qin Zhun didn¡¯t expect Qin Jiu to point these words directly at him and couldn¡¯t react for a while and his face already bing very stiff as if covered with a ck cloud.
The magistrate who was in front of Qin Zhun, Qin Jiu, and Qin Zening looked at them and then at the injured man with a splint tied to his leg and couldn¡¯t help but sympathize after hearing Qin Jiu¡¯s words.
As everyone in the capital knows, the title Marquis, belonged to the eldest son of the Qin family who died while in exile, so Qin Zhun who was the second son of the Qin family inherited the title. However, the eldest son had a legitimate first-born son, Qin Zening. So, one could only imagine how awkward Qin Zening¡¯s position in the house was, and he must be afraid of his uncle, Qin Zhun.
Qin Zhun was afraid that his nephew would snatch his title so he had been deliberately suppressing him all these years to prevent his nephew from standing out so that his title could be stabilized.
Not only the magistrate who thought this was the case but so was Gong Liu, Pei Qo, and others present. The young men¡¯s faces were all filled with righteous indignation as they said in one tone.
¡°Doesn¡¯t that make sense?!¡±
¡°The Marquis is suppressing his own nephew, afraid that his nephew wille out on top!¡±
And since Qin Jiu also took into ount that Qin Zhun was her elder, her words were somewhat courteous, but these noble young men on the hand, have no qualms, they directly and with no shame pointed it out to Qin Zhun¡¯s face.
¡°It¡¯s more than that!¡± Gong Liu with his pair of fox-like eyes, smiles yet not a smile as he looked between Qin Zhun and Yanbai before he said in a sharp voice, ¡°Now I see ah, I¡¯m afraid that the marquis has long ¡®sold¡¯ Zening¡¯s life to the Su family, right?¡±
Gong Liu¡¯s words were close to saying that Su Xiyang use this insidious means to cause Qin Zening to fall from the horse and this was rted to Qin Zhun and Yanbai, they both probably already know, but also reached some kind of consensus.
Listening to what he said, indeed it somewhat hit Qin Zhun and Yanbai¡¯s thoughts. Although they didn¡¯t beforehand what Su Xiyang did, they did reach a certain kind of deal after learning afterward.
Both Qin Zhun and Yanbai¡¯s faces were hard to describe.
In Qin Zeyu¡¯s eyes, this was a guilty conscience. He angrily said, ¡°Second Uncle, Uncle Yanbai, Su Xiyang caused my elder brother to fall off his horse! We must give him justice!¡±
Hearing this, Yanbai¡¯splexion darkened even more, but since he couldn¡¯t lower himself to answer this childish usation from Qin Zeyu and Gong Liu he could only give Qin Zhun a warning look, and said, ¡°Marquis, is this how you educate the children in your house?! Regardless, you must manage your nephews and niece!¡±
Qin Zhun¡¯s face flushed, and he scolded: ¡°Impudent!¡±
He was embarrassed and annoyed at the same time, with so many people, and in front of the magistrate and Yanbai, he couldn¡¯t even control his nephews and niece. Today he really lost his face!
Qin Jiu: ¡°Sniff, sniff¡± (Crying sound)
Qin Jiu still has her little face lowered as she wipes her non-existent tears from the corner of her eyes with a handkerchief, she choked and sobs as she said again, ¡°Although us three siblings have no one to rely on, we can¡¯t let eldest brother lose his job, and swallow his anger at the same time¡¡±
At this time she raised her head again, her eyes looked redder than a rabbit, and softly but firmly said to the magistrate, ¡°Please asking Lord Hu to uphold justice for eldest brother and punish the guilty person ording to thew!¡±
¡°If Lord Hu is going to favor Master Su, then I have no choice but to beat the Dengwen drum!¡±
Her voice was loud and resolute.
¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Qin Zhun, who was already furious, could no longer suppress his anger, and his voice was raised even higher, ¡°Jiu¡¯er, stop it, don¡¯t go!¡±
***
Chapter 276
Chapter 276
The Dengwen Drum was different from the ordinary Mingyuan Drum*. The former was a drum hang that was hanging outside the court hall, once it was yed, it would rm the entire court hall and even the emperor. If that happens, the whole capital would watch the Qin family as a joke!
(*a drum to cry out grievances but nowsuit can be brought directly to the court)
Qin Jiu continued walking and ignored him.
This action from Qin Jiu was nothing more than a silent provocation in Qin Zhun¡¯s eyes. He felt his face hot, and from the corner of his eyes, he saw Yanbai¡¯s frown tighten even more and the people around looked at him with contempt or mockery and questioning gaze¡
¡°Jiu¡¯er.¡± Qin Zhun said furiously, ¡°This marquis is the head of the Qin family! If you still consider yourself a member of Qin family, you must listen to this marquis!¡±
Qin Jiu wiped the corner of her eyes with her handkerchief but refused to give in at all. ¡°I won¡¯t listen, I won¡¯t listen, I won¡¯t listen.¡±
Boom!
A fire rushed straight to his head, burning Qin Zhun¡¯s sanitypletely causing him to blurt out angrily, ¡°Then get out of the Qin family!¡±
Qin Jiu stood stiffly on the spot, lowered her head again, and covered her face with a handkerchief while her body slightly trembled.
Qin Zhun¡¯s stomach moves up and down, thinking that she was finally willing to give in, but who would have thought that Qin Zening would stood up with Zhang Chen¡¯s help, ¡± Second Uncle, are you driving us siblings away?¡±
¡°Okay! We¡¯re not moochers either, we¡¯ll move right away!¡±
At the same time, Qin Zeyu immediately stood next to his eldest brother, showing by actions that he was definitely on the same front as his eldest brother and sister.
If they want them to move, the three of them would move together!
Qin Zening turned his head and looked at the magistrate again, who was directly in front of him, and sped his fist and said, ¡°Lord Hu, please make the decision to divide the family for us!¡±
¡°¡¡..¡±
¡°¡¡±
¡°¡..¡±
And once again the public hall fell into dead silence.
The hand that was still grasping the wooden gavel shook as the magistrate was startled by the turn of events and didn¡¯t know how to react.
Wasn¡¯t this an ¡°attempted murder¡± case, why did it magically turn into a ¡°separation¡± case?!
Qin Jiu slightly moved her face from the handkerchief and a small curled upward could be seen from the corner of her lips behind the handkerchief. She and Qin Zening darted a nce at each other, and winked her right eye as if telling him well done!
Qin Zening also tacitly blinked his right eye in response.
Meanwhile, Qin Zeyu, who was standing beside Qin Zening, just saw the exchanges of winks between his brother and sister and felt as if he was struck by lightning especially when he hears Qin Jiu¡¯s suppressugh echo in his ears.
¡°It¡¯s not appropriate for eldest brother to mention it, so let second uncle do it.¡±
Qin Zeyu¡¯s heart suddenly brightened and finally figured it out.
His sister really let the second uncle take the ¡°initiative¡± to mention the separation!
After his realization, Qin Zeyu¡¯s expression became extremely subtle. Now when he recalled the scene after he came to the public hall just now, he felt that his righteous indignation was fed to the donkey¡¯s liver and lungs, and¡ª¡ª¡ª
ck, his sister was really ck, ck heart, ck lung, and ck-bellied!
Ai, does his third brother-inw know that his sister was such a ¡°ck¡± person?!
Qin Zeyu suddenly felt pity for his future third brother-inw, who was as warm as jade, and hoped that his eyes would be glued for the rest of his life¡
While Qin Zeyu¡¯s thoughts were flying around without any care on his surrounding.
Qin Zhun right now was fuming as the corner of his mouth was trembling, his chest violently heaving, and he was even slightly panting. He felt tightness in his chest as he clutched it while staring at Qin Zening and said, ¡°You¡ say that again?¡±
Qin Zhun¡¯s voice was tense, and he almost said this sentence word for word.
¡°Second uncle is going to drive us out, if we don¡¯t leave, you will me us and that¡¯s the end of us siblings.¡± Qin Zening calmly stared back at Qin Zhun as he said this frankly. He was now half a head taller than Qin Zhun, and looking at each other gives thetter a sense of unspoken oppression.
Qin Jiu walked closer to Qin Zhun, wiped the corner of her eyes with her handkerchief, and resisted the ¡°grievance¡± as she said, ¡°Second Uncle, you told me to leave, didn¡¯t you?¡±
She matched her eldest brother, and sang the same tone cooperatively, shifting the responsibility of separating the family to Qin Zhun.
Qin Zhun: ¡°¡¡±
¡°Lord Hu,¡± Qin Jiu did not care about Qin Zhun¡¯s reaction, and said to Magistrate Hu once again, ¡°Su Xiyang intended to kill my eldest brother for the position he wanted in the fifth military battalion. The evidence is conclusive, so please punish the culprit and give my eldest brother justice.¡±
Things have already developed to this, and this time the magistrate knows that today¡¯s case could never be solved amicably. Especially after seeing that the head of the Qin family would separate the family, which shows the determination of the Qin brothers and sister.
That being the case, the magistrate could only make a fair judgment.
¡°Pak!¡±
The sound of the wooden gavel resounded once again, the magistrate said solemnly: ¡°Su Xiyang deliberately hurt someone, and the witnesses and material pieces of evidence are conclusive, with this ording to thew of the Daqi, our government will punish you with 3000 Liang of silver and one year of imprisonment. Do you ept?!¡±
What?!
Su Xiyang couldn¡¯t believe his ears and looked at Yanbai for help, ¡°Father¡.¡±
Madam Su¡¯splexion had also turned green and was going crazy.
Qin Zhun was no different, he was so angry that he didn¡¯t know what to say. He wanted to talk to Yanbai but before he could utter a word, he heard him calmly said to his son, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, Xiyang. Father, will go to the pce to ask the emperor for help.¡±
As he said this, Yanbai gave Qin Jiu and Qin Zening a ruthless gaze and didn¡¯t pay any attention to Qin Zhun at all as he walked away.
***
Chapter 277
Chapter 277
After Yanbai left the public hall, he hurriedly rode into the pce to the emperor¡¯s sacred pce. Arriving, he was immediately led into the imperial study without any hitch.
In the imperial study, besides the emperor, Gu Zezhi was also there, ying go with the emperor.
Of course, Yanbai knew Gu Zezhi, and he also knew that the emperor was the one who bestowed marriage to Gu Zezhi and Qin Jiu but he still came here today even after knowing this, after all in his defense he was here to appeal against Qin Jiu and Qin Zening not Qin Jiu and Gu Zezhi.
Also, Yanbai didn¡¯t care about these trivial details anymore so after he curtsied to the emperor he immediately said, ¡°Your Majesty, the emperor, my son, and the child from the marquis¡¯ house, Qin Zening had some small disagreement in the suburbs of the capital today. When the twopeted, Master Qin Zening fall from his horse and lost. My son was full of youthful vigor causing him to provoke Master Qin Zening with a few words which led Master Qin Zening to sue my son in the public court hall.¡±
¡°My son is innocent, asking the emperor to give a verdict for my son!¡±
Yanbai¡¯s voice was choked with grief and even sobs, looking like a kind and loving father.
He intentionally used ambiguous and vague words, only saying that it was a small disagreement between the two of them and that Qin Zening couldn¡¯t ept that he lost to he went to file aint at the public court.
Although Qin Zening was Empress Wei¡¯s nephew, Yanbai also knew that the emperor has be more and more impatient with the Qin family in recent years but still tolerated them because of his rtionship with thete marquis. Moreover, the emperor doesn¡¯t want to get rid of someone once he has ceased to be useful so he never meddles in the affairs of the Qin family, but Qin Zhun hadn¡¯t made any progress after getting his position.
As long as he could persuade the emperor, thetter would definitely take this opportunity to suppress the Qin family.
Even if he couldn¡¯t absolve his son¡¯s crime, he mustn¡¯t let Qin Zening get scratched free nor make it easier for him. He must be treated equally with his son!
The emperor on the other hand, even after listening to what he said, his expression never changes, and his eyes just still staring at the go pieces on the go board as he asked indifferently: ¡°Then, did the magistrate give his verdict?¡±
Yanbai: ¡°¡¡±
This question made Yanbai swallow back the words he had prepared earlier, and said instead: ¡°Your majesty the emperor, the magistrate has listened¡¡±
¡°Since the magistrate has settled the case, what do you want with me?¡± The emperor interrupted him, ¡°Go back.¡±
The emperor didn¡¯t bother to listen any further and casually dismissed Yanbai.
¡°¡¡¡± Yanbai retreated embarrassingly, his mind was in chaos, and he didn¡¯t know what to do for a while.
This was different from what he thought beforehand! The emperor didn¡¯t even give him a chance to speak.
He doesn¡¯t really care about the 3000 Liang silver fine, but the one-year imprisonment¡ how could his son suffer like this!
The emperor¡¯s eyes lit up, and finally, he thought of his next move. He picked up a ck go piece from the box and dropped it on the chessboard, he then raised his gaze and looked at Gu Zezhi.
Gu Zezhi calmly picked up a white go piece and ce it on the go board without hesitation.
The next second, the clear sound of go pieces being put down on the go board one after another was the only sound that could be heard in the entire imperial study, and the two of them didn¡¯t say a word from beginning to end.
After they finished a game of go, the royal guardmander Yuan followed the head eunuch Zhou Xin in the imperial study and curtsied to the emperor. Seeing that Gu Zezhi was also there, the royal guardmander Yuan hesitated for a moment.
The emperor lifted the pastel teacup and gently skimmed the floating foam on the tea with the tea lid, and said, ¡°Tell me.¡±
Zhou Xin has been serving the emperor for more than 30 years and has always been good at reading people¡¯s opinions. After sending out Yanbai, he asked the royal guard to find out what was going on with Su Xiyang¡¯s case, and right now the royal guard was back to report what he gathered.
Royal Guard Yuan narrates what happened systematically and in full detail.
From what the emperor heard this case should be one of those simple cases, there was all witnesses and materials evidence, until Qin Zhun proposed to separate the family, only then he felt this wasn¡¯t as simple as he thought at first.
Royal Guard Yuan saw the change in the emperor¡¯s mood at a nce, so he went into more detail about what happenedter. He said how Qin Zhun be a patriarch who treated his eldest brother¡¯s orphan unfairly, and how he was caught in a dilemma. Moreover, all the mistakes fell on Qin Zhun while Qin Zening¡¯s brothers and sister were just three poor people who were oppressed, bullied, and even driven out.
Royal Guard Yuan then said, ¡°Now the whole capital is saying that not only did the marquis deliberately suppress the orphans of the eldest house and prevent Qin Zening from taking the lead, but also they had to be driven out of the house. So the brothers and sister, had no choice but to agree to separate the family!¡±
***
Author has something to say: please do not delve to the details in the public court, kekeke
Chapter 278
Chapter 278
The emperor could not help butugh before sighing: ¡°Xiao Jiu, this girl really¡¡±
He really doesn¡¯t know whether to call her smart and resourceful at judging situations¡
The emperor knew very well that this whole thing mustn¡¯t have been nned by these siblings in advance.
Qin Zening attached great importance to the position as an imperial guard. He also said to him that he would do a good job so that when his sister gets married in the future, he could also support her. He doesn¡¯t need to purposely break his leg just to split his family and cut off his promising future.
If he has to put it bluntly, it was Su Xiyang who wanted topete with Qin Zening for themander position so he did not hesitate to hurt the former and angered Qin Jiu who seized this opportunity to get what she wanted.
This girl ah is really clever.
The emperormented to himself as his eyes sparkles and slightly smiles.
¡°Zezhi,¡± the emperor waved his hand for Royal Guard Yuan to retreat, and turned his head to ask Gu Zezhi, ¡°What do you think?¡±
Gu Zezhi said with a smile, ¡°The head of the Qin family can be separated smoothly. It¡¯s also a good thing for the emperor.¡±
The emperor: ¡°¡.¡±
The emperor looked at Gu Zezhi deeply, his cousin was really sharp and transparent when looking at people and things. He didn¡¯t hide his idea in front of him, nor did he give a clumsy opinion just to save his face.
He really doesn¡¯t know what Duan Wangye was thinking, he would abandon such a wise and capable legitimate son, and hold the concubine-born son in his palm instead. Not seeing that the one he thought was gem was nothing but cruel and ruthless, and could not tolerate his legal mother and younger brother.
¡°Indeed¡¡± The emperor nodded as he slightly raised his jaw.
Qin Zhun has be more and more ignorant of what he does in recent years. In the past, he actually doesn¡¯t mind that much if he aligns himself with Gu Jing¡¯s faction, after all, he has also once been a prince, and he hase to his current position step by step with the help of his faction. So, of course, he knows that many government officials want to fight for a prince they think would surely be a dragon. Problem was, Qin Zhun was stupid, not to mention arrogant, on top of that he liked to wag his tail afraid that Gu Jing would not know he wants to be the dog¡¯s leg*.
(* one who follows a viin, henchman, or hired thug)
Because of this, the emperor kept on remembering thete Qin Xun and didn¡¯t bother with Gu Zezhi anymore.
Fourteen years ago, he was almost dethroned by thete emperor as crown prince, it was thete old marquis who made a n to save his crown prince position, but the Qin family was exiled to Fujian Province, suffering for several years. And Qin Xun¡¯s eldest son and daughter-inw died in exile.
The old marquis was loyal to him, it¡¯s just a pity that¡
¡°Qin Xun during that time was also suddenly ill.¡± The emperor could not help sighing.
Gu Zezhi sipped his tea and asked, ¡°Your Majesty, I heard that the old marquis passed away from an acute illness?¡±
The emperor nodded and said, ¡°This emperor remembered that Qin Xun asked me for a month¡¯s leave. He said he wanted to go to Fujian Province to bring the body of his eldest son and daughter-inw back to the capital, this emperor agreed and half a monthter, this emperor heard of his death. Saying that Qin Xun suddenly suffered from severe abdominal pain on the way, he invited several physicians but no one can help him, three dayster due to severe abdominal pain he went west*.¡±
(*died)
When mentioning this past event, the emperor could only sigh endlessly with a tinge of sadness and nostalgia written all over his face.
Qin Zening was only eight years old when the old marquis passed. If the old marquis left a few yearster when Qin Zening could be a little older, Qin Zhun wouldn¡¯t be able to inherit the title.
The leaves outside the window swayed, casting dappled light and shadow on the emperor¡¯s face through the window.
After a moment of silence, the emperor said again: ¡°Zezhi, go to the marquis¡¯s residence. Since the family is going to be separated, let¡¯s make the separation clear and don¡¯t wrong Xiao Jiu and her brothers.¡±
Gu Zezhi was the future son-inw of the eldest Qin family so it was only natural for him to support the eldest Qin¡¯s house.
Gu Zezhi elegantly stood up and arched his hand in courtesy in response to the order, ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±
The emperor took up the teacup again and said nothing more.
As Gu Zezhi said, for him, it would be good if the Qin family separates.
As long as the family was separated, his favor to the Qin family could only be extended to Qin Zening, and there was no need to tolerate Qin Zhun in every possible way just to honor thete Marquis Qin.
Originally, the emperor thought that the separation would take a few years, at least until Old Madam Qin pass away and the separation would be a matter of course. But he didn¡¯t expect that this girl, Qin Jiu would really take advantage of opportunities and push the boat with the current.
After Gu Zezhi left the pce, he spurred his horse directly to the Marquis¡¯ residence.
At this time, dozens of people gathered in the loyal and righteous house of Marquis and crowded the main hall of the outer courtyard. Not only the people of the Marquis House were present, but also some elders of the Qin family came.
Qin Zhun sitting at the bottom with a livid face, above his head seems to be shrouded in a thick cloud of gloom.
When he was in court earlier, Qin Zhun was really angry and just wanted to vent his anger especially after he found that almost all the people in the capital knew that he was going to drive the eldest house away from the marquis¡¯s residence. He even heard that someone swore that he would beat and scold Qin Zening and Qin Zeyu these years, and secretly embezzled the dowry of his elder sister-inw as if they had seen him do it with their own eyes.
But of course, Qin Zhun could not put down his dignity to argue with themon people. At that time, he did not know how to end the argument and did not expect that as soon as they came back to their residence, Qin Jiu asked her maidservants to pack up and kept saying loudly that her second uncle was driving them away so they couldn¡¯t be too brazenly refused on leaving.
Qin Zhun who heard this couldn¡¯t just suddenly stop her.
But he was desperate, and what made him even more desperate was that within an hour, the head of the Qin n and some elders had rushed over the moment they arrive saying that they heard Qin Zhun was going to drive away the orphans of the eldest house.
The head and the n elders were Qin Zhun¡¯s elders and each of them admonished Qin Zhun, saying that as an uncle he should have a loving heart for his nephews and niece, how could he be so narrow-minded, and so on.
Qin Zhun, of course, tried to defend himself but no matter what he said others felt that he was only making excuses.
***
Chapter 279
Chapter 279
Qin Zhun was upset, but he could not lose his temper with the head and the elders, so he could only patiently say to the head: ¡°Eldest Uncle, I really didn¡¯t mean that, I just lost my temper and said a few hard words causing Ning¡¯er and Jiu¡¯er to misunderstood¡¡±
¡°Clearly in the public hall just now, second uncle tantly wanted to kick us out.¡± Qin Jiu casually interrupted Qin Zhun.
Qin Zening immediately echoed, and said agreeably, ¡°Second Uncle, you certainly told us that if I still insist on not leaving won¡¯t it be I be too shameless to eat and drink in the marquis fu but don¡¯t behave myself, insisting onpeting with the second aunt¡¯s nephew for the same position!¡±
¡°That¡¯s right. We brothers and sister eat and drink freely, so we should swallow our pride¡ and I deserve not to be able to lead an official career.¡±
Qin Zening said this while looking down at his right leg with the splint as he showed a disheartened and broken expression.
Qin Jiu: ¡°Sniff, sniff.¡± (Crying)
¡°It¡¯s all my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have cause troubled with the Su family, but it¡¯s not easy for eldest brother to get a good job. I really feel sorry for eldest brother¡¡±
Saying this, Qin Jiu never forgets to lower her small exhausted from crying face, and slightly trembling her thing shoulder.
Qin Zening looked up at the family head who was sitting beside Old Madam Qin and said, ¡°Grandfather, although my sry is not much, I can rent a small house outside. It¡¯s enough to support my younger brother and sister. We can live frugally to scrimp and save.¡±
Qin Zhun: ¡°!!!¡±
Qin Zhun¡¯s expression became even uglier and felt that Qin Zening was extremely shameless, however, he had nowhere to vent his anger. He could only feel more aggrieved that he was about to vomit blood.
Qin Jiu: ¡°Sniff, sniff.¡±(Crying)
Qin Jiu cried more pitifully and sobbed as she said: ¡°Let¡¯s go. Eldest brother¡¯s feet are injured, if second aunt¡¡± She then gave Madam Su a timid look and said, ¡°Then¡ won¡¯t eldest brother die just like that?¡±
¡°Although us siblings have suffered a little, we still can¡¯t let other people use us as stepping stones for nothing.¡±
¡°Wah, wah¡¡±
¡°Jiu¡¯er¡¡± Old Madam Qin was so distressed by Qin Jiu¡¯s crying feeling like her heart was also being pinched, and really wanted to hug her and call her her baby.
Old Madam Qin has already heard from Du Ruo what happened in the public court today, and now looking at her eldest grandson and her third granddaughter, one was miserably injured while the other was pitifully crying. She was really heartbroken looking at these two children who have been greatly wronged.
Old Madam Qin¡¯s eyes were slightly red, and there were thousands of words she wanted to say but turned into a long sigh. Her second son did too much this time!
Qin Zhun was going crazy.
Obviously, just now in the public court, Qin Jiu looked like she would give in but now she change her face into someone pitiful, being greatly wronged as her second uncle bullied her!
So now, he was afraid that all the people in the capital know he couldn¡¯t tolerate the eldest family¡¯s orphans!
Qin Zhun at the moment was even more upset as his mind was in turmoil, he med Qin Zening and his sister for making a big fuss and making the incident rambunctious, but he also med Madam Su, if only Madam Su treated Qin Jiu better how could she act so brazenly and even threatened to move!!
Qin Zhun bit his teeth and refused to relent, he insisted, ¡°Ning¡¯er, I know you¡¯ve hurt your leg, and felt that I¡¯ve wronged you but you¡¯ve misunderstood your second uncle. You can¡¯t just separate from the family because of this.¡±
Qin Zhun then looked at the head again, intending to let the head step in, but just as he opened his mouth, Qin Jiu interrupted as she sobbed, ¡°Then we will not split the family¡.¡±
Ah?! Qin Zhun was taken aback, he didn¡¯t expect Qin Jiu to be agreeable all of a sudden.
Qin Jiu slowly wiped the corner of her eyes with her handkerchief, ¡°As long as we can move out I don¡¯t want anything but to be with my eldest brother and fifth brother.¡±
She turned her head to look at Qin Zening, her slightly reddened eyes looking exceptionally bright, ¡°Eldest brother, from now on, me and A¡¯yu are all depending on eldest brother.¡±
What she meant was that as long as they could move out, the three of the would rather not have the family property.
Qin Zening suppressed the corner of his lips that were about to turn up and continued to sing the same tone as his sister, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Xiao Jiu, you have eldest brother! You won¡¯t go hungry!¡±
¡°Second uncle,¡± Qin Zening looked at Qin Zhun again, ¡°even if we move away, grandmother is still here, so we will oftene back to pay respect to grandmother in the future and we will not forget our surname Qin, nor will we let the Qin family¡¯s reputation fall but instead I together with my siblings will make it shine more.¡±
What does he mean by this? Qin Zhun looked at Qin Zening, his eyes widened a little. Was Qin Zening saying that he deliberately suppressed him all these years so that he could not stand out?! He actually has the nerve to say this to his face!!
The head and the elders slightly frowned, they were all distracted by Qin Jiu¡¯s words just now, all thinking the same that Qin Zhun not only wanted to drive away his nephews and niece from the Marquis fu but also was so overbearing that he refused to distribute the family property to them.
Ai, Qin Zhun was so unkind and unjust!
The head and others all cast disapproving nces at Qin Zhun.
Clearing his throat, the head advised Qin Zhun, ¡°Marquis, it¡¯s time to divide the family. We can¡¯t treat Zening and his siblings badly.¡±
The n elders also nodded one after another.
Qin Zhun: ¡°!¡±
Qin Zhun felt that he was more wronged than Dou E*. When did he say he would take over the eldest family¡¯s property?!
(* The Injustice of Duo E, is the title of the y, you can search it on google title is self exnatory)
One of the n elders looked at Old Madam Qin who was directly in front of him and asked, ¡°Sister, what do you think?¡±
Old marquis was already dead, but his wife, Old Madam Qin was still here. As the saying goes, when parents were present, no family was separated. They should ask Old Madam Qin first about this.
¡°¡¡¡± Qin Zhun also looked at Old Madam Qin with an expectant look, hoping that Old Madam Qin would use her grandmother position to press Qin Zening and Qin Jiu, and as long as she said she didn¡¯t want to split the family, then he could go along with it.
***
Chapter 280
Chapter 280
And the oue¡ª¡ª
¡°Son,¡± Old Madam Qin sighed, with her eyebrows furrowed tightly. ¡°You can¡¯t divide the family like this. No matter how you say it, you are also Ning¡¯er¡¯s elder, your eldest brother also treated you well when he was alive¡¡±
Qin Zhun: ¡°!¡±
He simply did not know what to say, he wanted to exin but felt tired. No matter how much he said, would anyone even believe him?!
The head and the n elders saw Old Madam Qin express her stand, and exchange a look with each other. The head said, ¡°Marquis since your mother said so then let¡¯s separate the family.¡±
¡°There are rules for splitting the family, if you want to split the family, do it properly, you can¡¯t let people outside see the joke of our Qin family!¡±
The rest of the n elders also expressed their agreement one after another, and all give earnest and well-meaning advice.
Seeing that the separation of the two families ¡°inexplicably¡± bes what the people ¡°expect¡±, Qin Zeyu¡¯s mind bes moreplicated he almost knelt down to his sister: En, he must not provoke his sister in the future, lest he won¡¯t know how he even dies¡
Qin Zhun: ¡°¡¡±
Qin Zhun¡¯s lips were pursed in silence, weighing up the pros and cons in his mind.
The reason he didn¡¯t want to split the family was because he was afraid that others would say he had treated the eldest house poorly, but the troubles had reached this point and it was impossible not to separate the family.
Now the whole capital knows that he was going to drive away the three younger generations of the eldest family, and even Old Madam Qin was convinced that no matter how much he justifies no one would believe him anymore.
Even if he insisted on leaving the brothers and sister in the marquis¡¯s residence, Qin Zening was no longer a child and Qin Jiu could go in and out of the pce, surely she wouldn¡¯t miss talking bad against him everywhere, saying he wants to take revenge on them, suppressing Qin Zening and preventing to develop his career¡
Perhaps it¡¯s better to separate the family.
Once Qin Zhun had this idea, he felt that the advantages of the idea outweighed the disadvantages, and his mind turned quickly.
Over the years, the emperor refused to allow him to establish a legitimate heir, this made him think that maybe the emperor was waiting for Qin Zening to make contributions so that he could pass the title back to the eldest house. If the two houses were divided, and once the eldest house and the second house bes two separate families, then he would have nothing worry about establishing his rightful heir.
Qin Zhun took a deep breath as he put on a heavy look, and sighed heavily, ¡°Ning¡¯er, you are already old enough to have your own ideas. Since you and your sister want to separate, let¡¯s do it.¡±
Qin Zhun then looked at Qin Zening who was diagonally across from him, and an unexpected sh shined under his dark and deep eyes.
His meaning was, Qin Zening had caused a lot of trouble, and when he identally fell off his horse, he didn¡¯t even break his leg but insisted on making trouble which caused a shock to the whole capital. And this girl Qin Jiu who grew up outside was a wild person with no dignity, it¡¯s only been a few months since she returned to the capital but she already causes and rose so many troubles causing disturbance to the Qin family!
Even if the separation of the family was inevitable, Qin Zhun does not want to have Qin Zening and Qin Jiu¡¯s waypletely and intends to pull back the situation. No matter what he had to push the responsibility for the separation of the family to Qin Zening.
¡°Ai!¡± Qin Zening also sighed, and followed Qin Zhun¡¯s words, ¡°It turned out that second uncle still didn¡¯t want to split up¡ then we three should just move out.¡±
Qin Zening turned back the words again.
¡°¡¡¡± Qin Zhun¡¯s face turned green and white for a while and was on the verge of lifting the table.
The head frowned and was about to be a peacemaker when a maidservant suddenly ran in with hurried footsteps and said, ¡°Old Madam, marquis, third master Gu is here!¡±
Qin Zhun¡¯s already furrowed forehead tightened even more, he wanted to end this farce today so he doesn¡¯t want to entertain guests.
However, before he could say anything, the maidservant who came to report continued: ¡°Master Gu said¡ that he was ordered by the emperor to see how the Qin family splits.¡±
The maidservant girl¡¯s voice became even softer, and her head fell lower and lower, not daring to see Qin Zhun¡¯s face at all.
¡°¡..¡±
¡°¡¡±
¡°¡¡¡¡±
There was a silence in the hall.
The head and the n elders also showed surprise on their faces, they didn¡¯t expect that the Qin family¡¯s separation had already alerted the emperor.
Qin Zhun doesn¡¯t want to see Gu Zezhi anymore, but as far as this was concerned, he could only ask the maidservant to bring Gu Zezhi.
Not long after, Gu Zezhi came in under the lead of the maidservant.
Everyone¡¯s eyes in the hall were on Gu Zezhi¡¯s figure from the moment his silhouette was outside the hall until he came in. Gu Zezhi on the other hand walked with confidence, his beautiful eyebrows and eyes were carefully drawn with fine brushworkplemented his gentle expression and noble demeanor.
Just looking at such a bright young man makes people feel bright and couldn¡¯t help but have a good impression of him.
It was the first time for the head and other n elders to see Gu Zezhi, and they were already filled with admiration: Qin Jiu was able to find such a good husband thanks to the empress¡¯s care.
In the midst of everyone¡¯s burning gazes, Gu Zezhi calmly crossed the threshold, gracefully bowed to Old Madam Qin, and then looked at Qin Jiu.
Qin Jiu still had her face down, as she pressed the handkerchief to the corner of her eyes wiping her nonexistent tears.
Gu Zezhi raised his eyebrows with great interest, then said softly, ¡°Xiao Jiu, don¡¯t be afraid, with me here, no one will dare bully you.¡± He handed a handkerchief to Qin Jiu and nced over towards Qin Zhun.
Obviously, he meant that Qin Zhun bullied Qin Jiu.
¡°¡¡± Seeing this unfold, Qin Zhun felt that Gu Zezhi was blind: who dares to bully this wild girl? A master who beats people with a whip if he disagrees with her! Which noble girl in the capital looks like her
***
Chapter 281
Chapter 281
Qin Zeyu also felt that his future brother-inw lost his eyes, and felt that his eyes must not be really good.
Qin Jiu naturally took Gu Zezhi¡¯s handkerchief and continued to cry.
¡°Old Madam Qin, Marquis,¡± Gu Zezhi stood with an upright posture, his temperament as calm as high mountains and flowing water, ¡°I am here by order of the emperor, the emperor has heard about the Qin family wanting to split the family.¡±
¡°It¡¯s a good thing I¡¯m here, otherwise I wouldn¡¯t even know that Xiao Jiu is being bullied.¡±
After a pause, he continued, ¡°Could it be that the Marquis wants to keep it all to himself and refuses to share it with the eldest house?¡±
Gu Zezhi slowly looked around at the crowd, seeing Gu Zezhi gazes at them, the head and elders¡¯ heartbeats thumped wildly, as they thought to themselves: we cannot let the emperor misunderstand that we all support Qin Zhun and want to monopolize everything!
¡°Master Gu misunderstood!¡± The head hurriedly exined, ¡°That is not the case, we are about to officially split!¡±
Gu Zezhi courteously said with a smile, ¡°Then let¡¯s split it.¡±
This sentence was final, after all, his current status was not only the future son-inw of the Qin family but also represents the emperor.
The head and the n elders exchanged nces, and one of the n elders immediately urged Qin Zhun: ¡°Marquis, it¡¯s better to choose the auspicious day than to hit the sun, so let¡¯s divide it quickly.¡±
Qin Zhun¡¯s expression immediately became extremely subtle, as his fists tightly clenched.
This Gu Zezhi was really not tactful, his own family was in the middle of a mess but he still had the audacity to act ignorant and meddle in other family matters.
However, no matter how annoyed he was, Qin Zhun could only helplessly order the chief steward, ¡°Go and bring the ount book.¡±
The chief steward took the order and retreated.
Qin Zeyu gave his seat to Gu Zezhi with a wink, and thetter sat down gracefully on Qin Jiu¡¯s right side and drank the tea that the maidservant had just served.
Qin Zeyu stood behind her brother, sister, and brother-inw as if he was their small attendant while thinking that this situation they intentionally develop could get in a worse direction, he said to himself: Anyway, I have no ce to talk here.
Everyone waited patiently and soon, four servants came in with two heavy boxes. Opening the boxes, inside was full of books, some books were too old that the cover and paper inside were already yellow.
The chief steward took the top book out of it and presented it to Qin Zhun. Qin Zhun said to the n head and elders, ¡°This one is the general ledger, and all the properties of the loyal lord¡¯s residence are here.¡±
¡°ording to the Qin family rules, 70% of the property can be shared by the house that inherited the family property, and the remaining 30% will be shared equally by the other houses.¡±
¡°The Qin family has the eldest house and second house, and the concubine born, the third house. ording to the rules, the eldest house and the third house can share 30% of the family property equally. But the third house will not divide their property for the time being, so this time we will only divide the property of the eldest house.¡±
The head and elders nodded, expressing that this was right.
Qin Zhun nced at Gu Zezhi and saw that he didn¡¯t raise any objection. He then said, ¡°However, there are only three of you in the eldest house, Ning¡¯er the oldest is not yet married, and Yu¡¯er is still young. And although Jiu¡¯er was granted a marriage by the emperor, the dowry still needs to be paid, therefore, this marquis thought that in addition to the property that the eldest house will be getting, this marquis would give an extra 10% of his share to the eldest house.¡±
¡°What do the n elders think?¡±
Qin Zhun looked generous.
A n elder nodded his head and said, ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±
The remaining elders also responded in session, and their expressions became more rxed. They all felt that although Qin Zhun had pushed his unmarried nieces and nephews out of the house too far, he was not that ruthless.
The head looked at Qin Zening, fearing that he would be dissatisfied, and emphasized, ¡°Zening, it is the ancestral system of the Qin family to share 70% of the property with the house who inherits the family title.¡±
Qin Zening also knew this and nodded.
As far as Qin Zening was concerned, as long as he could separate from the second family and move out with his younger brother and sister, the rest was not important.
They also still have their mother¡¯s dowry, so they must be able to live on. Moreover, he believed that he could earn a family fortune for his younger brothers and sisters with his own effort.
Qin Jiu knew nothing about ancient family separation, so when she saw Qin Zening nod, she intended to listen first and did not intervene.
What Qin Zhun was most afraid of right now was Qin Jiu, but seeing this girl keeping her mouth shut he was slightly relieved.
He asked the chief steward to hand that general ledger to the head and said generously, ¡°This marquis invites the head and few n elders to see exactly how it should be divided.¡±
The head and several elders took over the ount books one after another.
Qin Zhun also had someone bring the abacus, brush, ink, inkstone, and paper from the study. A group of people around arge mahogany calctes for about half an hour before they sorted out the property.
The head then announced, ¡°Zening, the eldest house will have the mansion in the capital, two manor houses in the suburbs of the capital, two stores in the capital, one hundred acres of paddy fields in Jiangnan, one hundred acres fields in Huaihe River and¡in Jiangnan.¡±
He talked in random order, from the house, vi, the shop to gold and silver, antiques, jewelry, medicine, furniture, and so on, it took about a cup of tea to name all the properties that the eldest house would get.
Satisfied, the head picked up the teacup and drank two cups to moisten his throat before he said to Qin Zhun, ¡°Marquis, as you can see it will be difficult for the three siblings to set up their own business, why not share an additional 5,000 taels of silver?¡±
¡°It was still uncle who is thoughtful.¡± Qin Zhun answered readily.
Since it hase to this point of family separation, he still wants to do a better job, more or less to save his reputation.
Seeing that the dividing of the properties was nearing its end, Qin Zhun couldn¡¯t help but raised the corner of his mouth as he deliberately turned to ask Gu Zezhi: ¡°What do you think, Master Gu?¡±
Qin Zhun casually asked, feeling that he had been generous thinking that the amount given to the eldest house was not too small.
However, in the future, the days of the eldest house may not be as luxurious and extravagant as when they were in the marquis¡¯s house, but this was what they asked for!
A mocking light shed across Qin Zhun¡¯s eyes.
Yet¡ª¡ª
¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡±
Gu Zezhi¡¯s soft and gentle voice sounded.
He seemed to just say this so casually but Qin Zhun could hear his heart thumping.
And as what he had feared Gu Zezhi¡¯s next words were, ¡°The eldest house should have the 70% share to be fair.¡±
***
Chapter 282
Chapter 282
Seventy percent! This was simply opening a lion¡¯s mouth
Qin Zhun resisted the urge to curse and collected himself as he said to Gu Zezhi, ¡°What does third master Gu think was wrong? The head of the family who inherited the title will be the only one whose share is 70%, that is the ancestral system of the Qin family. The n head and n elders all knew about this.¡±
He deliberately ced stress on the word ¡°ancestral system¡±, emphasizing that the Qin family has been divided in this way for generations, and Gu Zezhi should have no say on this matter.
¡°Marquis, are these the only properties of the Qin family?¡± Gu Zezhi said with a faint smile on the corner of his lips like a gentleman, modest and noble.
¡°Of course.¡± Qin Zhun responded without hesitation.
¡°But it seems that this isn¡¯t the only one, is it?¡±
Gu Zezhi nced lightly at the ount book on therge mahogany case, and the smile on his face deepened as if saying that those ount books were fake.
Qin Zhun¡¯s face was a little stiff and his chest swelled with anger. These Qin Zening, Qin Ju, and Gu Zezhi, does each and every one of them regard him as a sick cat?!*
(* cowardly and ipetent person)
The Qin family¡¯s n head and elders also understand Gu Zezhi¡¯s implications and looked at each other. One of the n elders politely asked, ¡°Since Third Master Gu said so, do you have any evidence?¡±
Gu Zezhi said unhurriedly: ¡°Fourteen years ago, the copy of the dossier of the Marquis family should also still be there, why don¡¯t I go to the Dali Temple, and borrow this dossier forparison what do you think?¡±
¡°Back then, the Qin family returned to the capital after the vindication and took back the marquis estate. And even after the marquis¡¯s veryrge expenditure after ten years, there shouldn¡¯t be any difference.¡±
Gu Zezhi talked eloquently as if he personally knows the properties under the Marquis like the back of his hand.
¡°If we have to divide the family ording to this ount book, it would be fair to ask the marquis to divide 70% to the eldest house.¡± Between the words, Gu Zezhi¡¯s expression looked a little gentler but the content of the words was very sharp.
Seeing this exchange in front of her, Qin Jiu was nearly ready to apud Gu Zezhi and almost forgot to continue her fake crying, and had to muster all her strength to pinch her handkerchief as she continues to watch the show with great interest and stared at Gu Zezhi with a burning gaze.
Qin Zhun¡¯s eyes became gloomier before he took a deep breath, and helplessly said: ¡°Third Master Gu you don¡¯t know but after vindicating the house back then, although all the properties were returnedter, there were still some properties that were deemed useless¡¡±
¡°Deemed useless?¡± Gu Zezhi interrupted Qin Zhun with a smile, ¡°Does the marquis mean that someone corrupt has embezzled from the Qin family¡¯s estate? That must be reported to the emperor and properly investigated.¡±
¡°This is not what this marquis meant.¡± Qin Zhun who was now sweating profusely hurriedly denied, ¡°It¡¯s just that it¡¯s been ten years, and so many people were in and out of the residence, we also have spent arge amount of money to rehire workers so how can we count everything exactly like they were back then!¡±
¡°Since you rehired workers that means that those farms, fields, and shops were back in business and are now earning a profit. ¡± Gu Zezhi slightly nod, looked at Qin Zening, and generously advised, ¡°Zening, ording to my opinion, don¡¯t bother about the earnings of these years with the marquis.¡±
Qin Zening also understood and ede with Gu Zezhi, he said, ¡°Just follow what Third Master Gu said. We won¡¯t ask for the earnings and take it as payment for the food and clothing of the eldest house these past years.¡±
Qin Zhun almostughed out of anger thinking that this Gu Zezhi was going to take away 70% of the property of the marquis fu with just his words alone, he even have the audacity to make it look like he was taking advantage of the eldest house. How could he be so shameless!!
Qin Zhun took a deep breath and pointed to the boxes full of books and said with a smirk, ¡°The books are all here, if Third Master Gu has doubts, you can dish it out yourself.¡±
Gu Zezhi stood up, picked up the general ledger on the mahogany case, flipped a few pages at random, and seemingly said to himself: ¡°It seems that the marquis is also involved in sea trade. I heard that sea trading is all about luck, after all if there are any storms, there is a big chance that ships could capsize. Indeed, it will be worthless!¡±
Hearing this, Qin Zhun¡¯s face turned white and an idea shed into his mind: Why did Gu Zezhi mention sea trade?
Was Gu Zezhi bluffing or¡
Qin Zhun¡¯s started to feel something was amiss.
Meanwhile, Gu Zezhi tilted and nce at Qin Zhun, his clear eyes seemed to see everything as he sighed worriedly, ¡°It¡¯s better to separate the family early and let the marquis manage it like this. Sooner orter, the marquis properties¡ai!¡±
He deliberately did not continue, but anyone could tell he was saying that the Qin family would be ruined sooner orter.
Qin Zhun looked at Gu Zezhi profoundly and wanted to ask him how much he knew, but finally resisted his impulse.
If he really knows something, this ount book might not be able to stand investigation¡
Gu Zezhi at this time already closed the general ledger, looked at the two boxes of ledgers, and asked again, ¡°Marquis, which of these two boxes of ledgers are for the sea trade?¡±
Qin Zhun¡¯s heart jumped nervously again and said with gritted teeth, ¡°Third Master Gu, this marquis has thought about it carefully, and you are right. The title originally supposedly belong to the eldest house but this marquis inherited the title instead. And since the eldest house has no father or mother it will be difficult to set up their family on their own and it is more appropriate to divide the property¡¡±
After a pause, he said painfully, ¡°It¡¯s time to give 70% to the eldest house.¡±
¡°Marquis, no!¡±
Madam Su simply went crazy as she abruptly stood up. How could he let this be divided like this?! Was the marquis being lured by Gu Zezhi?!
The n head and n elders, all looked at Madam Su in unison with slight frowns on their faces.
Family separation was a man¡¯s business, this was the Qin family and Qin Zhun was the head of the family so how could a female family member from the Su n object and even make a fuss!
Although they also feel that this was not the appropriate way to divide the family, imagine, if they divided the family properties like this then wouldn¡¯t the Qin family¡¯s ancestral rules be like nothing in the future?! All the houses could think that they could get more like this if they decided to separate then the whole n would be in chaos!
Qin Zhun gave Madam Su a warning re and said through clenched teeth, ¡°That¡¯s enough, you have no say here!¡±
As he spoke, Qin Zhun¡¯s hated her even more, if not for the Su family, how would he havee to this dilemma at this moment!
***
Chapter 283
Chapter 283
Madam Su tightly wrinkled her handkerchief and could only sit back down again resentfully.
The n head, on the other hand, showed a pensive look on his face as he slowly stroked his beard without saying a word.
Seeing this, Qin Zening¡¯s eyes shed as he proposed to the head, ¡°Uncle grandfather, although my brother and sister and I have separated from the marquis, we still have to rely on the n to take care of us in the future, so on behalf of my brother and sister, I will give the two hundred acres ofnd we have been allocated to the n as a sacrificial field*, and the ie from it will be used to take care of the widows, the childless elderly, and the poor children who are interested in learning.¡±
(*an independent property established for the purpose of worshipping ancestors.)
Before the n head could respond, the n elders were already moved by Qin Zening¡¯s words.
Two hundred acres ofnd was not a small amount,pared to the Qin Family¡¯s current sacrificend which was only over an acre.
The Qin family was arge n, and among them was the marquis family who had been living a good life, with a title, and was somewhat favored by the imperial family but not all branches of the family had such glory. Some other side branches only have elderly and children living in straitened circumstances, but if they were given two hundred acres of sacrificialnd it would be a great benefit to the n.
The more they thought about it, the more of the n elders thought it was a good idea, and some couldn¡¯t wait to reply to the head n, ¡°n head, since the marquis thought it was appropriate, of course, we will listen to him.¡±
Qin Zhun: ¡°!!!¡±
He almost jumped up, thinking everyone had gone crazy today.
Anyone with eyes could tell that he didn¡¯t do it voluntarily, and was only forced by Gu Zezhi, okay!
However, his throat seemed to be choked, disabling him from talking a word causing his heart to feel like it was being crushed by something, and the pain was killing him.
Old Madam Qin also didn¡¯t pay attention to Qin Zhun¡¯s strange behavior at all, as she nodded agreeing with the elders. Sighing, she said, ¡°Ning¡¯er is ought to have more.¡±
In her heart, the eldest house was pitiful with no father and mother, and the title that originally belonged to the eldest house was inherited by the second son instead. And now that the three siblings have to be driven out of the family, they should have more share.
After all, it was her own decision to give the title to the second son¡
Thinking about it, Old Madam Qin sighed as she twirled the bead in her hand and said, ¡°Today, I would like to ask the n head and several n elders to witness that I will share 70% of my dowry with the eldest house, which will be used as the dowry for Xiao Jiu, and her two brothers.¡±
Saying this, Old Madam Qin looked at Qin Jiu feeling guilty, regretful, andpassionate. This child, Xiao Jiu had suffered for more than ten years outside but she wasn¡¯t able to give her attention after she came back, so much that Madam Su neglected her. Because of this she must at least makes up to the child by doing this, the dowry of a young miss must be richer so she wouldn¡¯t be underestimated after marrying into her husband¡¯s family!
¡°¡¡¡± Qin Zhun felt another piece of flesh and blood being plucked out of his heart, and it took almost all of his strength not to lose his temper.
ording to the rules of Daqi, a mother¡¯s dowry was reserved for her children.
Now that Old Madam Qin actually wanted to give 70% of her dowry to the eldest house while he only gets 30%, did his mother forget that he was the son who inherit the family business and provide for her until the end of her life?!
Gu Zezhi looked around the crowd with a smile and said with a solemn nod: ¡°The marquis fu has been mismanaged these years, which has led to the great loss of the marquis¡¯s estate. And it was only reasonable that the eldest house now gets more of the share which can be regarded aspensation.¡±
¡°Since everyone has agreed, let¡¯s ask the marquis to divide the family.¡±
¡°¡¡¡± the corners of Qin Zhun¡¯s mouth twitched as he roared inwardly: talk to yourself! Who agreed to it!!
However, no matter how much he roared andin, in the end, he did not dare to say anything and nodded his head with difficulty.
Hence, the n head and elders gathered again and began to settle ounts, and redistributed the family properties. The eldest how has now a thousand acres of fertilend in Jiangnan, threerge and small mansions in the capital, and ten manor vis in the suburbs of the capital, namely Jizhou, Yuzhou, and other more ces, they also got more than a dozen of shops and so on.
Listening to every word thates out from the n head¡¯s mouth felt like a knife cutting into Qin Zhun¡¯s heart, every cut was so painful that he had difficulty in breathing.
Seventy percent of the ¡°existing¡± property of the marquis¡¯s residence was immediately divided, and this also killed Qin Zhun and Madam Su in half.
Madam Su¡¯splexion was changing from blue to white, almost without blood as she quickly calcted in her mind: this time, after separating the family, the eldest house got more of the shops, cash, andnd. The remaining 30% were mostly fields and farms which don¡¯t profit that fast. With this in thought, she fears that the marquis family¡¯s expenditure would be a problem and sooner orter they may need to sell the property to maintain their daily expenses.
Originally, Old Madam Qin had ample dowry they could just talk to her to make adjustments and helped them but now that she also gave most of her dowry to the eldest house how and what would they talk about?!
In a short while, the deed of family separation was written ording to this, and handed over to the n head and Old Madam Qin.
Qin Zening signed on behalf of the eldest house and pressed his fingerprints, and Qin Zhun naturally represented the Second House.
Qin Zhun¡¯s eyes turned red and his right hand visibly trembled seeing the details of the deed on how the eldest house took everything from him.
Finally, as soon as he clenched his teeth, he pressed his fingerprint on it, sealing the deed.
The dust finally settles.
Seeing this, the n head and n elders breathed a sigh of relief.
And since this was a marquis house, the deed of separation must also be sent to the capital to be sealed and kept on file, with this in thought the n head made sure to personally send someone.
Finally, the family division was over. Gu Zezhi didn¡¯t stay for long, he got up and cup his hands as he said goodbye, ¡°Old Madam Qin, Marquis, I still have to report back to the emperor in the pce so I will take my leave first.¡±
Qin Zhun didn¡¯t bother paying attention to Gu Zezhi at all, while Old Madam Qin looked at her future grandson-inw, smiling amicably, and asked Gu Zezhi toe visit them another day before she said to Qin Jiu, ¡°Jiu¡¯er, you see Zezhi off.¡±
Even if Old Madam Qin didn¡¯t say this, Qin Jiu would naturally send Gu Zezhi off so she immediately got up and agreed.
Meanwhile, Qin Zening looked back and forth between Gu Zezhi and Qin Jiu with a subtle expression on his face and suddenly said. ¡°A¡¯yu I have trouble walking right now, so you have to apany third sister to send off Third Master Gu¡±
Since Qin Zening couldn¡¯t walk on his own right now, he could only let his younger brother watched out for Gu Zezhi.
Qin Zeyu: ¡°???¡±
Right now, Qin Zeyu didn¡¯t dare to y any tricks in front of his elder brother and sister at all, he could only obediently answer whatever his elder brother says, and apany Qin Jiu to send Gu Zezhi out.
***
Chapter 284
Chapter 284
Qin Jiu and Gu Zezhi walked side by side, as the sun shines softly with the gentle breeze sending bursts of plum fragrance.
As Gu Zezhi walked forward, he casually asked, ¡°When are you nning to move?¡±
Qin Jiu calmly and bluntly said: ¡°The house was already bought and we can immediately move tomorrow.¡±
Her words were close to outrightly saying that she had long nned to move out of the marquis residence.
Gu Zezhi: ¡°Then I¡¯lle give you a hand tomorrow.¡±
¡°Mm.¡± Qin Jiu responded with a smile like a blossoming flower, making her eyebrows curve like a crescent moon.
The forgotten Qin Zeyu who was following in the back four or five steps away looked back and forth at Gu Zezhi and Qin Jiu when his eyes fell on the smiling face of his sister and thought: I¡¯ve never seen sister smile sweetly like that, really a sham!
Sighing inwardly, he still secretly cheered for his sister hoping that she would put on a good job and try her best to not identally lose her mask in front of his brother-inw. If she scares his brother-inw, his sister might not be able to marry in the future¡
And if his sister couldn¡¯t get married, doesn¡¯t that mean she has to stay at home and take care of him for the rest of his life¡
Just thinking about it made Qin Zeyu¡¯s whole body shiver. No, he needs to speak more kind words about his sister in front of his brother-inw.
Lost in their own thoughts, they didn¡¯t notice the three of them arrive at the gate. Gu Zezhi got on his horse, and his white horse neighed twice.
Qin Zeyu was about to say goodbye to Gu Zezhi when Gu Zezhi looked at him and asked with a smile, ¡°Are you learning martial arts recently?¡±
Speaking of learning martial arts, Qin Zeyu puffed out his chest, this was the first time he felt genuinely ted after all that had happened. ¡°Grandfather hired a martial arts master for me toe over.¡±
The young man¡¯s still boyish face was radiant as he answered.
¡°A¡¯yu, you practice well,¡± Gu Zezhi smiled deeper. ¡°I recently got a new sword. It is a good sword, I will have someone send it to youter.¡±
Gu Zezhi was the legitimate son of Duan Wangye, so of course, if he said it was a ¡°good¡± sword then it must be really good. Qin Zeyu¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up like a lightedntern as he repeatedly nodded and said, ¡°Okay, brother-inw, you are so good!¡±
Such a good brother-inw, he has to help his sister coax and keep an eye on him!
Seeing that his brother was easily bought by Gu Zezhi, Qin Jiu looked at him sympathetically, hoping that he would not be sold in the future, and count the money for Gu Zezhi!
But even after knowing this, Qin Jiu didn¡¯t intend to remind her younger brother at all, thinking it would be better to let him go outside to suffer some disadvantages. Anyway, boys need to be raised rough!
Qin Zeyu always felt that his sister looked at him strangely so he elbowed Qin Jiu, reminding her that her brother-inw hadn¡¯t left yet so she must keep on pretending ah!
¡°Brother-inw take care!¡± Qin Zeyu smilingly waved at Gu Zezhi.
Gu Zezhi rode his horse away from the Marquis¡¯s residence and entered the pce again. At this time, it was still but half past the hour, and the sunlight illuminated the zed tiles on the roof to a bright, opulent, and magnificent.
Earlier when Gu Zezhi left, there was no one else in the imperial study but right now, it was lively. Besides the emperor, there were also Second Prince Gu Jing and five or six ministries of civil and military.
Gu Zezhi was led in by a young eunuch when he heard Gu Jing¡¯s spirited voice that could already be heard outside the imperial study room.
¡°Imperial Father, the second prince Yelu has proposed to marry the third princess, and wishes the two countries to make eternal friendship.¡±
¡°Moreover, he is willing to promise Daqi that if he seeds the throne in the future, he will make the son of the third princess the crown prince of Yan, and let the royal family of Yan shed Daqi¡¯s blood, and the two countries will be brothers and ally from now on!¡±
When he said the word ¡°ally¡± at the end, the corner of Gu Jing¡¯s lips curled up uncontrobly, with a hint ofcency. This time, the peace talks with Northern Yan were negotiated very well by him.
As soon as the words were finished, the door curtain was lifted and Gu Zezhi casually walked in. Gu Jing subconsciously looked in Gu Zezhi¡¯s direction, startled, he immediately calmly looked away.
The emperor also saw Gu Zezhi and motioned him to sit down.
Most of the ministers in the imperial study didn¡¯t pay attention to Gu Zezhi, their attention was attracted by Gu Jing¡¯s words just now, either thinking or exchanging eyes in twos and threes, as they frequently nod.
They were all impassioned, if the princess could be exchanged for peace between the two countries for hundreds of years, then it would be a good thing for the country and the people!
Several civil ministers present expressed their position to the emperor one by one:
¡°Your Majesty, it is a blessing for Daqi that the two countries stop the war and form a friendship forever with this!
¡°Your Majesty, I believed that peace will be beneficial to both countries and will make a good story that willst for a hundred years!¡±
¡°I seconded it!¡±
Some were in favor and some were against it.
¡°Your Majesty,¡± a tall man of thirty-five or thirty-six years of age suddenly spoke out and bowed with his fist cupped to the emperor behind the imperial case, ¡°This general believes that the matter of peace needs to be considered.¡±
¡°The Northern Yan people have always been cunning and faithless in their words. In the past hundred years, they have made peace talks with Daqi three times, but each time they have gone back on their words and torn up the peace agreement, and repeatedly vited the territory of Daqi!¡±
As the man said this, he inwardly sighed and thought to himself: Actually, he and his colleagues in the military were not optimistic about these peace talks, but, although Daqi won this battle, it was a tragic victory. Northern Yan was wounded but Daqi suffered a big loss, losing almost all of the Yu family in the war, leaving only Yu Fuyu.
***
Chapter 285
Chapter 285
The Northern military border also needs time to recuperate, which was why Daqi agreed to peace talks.
As soon as he said this, another middle-aged man in a military general attire jumped out and agreed, ¡°Your Majesty, what Count Wei Yuan said is very true, please think twice before acting!¡±
The civil ministers and military generals were each sticking to their own words, confronting each other with clear distinctions.
This made, Gu Jing¡¯splexion turned ugly, but tried his best to hold it in and maintain a calm andposed look as he retorted, ¡°Imperial Father, Northern Yan has broken the peace treaty but that was before, also in the past, Qi and Northern Yan never really made peace. However, if the next king of Yan has Qi¡¯s royal bloodline, he will not offend Qi again.¡±
Count Wei Yuan disagreed and raised his objection again: ¡°Your Majesty, second prince Yelu is only a prince himself. Whether he can seed to the throne is another matter! It¡¯s not like Daqi will fight for the throne for him?!¡±
When Count Wei Yuan said this, even the few civil ministers present were swayed.
They also don¡¯t want the two countries to go to war again, if Prince Yelu became the king and marry the third princess this was indeed a good way to make peace with the Northern Yan but as Count Wei Yuan said making Prince Yelu the king was a different matter!
¡°¡¡¡± Gu Jing was momentarily speechless.
His calm and rxed face could hardly contain its fa?ade and felt that these generals were extremely hateful. When they heard about the Turkic horse, they all wanted to good look and associate themselves with him, and yet right now they were being unsightly!
And this Count Wei Yuan¡¡
Gu Jing darted a nce at Count Wei Yuan, a shady glint swept across the bottom of his eyes but passed away in a sh.
This Count Wei Yuan was too blind, the daughter of the Yun family was the future consort, shouldn¡¯t he help him instead of fighting him every time?!
¡°Imperial Father¡¡± Gu Jing wanted to say something else but was interrupted by the emperor¡¯s gesture of raising his hand.
The emperor quietly gazed at Count Wei Yuan, as he gently tap his index finger of his right hand twice on the armrest.
Count Wei Yuan who was bowing his head slightly raised his head to look at the emperor and seeing that the emperor was not annoyed at all, he immediately remember what his daughter had told him. With gritted teeth, he finally made up his mind.
Make a decision when it¡¯s time to decide.
¡°Your Majesty,¡± Count Wei Yuan seized the opportunity to express his opinion, ¡°The northern people are very ambitious, and I am afraid that their ambition will not die, so this general is willing to go to the northern border and guard it for Daqi. I ask the emperor to give this general permission!¡±
The emperor raised his eyebrows and immediately understood what Count Wei Yuan meant.
Once Count Wei Yuan guards the northern border and holds a heavy military power, he must avoid suspicion and cannot let her daughter marry a royal son. Count Wei Yuan was not asking himself to go to the northern border, he was clearly refusing marriage for their Yun family.
The emperor was inwardly a little surprised but did not let it show on his face as he looked at Count Wei Yuan with measuring eyes.
Silence spread, and the imperial study was enveloped in defining silence.
Truth be told, Count Wei Yuan didn¡¯t know what to do and only felt as if he was hanging in thin air, andyered of cold sweat broke out on his back as he continue to stiffly maintain his bowing posture with his hand sped.
After a while, the emperor¡¯s calm voice came above his head, ¡°This emperor gives you permission.¡±
As soon as the words were spoken, Count Wei Yuan¡¯s heart settled, and breathed a sigh of relief: their Yun family was a military family, and in fact, does not want to get involved with the battle for the crown, they would rather be a pure state official.
Moreover, judging from the emperor¡¯s current attitude, it was obvious that he does not want the second prince to interfere in the affairs of the army.
Wei Yuan was very grateful, fortunately, he made the correct decision without hesitation.
Thinking of his daughter saying that the third young miss of the Qin family had given her advice, Count Wei Yuan felt a littleplicated, whether it was the third miss Qin who identally heard something from the empress or the little girl could actually figure out the emperor¡¯s intention with little details?
¡°Thank you, Your Majesty.¡± Count Wei Yuan solemnly thanked his grace.
At this time, Gu Jing also reacted. His eyebrows were deeply furrowed and his face turned ugly in an instant.
He also understood what Count Wei Yuan meant, it was to refusing the marriage. The Yun family refused to marry their daughter to him, how dare the Yun family!!!
Gu Jing¡¯s heart rolled with raging anger like a wave getting higher and higher if he hadn¡¯t been afraid that they were in the imperial study he might have already exploded.
The emperor faintly nced at Gu Jing before he said again, ¡°I need to consider the matter of marriage. You are all dismissed.¡±
Gu Jing as well as Count Wei Yuan and the others all bowed their heads and shouted in unison, ¡°These officials will now withdraw.¡±
Gu Jing and others retired, leaving only the emperor and Gu Zezhi in the imperial study.
Zhou Xin personally offered tea to Gu Zezhi.
The emperor stood up, with a different look in his eyes, and walked towards Gu Zezhi¡¯s side, sighing: ¡°Zezhi, you really got it right!¡±
Gu Zezhi took a shallow sip of hot tea and said with a smile, ¡°Please I would also like to ask the emperor to help dy it. After a few days, I, Daqi will be able to take the three cities of Northern Yan¡¯s Beimeng City, Tuli City, and Lunta City into the bag.¡±
The emperor loudlyughed, ¡°Then this emperor will wait.¡±
The emperor was excited, but at the same time there was a bit of disbelief: Can Zezhi really do it?!
Ai, this Zezhi has such a tight mouth, he doesn¡¯t even reveal anything to me, the emperor.
***
Chapter 286
Chapter 286
Sipping his tea, the emperor¡¯s expression calmed once again, and remembered the matter of the Qin family, he asked, ¡°Zezhi, how is the matter of separation of the Qin family?¡±
Gu Zezhi went back to the pce for this reason and told the story of the separation in detail.
The emperor drank his tea while listening, a tea stalk was floating upside down on the tea where his eyes were reflected as his pupils constrict constantly.
The emperor stroked the tea cup twice with his hand and asked, ¡°Zezhi, how do you know there was a problem with the property?¡±
Gu Zezhi said in a faint voice, ¡°I just lied to him casually, and Qin Zhun shows how guilty he is thinking I knew everything.¡±
When he said 70% at the beginning, he deliberately said this to set a high price and give Qin Zhun a little room to bargain. Unexpectedly, Qin Zhun showed timidity in his words which made Gu Zezhi realize that there was something wrong. He then mentioned and used the sea trade, which was most likely to engage in false ounts, and just as he suspected Qin Zhun was guilty.
Gu Zezhi hooked the corner of his lips and continued, ¡°For the six hundred Turkic horses, Gu Jing privately gave five thousand gold to Prince Yelu. Gu Jing has yet to set his kaifu*, and the prince¡¯s share is only enough to reward the servants. While he only has limited people under him, so where did so much moneye from.¡±
(*refers to the act of setting up the shogunate and staff subordinates in one¡¯s own name)
¡°Cheng¡¯en¡¯s residence has been extravagant in recent years, so it is obvious that these years he had a hard time making ends meet. With that, it is impossible for him to give Gu Jing five thousand gold.¡±
¡°So, I guess it¡¯s Qin Zhun.¡±
¡°Qin Zhun didn¡¯t dare to speak out about this matter openly, so he can only pinch himself in this matter¡¡± He would never admit that he mismanaged the family finances resulting in to damage of property, so to ¡°make up for it¡± he naturally would give the eldest family more share.
Emperor: ¡°¡¡±
After being stunned, the emperor couldn¡¯t help butugh out loud heartily and sighed as he pped, ¡°Qin Zhun has suffered a big loss this time.¡±
The 70% proposed by Gu Zezhi sounds like opening a lion¡¯s mouth at first nce but with careful examination, they would find that this condition was just on Qin Zhun¡¯s bottom line which Qin Zhun has to admit.
What¡¯s even better was that Gu Zezhi not only let the eldest house have a few more share of the estate but also, swindled Qin Zhun of the five thousand gold that he had provided Gu Jing.
*¡¶Baihu Tongyi¡·said: A wise man knows, he only sees the past and hears, he was not confused by things, he sees the little and knows the book.
(*this is abook)
This sentence was probably for a person like Gu Zezhi, he simply take one step to think ten steps, and this meticulous thought make the emperor amazed!
However¡
The emperor inwardly sighed, and suddenly asked, ¡°Zezhi, do you really not want the title of Duan Wang?¡±
Gu Zezhi: ¡°Yes.¡±
Gu Zezhi stood up and bowed solemnly to the emperor, ¡°Your Majesty, please gracefully allow Mother Consort to divorce Father.¡±
Emperor: ¡°¡¡±
Speaking of this matter, even the emperor was speechless and could only feel his forehead throbbing in pain.
Because of Duan Wang Fei¡¯s divorce, the n head has been going on against him recently. The current n head was Prince Li, the emperor¡¯s uncle. He was in his sixtieth this year and has the highest seniority who usually speaks and handles things based on his perception.
Two days ago, Prince Li came to him once again and repeated the same thing.
¡°Emperor, since the founding of the Great Qi Dynasty for a hundred years, there has never been such a scandal in the imperial family!¡±
¡°Divorce has never happened in the n before, let alone force divorce!¡±
¡°On top of being Duan Wang Fei she has also been bestowed the jade ultimatum*, she is still a member of the Gu family unless she dies suddenly.¡±
(*genealogy of royal families)
ording to what Prince Li said, if Duan Wang Fei really wanted a divorce her only way out was when she suddenly dies.
Of course, the emperor could not agree to such a thing. He dismissed Prince Li after two reprimands. But he knew that Prince Li¡¯s words must also represent the other princes and princes of the royal family.
As Prince Li said, since the founding of the Qi Dynasty, there has been no royal consort in the imperial family who had a divorce.
The imperial family has the rules of the imperial family just like how the n has its own rules, and the emperor was also a member of the Gu n so even he, couldn¡¯t just ignore the n¡¯s opinion and act arbitrarily.
The emperor sighed and said: ¡°After the matter of Northern Yan is finished, I had nned to give you a title¡.¡±
If Gu Zezhi could really get his hands on the three cities of Northern Yan, then this credit was tantamount to giving him a territory, and should be granted a title.
¡°Your Majesty, please allow Mother Consort to divorce Father.¡± Gu Zezhi repeated again.
Gu Zezhi looked at the emperor with a firm expression, meaning that this credit would be exchanged for a holy decree allowing his parents to divorce.
Gu Zezhi did not hesitate to say that he would give up his title, but the emperor could not help but feel sorry for him and asked, ¡°Are you sure?¡±
Gu Zezhi smiled, without dodging he looked at the emperor in the eye, frankly expressing his ambition, ¡°Your Majesty, the title can be obtained at any time.¡±
The emperor understood the meaning of his words, Gu Zezhi was saying that if he could make a credit in the matter of Northern Yan this time, he could make another credit in other matters in the future.
He wants him to have a title, but for him, this was not the only opportunity.
Looking at Gu Zezhi¡¯s gentle and refined face, the corners of the emperor¡¯s lips curled up.
His cousin¡¯s temperament was really different from his face, who does he resemble?
Duan Wangye and Duan Wang Fei were not people of this temperament at all.
The smile under the emperor¡¯s eyes deepened, seeing Gu Zezhi¡¯s rare confidence. He made a gesture to him and said, ¡°Sit down.¡±
Although the emperor didn¡¯t say anything, his answer was clear from his smiling eyes.
Gu Zezhi also did not pursue the question but slightly smile.
He was about to sit down, when an eunuch in green entered with a light gait, looking nervous as he reported to the emperor, ¡°Your Majesty, Her Highness the Third Princess is ill, and just now she suddenly fainted¡¡±
Hearing this, the smile on the emperor¡¯s face was reced with a frown as he subconsciously showed anxiety and was about to ask if there was any physician who attended her but when the words came to his lips he saw Gu Zezhi smiled from the corner of his eyes as if he had heard something interesting.
The emperor was stunned and immediately understood as his thin lips pursed slightly.
***
Chapter 287
Chapter 287
Gu Zezhi didn¡¯t stay any longer, he curtsied and said, ¡°Your Majesty, since you still have something on your side, I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡±
The emperor waved his hand and Gu Zezhi left the imperial study, leaving behind all the hustle and bustle in the pce at the back of his mind.
On this day, there was an uproar in the capital, from the honorable courtiers to themon people, they were talking about the separation of the loyal and righteous house of Marquis Qin, turning everyone¡¯s sympathetic looks to the head of the Marquis fu.
Gossip also started to spread, talking about how pitiful the eldest house was and how his legitimate heir was robbed of the title that his son should have inherited, how his eldest son, Qin Zening was suppressed by his uncle and was now kicked out from the fu.
While others said that the Old Marquis intended to pass on the title to his eldest grandson but since he died suddenly, and Qin Zening was too young so the title fell to Qin Zhun.
And some sighed as theyment how Qin Zhun¡¯s mind was too narrow, and couldn¡¯t even amodate his nephew making him incapable of bing a greater person.
¡¡..
¡
Qin Zhun, of course, has heard about these discussions outside and this has already beaten him ck and blue. He cursed Qin Jiu and Qin Zening to death and couldn¡¯t wait to drive the brothers and sister out of the marquis¡¯s mansion at once.
He locked himself up in the study alone for a long time, until an old servant came and said, ¡°Marquis, the fourth miss was sent back by Yanbai¡¯s people.¡±
Qin Zhun, who had been walking back and forth with his hands behind his back, stopped and looked at her with a piercing gaze.
The old servant lowered her head a little more, she really had no choice but to report this matter to the marquis even though she knew he was in a bad mood today.
¡°Pak!¡±
Qin Zhun pped the table next to him with his palm causing the books, teacups, brushes, ink, paper, inkstone, and other things on the table to shake.
The more Qin Zhun thought about it the angrier he was, he grabs the teacup and mmed it heavily on the mirror-like bluestone brick floor causing the porcin to break into pieces, and frightening the old servant, shrinking her back in fright.
¡°Shameless!¡±
Qin Zhun gnashed his teeth and angrily scolded, with a raging anger in his heart: if it wasn¡¯t because he helped the Su family this time how could things have turned out like this!
Thinking about the 70% of the property, Qin Jun¡¯s heart starts dripping blood once again.
And yet this Su family not only didn¡¯t make amends to him, but they were so merciless and clearly ming him instead! Hmph, at least Su Xiyang was sentenced to imprisonment for one year, he asked for it, so what does it have to do with him!
The same goes for Qin Sheng, her surname was Qin and not Su but she went running to live there for a long time, and now that the Qin family was being criticized by people behind their backs?! She just let herself get driven back now!
Qin Zhun also took his anger at Qin Sheng, brushing his sleeves he angrily said, ¡°Go and tell the fourth miss that since she is back, she should stay in her own yard and don¡¯t go out if she has nothing to do!¡±
This was also the same as telling her that she was grounded.
The old servant bowed her head and answered yes.
She was about to retreat when she heard Qin Zhun stop her again, ¡°Wait.¡±
Qin Zhun¡¯splexion was overcast with uncertainty as he said, ¡°Also, let someone tell the madam to give all the deeds of the servants serving in the eldest house to Zening.¡±
The majority of the servants in the Marquis were born in the fu and were just family members, with intertwined rtionships, and more or less close or distant rtives to each other. He gave the servants used by the eldest house, but the family members of these servants were still living in his residence, which means even if the eldest house moved out of the Marquis, they were still under his nose and could not fly out of his palm.
Thinking about it, Qin Zhun¡¯s depressed emotions slightly rxed as he waved his hand to let the woman go to work.
The servant serving in the studly quickly served Qin Zhun a new tea and cleaned up all the broken porcin on the floor nimbly.
Qin Zhun soon gradually calmed down as he drank his newly brewed tea. He had just finished a cup of hot tea when the old servant from earlier came back, and looking at her face, the news she had was not good, she tremblingly reported, ¡°Marquis, the third miss said¡ said, she and her eldest brother together with her fifth brother have been living in the marquis mansion for so many years, and now that they have separated, of course, they can¡¯t take the ¡®things¡¯ of the marquis fu.¡±
¡°The third miss said that she doesn¡¯t want those deeds.¡±
Qin Jiu does not want the deeds of his servants, she does not want marquis¡¯ underlings!
Qin Zhun: ¡°!!!¡±
The corners of Qin Zhun¡¯s eyes twitched as blood rushes to his forehead.
Qin Jiu, this thick-skinned wild girl has the nerve to say that the eldest house doesn¡¯t want anything from the marquis¡¯ mansion since she didn¡¯t ask for it, then if she really doesn¡¯t want anything to do with the marquis mansion she should have also returned the properties they split ah!
Every time Qin Zhun thought of the 70% properties, he had difficulty breathing and had a hard time calming down as the veins in his neck pulsates and his chest heaved violently and felt stuffy.
This Qin Jiu was simply too annoying!
Qin Zhun could no longer sit still, he abruptly stood up from the chair as his anger intensifies and once again walks back and forth in his study room.
He was really unwilling to let go of the eldest house just like that!
And thus, that night in the Qin family¡¯s mansion Qin Zhun¡¯s room was brightly lit up as he stayed up all night, and never went to sleep.
***
Chapter 288
Chapter 288
Early in the morning as the sun rise once again, Qin Jiu got up early after a good night¡¯s sleep and started ordering her servants to start moving her things.
Amotion was heard early in Wanxing courtyard as heavy camphor boxes were lifted out of the house and piled up in the yard. Du Rou was as busy as a spinning top, checking the contents of the camphor boxes beforecking it herself and asking the servants to move the boxes outside the gate.
Meanwhile, with Du Rou around Qin Jiu just moved her lips instructing what to do next.
Old Madam Qin was not willing to part with her grandchildren just yet, so she called Qin Jiu over early in the morning to her courtyard, and dragged her to talk long-windedly.
¡°Jiu¡¯er, I think it¡¯s better to move out in two days and tidy up slowly. Why bother move away in such a hurry!¡±
¡°Don¡¯t you be afraid of your second uncle, I¡¯m still here, I don¡¯t believe he dares to drive you away!¡±
¡°Your house also needs to be repaired¡¡±
However, no matter how much Old Madam Qin persuades Qin Jiu, thetter just refused to agree and instead changes the topic as she smiled and coaxes Old Madam Qin to go to their ce to visit them.
And since Old Madam Qin was unable to persuade Qin Jiu, she changes the direction of the conversation instead, saying, ¡°Qin Jiu even if you move away, you shoulde back to see me more often in the future.¡±
¡°Do not learn from your fifth brother ah, he has a wild temperament. Every time he goes out, he looks like a paper kite with a broken string¡¡±
Old Madam Qin then continued to talk about whatever she thought of, she even grumbled about how Qin Zeyu didn¡¯t write many letters to her during the few months when he was at the academy to studyst year.
Qin Jiu: ¡°¡¡±
Qin Jiu knew that Old Madam Qin was only soft-heartened and doesn¡¯t have bad intentions, she was actually a good person.
She held Old Madam Qin¡¯s arm and coaxed her nicely, ¡°Grandma, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m here, I¡¯ll keep an eye on A¡¯Yu from now on, and I¡¯ll make hime to pay his respects to you often.¡±
¡°A¡¯Yu just needs to be taught a lesson, from now on if he doesn¡¯t behave, you can beat him!¡±
Qin Zeyu, who was by the carriage in front, just heard Qin Jiu¡¯s words and felt his heart and liver had already been hit violently. Why does she have to beat him? He has been very goodtely, okay!
Hold on!
Qin Zeyu suddenly remembered something, and nervously looked at Gu Zezhi beside him, afraid that he might have heard what his sister had said just now.
¡°Neigh¡±
Fortunately, Gu Zezhi¡¯s white horse gave two neighs and rubbed its neck against its owner, Gu Zezhi fed it a piece of maltose with a smile on his lips.
Brother-inw probably didn¡¯t hear it, right? Qin Zeyu looked at Gu Zezhi and then at Old Madam Qin and Qin Jiu who was not far away.
The grandmother and granddaughter were getting closer to where Qin Zeyu and Gu Zezhi were, but Qin Jiu was still busy coaxing Old Madam Qin, ¡°Grandma, don¡¯t worry, I wille over to talk with you from time to time.¡±
¡°I will also decorate a yard for you, and when it is ready, you can oftene and stay.¡±
¡°¡.¡±
Seeing her sister¡¯s ¡°filial and virtuous¡± look, Qin Zeyu breathed a sigh of relief and deliberately interrupted Qin Jiu, ¡°Grandma, third sister, brother-inw is here to help us move!¡±
Qin Jiu looked at Gu Zezhi and a bright smile bloomed on her pretty face.
Whenever she smiles, her little face looked more lovable like a flower that blooms early in spring, bright and tender.
Qin Zeyu sighed once again, fortunately, his sister still has a face to look at.
He quietly wiped the non-existent cold sweat on his forehead and felt really worried about his sister.
Their things have actually been packed up, at the gate parked a full seven or eight carriages, and almost every carriage was loaded to the brim.
Since she could not persuade her grandchildren, Old Madam Qin didn¡¯t want to keep them any longer, fearing that it would dy their move, she urged, ¡°Jiu¡¯er, since you still need to tidy the house after you move there, don¡¯t dy, go quickly. After you settle down in two days,e and see me again.¡±
Cui momo also echoed a few words at the side as her eyes were slightly red, she has even moreplex emotions than the old madam, while the old madam Qin silently reminded Qin Zening to take a good care of himself.
After a cup of tea, the carriages of Qin Jiu, Qin Zening, and Qin Zeyu drove away from the marquis¡¯ residence, one after the other, all the way to the west of the city.
They have been busy all day, and finally, they could now move to their new home.
As early as Novemberst year, Qin Jiu asked Qin Zening to buy a house in the capital. She chose a house in Xihulu Alley in the city, and in recent months, she also went to Xihulu Alley to repair and tidy up from time to time, so that they could immediately move once everything was settled down.
The ce was just an ordinary two-courtyard mansion,pared to the Marquis¡¯ residence this mansion was certainly small, but to Qin Jiu, this hand-decorated mansion was more like her home.
Qin Jiu volunteered to take Gu Zezhi for a stroll in the new house. There were only a few gatekeepers and maidservants they brought with them; besides that, the whole ce waspletely empty as far as the eye could see, it was deserted and only trees and grasses could be seen swaying with the wind as if dancing.
Qin Jiu walked while cheerfully introducing the paces to Gu Zezhi, ¡°In the future, big brother and fifth brother will live in the outer courtyard, and I will live alone in the inner courtyard for the time being, which is a little bigger.¡±
¡°However, when I have a sister-inwter, the mansion will not look big but I¡¯ve got a solution!¡±
Qin Jiu was very satisfied with the new house, smiling brightly like spring she thought of how to decorate the new home properly.
***
Chapter 289
Chapter 289
Meanwhile, once again Qin Zeyu was sent by Qin Zening who had trouble walking to apany them, and just like before he silently followed them behind while thinking: When his sister gets married, sooner orter his eldest brother would probably also get married right?
With these thoughts bothering him, he kicked a stone as he walked in boredom, and the longan-sized stone rolled forward¡
Ai, he would rather go practice his sword!
Qin Zeyu remembered the precious sword that Gu Zezhi sent to him yesterday: that sword was indeed a good sword, even Master Yue said so himself! Unfortunately, Master Yue doesn¡¯t allow him to use it and only lets him use the wooden sword first.
¡°Kaca.¡± (sound of a branch being broken)
Qin Zeyu smoothly breaks a plum branch from the side, feeling that it would be quite handy to use as his sword.
Qin Jiu and Gu Zezhi, who were two steps ahead, stopped and looked at him.
Under the puzzled gaze of the two, Qin Zeyu suddenly felt a bit stupid.
He cleared his throat and said, ¡°I think this plum blossom is blooming very well¡¡±
He flung his hand, and the red plum on the branch trembled with it.
Qin Jiu: ¡°¡..¡±
Gu Zezhi looked at the red plum in Qin Zeyu¡¯s hand, and then at Qin Jiu as his right hand formed a fist and ced it on his lips and the corners of his lips slightly raised.
He clearly wasn¡¯tughing, but it seemed like Qin Jiu heard a soft chuckle, and this made her heart skip a beat, and for some reason, she felt like she was being made fun of.
Gu Zezhi lifted his right hand and picked up a red plum from the branch in Qin Zeyu¡¯s hand, put it under his nose, and sniffed it, with hooked lips, he said, ¡°It is blooming quite well.¡±
Qin Jiu looked at the red plum blossom between his fingers and heard him suddenly say, ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡±
Qin Jiu subconsciously obeyed.
Gu Zezhi slightly lowered his head and put the red plum in his hand on Qin Jiu¡¯s ear.
And when the wind blows, the petals of the big red plum blossom trembled like butterfly wings gently caressing the youngdy¡¯s cheeks like jade making her skin more radiant than snow, delicate and beautiful but not so overwhelming.
The scent of the red plum blossoms permeates Qin Jiu¡¯s nose along with the wind, as well as the faint scent of Gu Zezhi¡¯s body, like a feather, gently stirring up waves into her heart¡
¡°Does it look beautiful?¡± Gu Zezhi turned and asked Qin Zeyu.
Of course, his sister was beautiful!!! Qin Zeyu nodded enthusiastically as if he was too eager to prove that it was right.
Qin Jiu could not help but caress the flower on her temples, and then heard Gu Zezhi say with a smile, ¡°I have prepared a housewarming gift for you. It should be here soon.¡±
Qin Zeyu looked at Qin Jiu and Gu Zezhi, and always felt that something was not right¡
En, it seems that he was fed with a mouthful of sweets which was a bit greasy.
Just then, a rough old maidservant came trotting in and reported, ¡°Third Miss, Fifth Master, a carriage full of things has been sent over from Master Gu¡¯s residence.¡±
Gu Zezhi¡¯s housewarming gift arrived, it was a cart of camellias as well as a florist.
Qin Jiu run to see the flowers with great excitement and was soon busy discussing with the florist where to put the camellia.
On the same day, Empress Wei had Grand Eunuch Yu Ping send over twenty servants.
¡°Third Miss Qin, these people are all officials¡¯ ves who have been confiscated. The empress asked us to give them to you, the deeds are all here. If third Miss Qin feels you need them, you should use them first.¡±
As soon as Qin Jiu heard that it was Empress Wei who asked Yu Ping to give these servants to her, she kept them all.
They moved out of the marquis¡¯s mansion this time except for Du Ruo and Qin Zening¡¯s personal servants, they basically didn¡¯t bring anyone with them. Knowing that they would be a shortage of manpower, Qin Jiu originally nned to wait until they settled down and then find an officer to buy some ves.
But now, this saves her some trouble. Immediately, Qin Jiu and Du Ruo discussed how to settle these people separately. The inner courtyard, outer courtyard, kitchen, needlework room, and so on all needed manpower.
And because of this, she has been busy at home for several days without leaving the house¡ªshe was too busy that she was getting dizzy, literally. And this made her think that this house reallyck a sister-inw!
After her sister-inw passes through the gate, she could take all trivial internal affairs of the mansion to her sister-inw as a matter of course, and live the life of a salted fish that she dreams of!!
However, no matter how much she wishes to have one, she couldn¡¯t have a sister-inw out of thin air, so she could only resign herself to her fate and keep busy.
By the time the brothers, and sister settled down and hung the que of the Qin Mansion on the gate of their new house, it was already the first day of March, and the feeling of spring was getting stronger.
Qin Jiu hadn¡¯t been to the pce for quite a while, so she was thinking of visiting the empress after they hung their que at their new house, and talked to empress about their new home but just as they hang the que they heard the news that the empress was ill.
The three siblings were all startled, Qin Jiu rushed from Xihulu Alley to the pce right away. Since she had the gate pass from Empress Wei she was able to get into the pce very smoothly and went straight to Fengluan Pce.
***
Chapter 290
Chapter 290
A crowd of people filled with gloom, and a depressing atmosphere surrounds Fengluan Pce, the emperor and imperial physicians from Imperial Hospital were all there, as were several princes and princesses.
When Qin Jiu arrived, the emperor was impatiently dismissing all the concubines who hade to visit.
Gu Zhen the sixth prince, was also worried, his childish face was deeply furrowed as he said to Qin Jiu, ¡°Empress mother is suffering from qi disease.¡±
¡°¡¡¡± Qin Jiu¡¯s eyes slightly widened. The so-called ¡°qi disease¡± was also known as asthma, and this disease doesn¡¯t indiscriminate young or old, good thing was it could be cured slowly howeverplete recovery was difficult.
Du Ruo was aware of this, and calmly exined, ¡°Young Miss, the empress has a qi disease, it tends to get worse every spring¡¡± Du Ruo looked in the direction of the bedroom and said, ¡°It¡¯s usually not too severe, and the people in Fengluan Pce are very careful every season.¡±
Gu Zhen also looked in the direction of the bedroom while clenching his little fist tightly.
Qin Jiu¡¯s eyes slightly flickered when suddenly she remembered the original text of the plot.
In the original text, after the death of the sixth prince, Empress Wei once again experienced the pain of losing her son, drowned in sadness she also died within a few months. Empress Wei died in the spring, could it be because of qi disease?
At this time, the curtain of the door leading to the bedroom was lifted from the inside, and the head imperial physician and several imperial physicians came out.
A room full of people all looked at the imperial physicians, the head physician came forward to the emperor and reported, ¡°Your Majesty, this physician administered needles to the Empress and has her take the pills, her condition has stabilized.¡±
¡°I will write a prescription for the empresster. The empress can take it for three days and then let¡¯s see and observe.¡±
The emperor, Gu Zhen, as well as other princes and princesses, were all relieved when they heard this, Qin Jiu on the side also heaved a sigh of relief.
Regaining hisposure, the emperor asked You Bai, and the empress pce servants, ¡°How did the empress suddenly suffer from the sudden illness?¡±
Empress Wei was allergic to dust, and magnolia pollen, so every spring the people who serve her were very careful every spring, making sure Empress Wei would not have the chance to have contact with these. Dust in the pce was all glued clean by the pce people, in addition, no magnolia flowers could be seen in the imperial garden.
The pce maid, You Bai¡¯s face was as pale as paper as she straightened her thought and said, ¡°Your Majesty, this morning the empress went for a walk in the imperial garden as usual, and when she passed the Yuanxiang Water Pavilion, somehow, the empress suddenly coughed and had an attack.¡±
The faces of the other pce servants all don¡¯t look good, and were a bit scared. The empress has been suffering from qi disease, but it was generally not serious. Basically, as long as they pay more attention to it, it would be all right. This time, the qi disease really came suddenly, which truly scared them.
At this time, Third Princess Changning asked with a worried look on her face, ¡°Imperial Head Physician, is Imperial mother¡¯s illness serious? Is it very dangerous?¡± She tightly clutched her handkerchief in her hand as she asked.
The Imperial Head Physician nced at the emperor and saw him gesturing for him to speak before he replied, ¡°This attack on the Empress is more serious thanst year, if it is repeated and the condition is not controlled, I¡¯m afraid it will be dangerous to have another attack in the future¡.¡±
Qi disease could be mild or severe, the mild ones only experience shortness of breath, while the severe could even kill one¡¯s life which was rare.
The imperial head physician¡¯s head fell even lower, not daring to look at the emperor. After all, everyone knows that the emperor and the empress were deeply attached to each other.
The emperor deeply frowned.
The atmosphere in the main hall became even gloomier and too quiet, so quiet that a pin drop could be heard.
After a while, Third Princess Changning slightly open her lips once again, and was about to say something when the emperor faintly said, ¡°Now that your imperial mother has rested, you should also retire.¡±
The emperor dismissed several princes and princesses, and the main hall was half empty at once.
Meanwhile, Qin Jiu and Gu Zhen followed the emperor into the empress¡¯s bedroom.
Empress Wei had already woken up and was sitting with her back against arge red pillow, with the help of pce maids but her appearance still looked a bit weak, especially since her face was particrly pale.
¡°Empress Mother!¡±
Gu Zhen rushed to Empress Wei first and nervously held Empress Wei¡¯s slightly cold hands.
Empress Wei held Gu Zhen¡¯s small hand and said softly, ¡°Zhen¡¯er, empress mother is fine, don¡¯t worry.¡± She then looked at the emperor and smiled, ¡°This consort has worried the emperor.¡±
The emperor sat down on the empress¡¯s couch and said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re okay.¡±
Seeing that Empress Wei was in good spirits, Qin Jiu put her heart down and said, ¡°Aunt, you have frightened me and my brothers, you should recuperate well these days.¡±
The pce maid soon moved two brocade chairs for Qin Jiu and Gu Zhen to sit on.
Empress Wei drank two sips of warm tea served by You Bai, before she asked with concern, ¡°Xiao Jiu, is your elder brother¡¯s leg injury better?¡±
After Qin Zening fell off his horse, the emperor once sent an imperial physician to look at his injury. At that time, the imperial physician said that Qin Zening¡¯s injury was not serious and that as long as he took good care of it, there would be no other problem, but it would take a month for him to recover.
This also meant that Qin Zening was bound to miss the selection for the five army battalions this time.
Every time she thought of this matter, Empress Wei feels aggrieved for her nephew. Inparison, Su Xiyang was only sentenced to one year of imprisonment which was really hateful and too cheap!
Qin Jiu was afraid that Empress Wei would get agitated, so she said with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t worry aunt, he is already alive and kicking. Yesterday, he apanied A¡¯Yu to practice archery while sitting on the chair and still beat A¡¯Yu to pieces.¡±
Hearing this, Empress Wei couldn¡¯t help but imagine Qin Zeyu¡¯s pitiful appearance andugh, ¡°A¡¯Yu is still young, so tell your elder brother not to be too strict on him.¡±
After talking for a while, Empress Wei also asked about the Qin family¡¯s separation.
In order to make the empress happy, Qin Jiu had to take a hasty and exaggeratedly recount of the happening as she deliberately focused on how Gu Zezhi managed to win 70% of her family property which made Empress Wei dumbstruck.
Seems like the uncertainty Empress Wei felt about this marriage in the past was gone. She was actually afraid that Gu Zezhi would look down on her niece but right now, she waspletely relieved.
Indeed, it was the emperor¡¯s good insight that pointed out such good marriage for her Xiao Jiu!
With this thought, Empress Wei gave a wink to the emperor.
***
Chapter 291
Chapter 291
Qin Jiu¡¯s brothers, Qin Zeyu was a little dumb while Qin Zening was too short-tempered, in short, these brothers were just full of youthful vigor and don¡¯t know how politics works. But with Gu Zezhi in the future, she doesn¡¯t have to worry about these siblings.
The corners of Empress Wei¡¯s lips slightly curled up, satisfied with Gu Zezhi. Assured, she then change the topic, ¡°Xiao Jiu, how is your new house set up?¡±
Speaking of the new mansion, Qin Jiu got excited and talked about how she arranged the house in detail, she also talked about the florist and the camellias that Gu Zezhi gave her, she also mentioned how they demolished a yard for Qin Zening and Qin Zeyu to make into a training hall.
Empress Wei knew from Qin Jiu¡¯s words that the siblings were doing well after moving out of the Marquis¡¯s house, so naturally, she was relieved and looked a little better.
A whileter, the emperor cleared his throat and said, ¡°Xiao Jiu, stay in the pce for two more days and talk with your aunt.¡±
Qin Jiu readily responded.
¡°Du Ruo,¡± Qin Jiu said to Du Ruo with a smile, ¡°Go back and tell my elder brother that I¡¯m going to stay here with my aunt for a while, and they should take care of themselves.¡±
Hearing Qin Jiu says this, Empress Wei¡¯s smile deepened as she said, ¡°Xiao Jiu, you can stay as long as you like!¡±
Gu Zhen was also happy after hearing that Qin Jiu was going to stay in the pce for a while.
At this time, eunuch Zhou Xin came in and said to the emperor, ¡°Your Majesty, servants have checked the imperial garden, recently, willow catkins have flown. Some catkins are seen flying around when we arrived at the rockery next to Yuanxiang Water Pavilion, the catkins probably came blowing with the wind and the empress happened to pass by¡¡±
The emperor¡¯s eyes flickered and waved his hand signaling Zhou Xin to step back.
Empress Wei smiled and said, ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯m fine. You still have government affairs to do, so don¡¯t stay here with your consort.¡±
¡°Xiao Jiu is here so I¡¯ll be fine. Zhen¡¯er it¡¯s time for you to study, you can¡¯t bezy!¡±
Gu Zhen was reluctant but still obediently stood up from the brocade stool and bowed to Empress Wei respectfully, ¡°Yes, Empress Mother.¡±
With the two being kicked out, the emperor took Gu Zhen away, and finally, only Qin Jiu was left alone in Fengluan pce to gossip with Empress Wei.
Qin Jiu said whatever came to her mind, she told her what book she had read, she also showed Empress Wei the handkerchief she embroidered recently, and also talk embarrassing things about Qin Zeyu¡
Before she knew it, Qin Jiu drank two cups of tea and continued to talk happily until the curtain was raised again, and You Bai came in . She curtsied and said, ¡°Empress, the third Princess asked for an audience.¡±
After a pause, You Bai added, ¡°The Third Princess said it was important.¡±
Empress Wei: ¡°Let her in.¡±
As if nothing happened, Empress Wei continued talking to Qin Jiu, ¡°This child, A¡¯Yu, has been spoiled by us since he was young, fortunately for Xiao Jiu you can control him and is willing to listen to you¡.¡±
Princess Changning, who was waiting outside the bedroom also heard the chatter andughter from inside, her eyes dimmed and disappeared in a sh.
You Bai opened the curtain and came out, she then stretched out her hand as a gesture of inviting her inside, ¡°Third Princess, please.¡±
Princess Changning walked in calmly and nonchntly, followed by her personal pce maid Ling Xiang, who was carrying a redcquer-carved food box in her hand.
¡°Imperial Mother.¡± Princess Changning gracefully greeted Empress Wei.
After Qin Jiu got up and curtsied, she sat down again, still sitting on the brocade next to Empress Wei¡¯s couch.
Seeing that Qin Jiu had no intention to step aside, and since she was not in a position to kick her out, Princess Changning could only take another half step closer to Empress Wei¡¯s couch and asked with concern, ¡°Imperial Mother, how are you feeling?¡±
¡°Much better,¡± said Empress Wei with a smile.
¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Princess Changning took a long breath of relief, ¡°This daughter was really worried about imperial mother.¡±
Princess Changning¡¯s voice was gentle and soft, her eyes were red, and her pretty little face was full of anxiety and worry.
She wiped the moist in the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief and then added: ¡°Imperial Mother, this daughter looked through the medical books for a long time and saw a folk remedy so this daughter asked the imperial physician and found out that this folk remedy is very effective for your qi disease, so this daughter boiled the medicine herself.¡±
¡°Changning, I appreciated your kindness.¡± Empress Wei said in a faint voice. ¡°After the imperial physician¡¯s acupuncture, this empress feels much better.¡±
¡°Imperial Mother, just try it.¡± Princess Changning frowned and said worriedly, ¡°Your health is not good, and this daughter has difficulty resting day and night thinking that this daughter is useless and can¡¯t do anything but only pray for you day and night and look through medical books, thankfully this daughter found this folk remedy.¡±
Without waiting for Empress Wei¡¯s consent, Princess Changning opened the food box that was on the hand of the maid who was next to her and took out a bowl of steaming ck soup from it.
Holding the blue and white porcin medicine bowl in both hands, she presented it to Empress Wei.
The empress couldn¡¯t casually eat anything, even medicine, so instead of epting and drinking it there, this bowl of soup medicine was taken by Xu momo who was beside Empress Wei.
Princess Changning then gave the medicine bowl to Xu momo, and at the same time withdrew her hand when her left sleeve slid down a little along her forearm revealing white bandages on the wrist, there were even still some spots of blood which looked horrible to see.
Princess Changning uttered ¡°ah¡± in panic, like a frightened deer, and pulled down the cuff to cover the bandage on her left wrist.
Her eyes flickered as she darted up to look at Empress Wei, and then nervously hurriedly lowered her face.
***
Chapter 292
Chapter 292
¡°¡¡¡± Qin Jiu naturally saw it and couldn¡¯t helpmenting to herself: That is obviously intentional, but why, probably because she is afraid that the empress would not notice the injury on her writs that¡¯s why she did that?
But this doesn¡¯t stop Qin Jiu to looked at Changning¡¯s left wrist under the sleeve with great interest, half an inch of bandage was vaguely exposed under the wide sleeve, and the bright red blood on it looked unsightly.
Qin Jiu, blinked as she curiously asked herself, how on earth did Changning get the injury on her wrist?
Changning, on the other hand, was not even the least interested in Qin Jiu¡¯s inquiring gaze and just looked at Empress Wei as she sincerely said, ¡°Imperial Mother, this is this daughter¡¯s kind intention.¡±
¡°Changning is very considerate.¡± However, Empress Wei neither said she would take the medicine nor said she would not to drink it, her eyes just fell on Changning¡¯s left wrist and asked, ¡°What happened to your wrist?¡±
¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Changning quickly shook her head. ¡°It wasn¡¯t that much. Thanking Imperial Mother for your concern, it¡¯s just this daughter identally scratched it.¡±
Changning smiled gently and curtsied again, ¡°Imperial mother, this daughter will leave first.¡±
Empress Wei never asked again what really happened nor stopped her.
¡°¡¡¡± Changning was silent for a moment as her face slowly stiffened.
But since she had already said goodbye, she could only stand up, however, coincidentally or not when she turned around, her wrist just hit the food box in the hand of the pce maid close to her, her expression suddenly became very painful. Her two delicate willow eyebrows were tightly wrinkled as crystal tears rolled in her eyes.
¡°Aunt,¡± Qin Jiu, who couldn¡¯t bear to look at it, suggested, ¡°Should we get the imperial physician toe and take a look at the Third Princess?¡±
Empress Wei nced at Qin Jiu and slightly nodded, she said. ¡°Okay.¡±
The imperial physician was on standby at the Fengluan Pce, so after Empress Wei gave an order, not long after, an old physician with gray hair came in.
Empress Wei instructed, ¡°Imperial Physician Zhang, the third princess¡¯ wrist seems to have been injured, go and see her.¡±
Changning hurriedly said, ¡°No need, Imperial Mother.¡±
¡°If you say so.¡± Empress Wei said indifferently, ¡°Then there¡¯s no need.¡±
Changning: ¡°¡.¡±
¡°Your Highness,¡± Ling Xiang said in a soft voice and hurriedly convinced her mistress, ¡°you should listen to the Empress and let Imperial Physician Zhang take a look.¡±
This time, Changning hurriedly nodded, taking advantage of the situation for her own benefit before it would go awry again: ¡°Alright. Thank you for your care, Imperial Mother.¡± She gently curtsied.
Imperial Physician Zhang first checked Changning¡¯s pulse, then said, ¡°Your Highness, Third Princess, please pull up your left sleeve a bit.¡±
Her pce maid Ling Xiang pulled up Changning¡¯s left sleeve revealing the bandaged forearm, her white skin and slender wrist looked more fragile with the blood-stained bandage.
Seeing this, Imperial Physician Zhang couldn¡¯t help but frown, he asked. ¡°How did your highness get hurt?¡±
Changning nced at Empress Wei and Xu momo as she timidly said, ¡°I identally scratched myself.¡±
Imperial Physician Zhang¡¯s frown deepened as he looked at the amount of blood oozing from the wound, feeling that the wound really didn¡¯t look like an idental scratch. ¡°May I ask to untie it?¡±
Changning originally wanted to put on a show and wanted to casually ask Imperial Physician Zhang to prescribe some healing medicine, but looking back at the situation just now, she was afraid that Empress Wei would ask this, which would be troublesome.
Ling Xiang, however, hurriedly said, ¡°Your highness, you¡¯d better let Imperial Physician Zhang have a look. If it leaves a scar¡ you already have a scar on your forehead.¡± She looked worried and hesitated before she continued, ¡°Imperial Physician Zhang, this servant requests you to take a look at her highness wound.¡±
As she said that, Ling Xiang had already taken the initiative to untie the bandage on Changning¡¯s left wrist, but thetter dodge her for a while before she let her untie the bandage while half pushing her pce maid.
After the bandage was unraveled, the wrists covered with blood were exposed. The dark red blood hadn¡¯tpletely dried up yet, and the wound was about an inch long, apparently, it hadn¡¯t been treated, and the flesh was badly mangled.
Qin Jiu couldn¡¯t help looking curiously and watched Imperial Physician Zhang first wipe the blood stain on Changning¡¯s left wrist with a wet gauze. ¡°Your highness, please bear it.¡±
After cleaning around the wound, they could now see the fresh blood on the wrist that was cut by the de.
Changning¡¯s eyes were moist and red, her slender figure was taut, and the corners of her forehead were covered with cold sweat as if she was enduring great pain.
After a long time, she heard Empress Wei ask, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the third princess¡¯s wrist, Imperial Physician Zhang?¡±
¡°Answering to Your Majesty,¡± said Imperial Physician Zhang respectfully, ¡°the third princess was cut by a sharp de, and a small piece of flesh was cut off, and I¡¯m afraid that the wrist will leave a scar.¡±
Imperial Physician Zhang felt that the third princess was really making people worry, it wasn¡¯t even that long before he heard that she hurt her face in her fight with Princess Yingluo, but the wound on her wrist looks like she scratched it herself.
¡°Imperial Physician Zhang, will it really leave scars?¡± The pce maid in blue was so anxious that she was about to cry. ¡°Then what to do!¡±
¡°It¡¯s not a problem, I can just cover it with my sleeve,¡± Changning said softly and feebly.
Pce Maid: ¡°Princess, for the sake of the Empress¡.¡±
¡°Shut up!¡± Changning aptly interrupted the pce maid, then added, ¡°Physician Zhang, just give me some medicine to bandage it up.¡±
Qin Jiu: ¡°¡.¡±
Imperial Physician Zhang: ¡°¡.¡±
¡°For the sake of this empress?¡± Empress Wei on the bed smiled, raised her eyebrows, and asked, ¡°What did you say?¡±
The pce maid bent her knees and hurriedly said, ¡°Your majesty, the Empress, the Third Royal Highness Princess saw a folk remedy in the medical book, saying that it is very effective for your qi disease, but this decoction needs human flesh as one of the ingredients, so¡¡±
¡°This bowl of medicine?¡± Empress Wei asked, pointing to the bowl of soup medicine in Xu momo¡®s hand, ¡°Imperial Physician Zhang, have a look at it.¡±
Xu momo then brought the bowl of soup medicine to Imperial Physician Zhang, thetter first smelled it and scooped up a spoonful of soup medicine¡
Seeing that the doctor brought the spoonful of medicine to his lips, Changning hesitated but stopped the imperial physician, ¡°Wait, Imperial Physician Zhang!
Facing Empress Wei¡¯s suspicious eyes, Changning slightly bit her lower lip and curtsied to the empress again as she said, ¡°Imperial Mother, this daughter saw this folk remedy in a medical book called Yan¡¯s Misceneous Diseases, which said that as long as you cut a flesh and use it as one of the ingredients, it can cure Qi disease.¡±
Empress Wei thought she was already used to seeing the world, but it seems that this was not the case as she was stunned by Changning¡¯s words and was dumbfounded for a moment.
Changning continued, ¡°Imperial Mother¡¯s phoenix body is not well, this daughter is so worried, so I am willing to cut my own flesh for the imperial Mother as a medicine, this is also this daughter¡¯s filial piety.¡±
***
Chapter 293
Chapter 293
This ¡°Yan¡¯s Misceneous Diseases¡± was written by Yan Zhao a famous physician of the previous dynasty. Although Yan Zhao was not as good as Hua Tuo from the Han dynasty or the famous physician Bian Que, he was still famous from the former dynasty for his medical practices and for helping people. The book says that this remedy has miraculous effects and has cured a lot of qi disease patients in the area.
Imperial Physician Zhang was silent with a subtle look on his face, of course, he could certainly see that Changning was interested in pleasing the empress.
Qin Jiu on the other hand watched with great interest, thinking: this third princess was really a ruthless person, even to herself! Admirable, really, she admires her!!!
Empress Wei stared deeply at Changning and sighed: ¡°Changning, it¡¯s really hard for you.¡±
¡°For the sake of the imperial mother¡¯s body, this is what a daughter should do.¡± Changning said gently, with a look of admiration on her face.
Empress Wei looked at Changning¡¯s bloody left wrist again and said, ¡°Imperial Physician Zhang, you should give the third princess good medicine and bandage it so as to not leave a scar.¡±
Imperial Physician Zhangplied, saying that he would try his best, even knowing that the wound on Changning¡¯s wrist would leave some scars.
He hurriedly ordered the medicine boy to fetch the medicine box, and applied the golden sore medicine on Changning¡¯s wound, before carefully bandaging her wound to prevent it from getting wet. He also said that he would change the dressing on her wound in the morning.
Changning obediently responded, before she stood up and said to Empress Wei, ¡°Imperial Mother, your phoenix body is still weak, so this daughter will not disturb your rest any longer.¡±
After curtsying again, Changning withdrew and her pce maid, Ling Xiang naturally followed Changning and leave.
Changning breathed a sigh of relief after she got out of Fengluan Pce, outside the gate she turned her head and looked at the majestic pce with a deep look in her eyes.
While looking at the pce, she subconsciously covers her left wrist as her gentle and weak face shows coldness.
¡°Your Highness, does your wound still hurt?¡± Ling Xiang asked distressedly, ¡°If it really leaves a scar, it will be troublesome.¡±
Ling Xiang was really aggrieved for her mistress, although she has to say, after all, that was said and done, she was a little disappointed, if only her mistress was born in the empress¡¯s womb, how could she scheme like this in such a young age!
¡°Don¡¯t say it.¡± Changning said three words in a soft voice, but her gaze was stern and her expression determined.
She had to lose to gain something!
She was about to be sent for marriage, so what, if her wrist was injured a little?! That¡¯s just a superficial wound.
Stroking her injured left wrist again through her sleeve, she murmured, ¡°Cutting a little flesh to save imperial mother, surely imperial father and mother will always remember my filial piety.¡±
The marriage between the two countries was imperative, and Ye Luluan publicly raised the importance of marriage with Northern Yan, although for now, the emperor has no response yet, but Changning and concubine Xuan knew that the emperor would need to respond sooner orter.
So apart from this method, Changning really couldn¡¯t think of any other way, she could only grit her teeth and give this a try.
People, after all, could only rely on themselves. If she just epts her fate, who else could help her!
Ling Xiang also looked in the direction of Fengluan Pce, pursed her lips, and mumbled, ¡°Your Highness, the medicine¡ the empress won¡¯t drink it, right?¡±
¡°It wouldn¡¯t matter.¡± Changning said indifferently.
Of course, she knew that Empress Wei would not take it, after all, how could an empress casually take things, but it didn¡¯t matter whether the empress took the medicine or not. The important thing was that she sacrifice her flesh to save the imperial mother, in other words, it was her filial piety.
After returning, she should bath and fast for the empress again, and copy the Sutra of the Earth to pray for blessings.
When the empress recovers, next she would pray for her concubine mother, surely this would soon cause her to be seriously ill and she would stay that way¡ until the candidate for the marriage was set.
She didn¡¯t believe that Northern Yan would be willing to take back a princess who was dying of illness.
And with this thought, there would definitely be a change of candidate by that time, and even though the empress dowager couldn¡¯t bear to keep the second princess, wasn¡¯t there still Yingluo?
¡°It¡¯s your highness who is still considerate.¡± Ling Xiangplimented her admiringly although she still has a lingering fear.
A few days ago, Ling Xiang was terrified when she heard that Ye Luluan wanted to marry the third princess. She was the third princess¡¯s personal maid, and if the third princess married to Ye Luluan, she would without a choice also apany her mistress to her marriage in Northern Yan.
Fortunately, the third princess was extremely intelligent and does not just readily ept her fate.
¡°This is also the right time, the right ce, and the right people.¡± Changning tilted her head and looked at the blossoming flowers on the branches as she said meaningfully.
It was her luck; it happens to be spring now¡
Changning stroked her sleeve as her eyes turned cold for a little while before she said, ¡°The matter of marriage¡ must be Qin Xin¡¯s idea.¡±
As they all know, Qin Xin and Yingluo have always been good friends, in fact, they were as close as sisters. And now that the second prince was in charge of the peace talks between the two countries, Qin Xin, who always had a lot of ideas must have suggested this in order not to harm her own people.
As long as she could escape the marriage this time, she would not let Qin Xin go.
Another burst of burning pain came from her wrist, making Changning slightly wrinkle her delicate eyebrows.
Ling Xiang who was quietly observing from the side said. ¡°Your highness, you should go back to rest earlier.¡±
Changning continued to walk forward. You Bai, who was standing at the entrance of the main hall in the rear, saw the master and servant had gone, only did she return to Empress Wei¡¯s bedroom when she happened to pass by Xu momo, who came out with soup medicine.
Even without asking, You Bai knows what would happen to this bowl of soup.
***
Chapter 294
Chapter 294
You Bai walked over gracefully, she then went straight to the empress and slightly adjusted therge pillow behind Empress Wei, who smiled and asked Qin Jiu, ¡°What do you think?¡±
Qin Jiu only gave one word: ¡°Foolish.¡±
¡°It¡¯s really foolish!¡± Empress Wei grinned and raised her hand to rub Qin Jiu¡¯s soft hair.
Her Xiao Jiu really hit it off with her!
The empress sighed and shook her head, with a hint of pity in her eyes, ¡°She is a bit clever but still can¡¯t even figure out the emperor¡¯s will, and just blindingly believe her own assumption causing her to jump up and down, even disfiguring herself, and cutting her flesh the next second, ah, I can feel the pain just by looking at it.¡±
A young girl who was as beautiful as a flower was just looking for troubles and tossing herself into a lot of holes¡
Qin Jiu: ¡°¡..¡±
Qin Jiu immediately recognized the implication of Empress Wei¡¯s words and blinked thoughtfully.
The empress said with certainty, ¡°The emperor will not make peace.¡±
Qin Jiu also knew this, pursing her cherry lips she said, ¡°Aunt this time¡ does she have something to do with you?¡±
Qin Jiu meant Empress Wei¡¯s sudden attack.
Empress Wei smiled, took the teacup handed by You Bai, drank the tea slowly, and didn¡¯t answer.
Qin Jiu didn¡¯t ask again, and just picked up a snack that the maid had just brought, eating as her eyes curved into slits.
On the same day, the empress passed an imperial decree, saying that the third princess was filial, gentle, and respectful, and gave her medicinal herbs.
Naturally, this incident couldn¡¯t be concealed from the eyes and ears of the people in the pce, so within a short time, everyone in the pce knew about the third princess cutting her flesh to save her imperial mother. Not only did the news spread out far and wide inside the pce as if it had wings, it even spread outside the imperial pce.
When Qin Wang Fei returned to her residence, she talks about this incident with her daughter, Yingluo, and at the endmented ruefully, ¡°Three-year-old looks old*, indeed third princess¡¯s act of cutting her own flesh captures the imagination of people, spreading it far and wide!¡±
(*through the behavior of a three-year-old- child, one can feel what kind of person the child will be in the future)
Hearing this, Yingluo¡¯s whole face darkened, and almost throw the things in front of her, fortunately, she was still able to restrain herself.
Exerting a little force with her slender fingers she picks up the teacup in disguise.
Sister Xin was right, Changning had many tricks in her sleeves and just to avoid this marriage she uses all means, even if the second Prince and Sister Xin try to make Yelu Luan take the initiative to marry Changning, it would be useless. And even if they wanted Yelu Luan to be proactive, it needs to be with Changning so that they could rip the benefits¡
Yingluo¡¯s eyes reflected in the tea were as deep as a pool like a dark tide surging under them.
As she was drinking tea absent-mindedly, Qin Wang Fei beside her knew that her daughter had a disagreement with Changning before, thinking so, she felt that her daughter was still ufortable so she advised her a few more words, ¡°You and third princess are cousins, breaking the bone and connecting the tendons*, so it¡¯s not really a big deal that cousins quarrel with each other. The matter is already over, the past is in the past.¡±
(*rtives between aunts and cousins are very close, as inseparable as a broken bone and a tendon)
¡°Yingluo, as the elder sister, you should be more open-minded, and learn more from the third princess about the demeanor of a royal princess!¡±
Qin Wang Fei kept on babbling making Yingluo more annoyed as she listened to her. Her heart sank and thought mockingly: would you rather use self-harm to frame others?!
Yingluo calmed herself, put down her tea cup, and asked to probe for more information, ¡°Mother, will the emperor¡ choose me as a marriage partner?¡±
Qin Wang Fei was startled for a moment before she breaks intoughter and said, ¡°How could that be! Yinglou, you are just overthinking.¡±
¡°There are so many princesses in the imperial n, and even if his majesty wants to choose a daughter from the n to be married, there are so many girls who are already at the right age, and it will never be your turn.¡±
In Qin Wang Fei¡¯s opinion, the imperial n has so many suitable youngdies who were of the right age that they could propose to marry, not to mention rtives that wanted to offer their daughters for marriage just to please the emperor, so it was impossible that this marriage would fall in their doorsteps.
Qin Wang Fei said this casually, but when this fell in Yingluo¡¯s ears, she felt her heart go cold: her mother was too naive! She doesn¡¯t see Changning¡¯s sinister intentions at all. Even if she told her that Changning¡¯s ¡°cutting her flesh to save imperial mother¡± was Xiang Zhuang¡¯s sword dance aimed at Duke Pei*, her mother wouldn¡¯t believe it, and instead would use her of being a viin that uses despicable thoughts to specte on the decent Changning.
(*it¡¯s a story, which also means that the real intention of speech and action is different)
She couldn¡¯t count on her mother, but her father right now was not in the capital¡
Yingluo sat there in a daze as she sips a few more of tea.
After waiting patiently for Qin Wang Fei to finish her speech, Yingluo said: ¡°Father has been in Northern Xinjiang for so long. Does mother have news from father?¡± Qin Wangye was ordered to go to Northern Xinjiang to receive the Turks sent by the Northern Yan.
Speaking of Qin Wangye, Qin Wang Fei smiled, ¡°I just received a letter from your father the day before yesterday. In more than a month, your father should return here in the capital.¡±
¡°Your father¡¯s errand came inexplicably. He was doing well in the Ministry of Work, so why did he go to Northern Xinjiang? Those barbarians in Northern Yan are ustomed to rude behaviors, and your father is not good at martial arts, knowing this I just can¡¯t put my heart down for a day.¡±
Qin Wang Fei felt ufortable thinking about it and didn¡¯t know what the second prince was thinking, nor the emperor who agreed to let Qin Wangye ept some turkic horses.
Yingluo let out a casual ¡°hmm¡± and then said with a smile, ¡°Mother, I have finished reading the ¡°Book of the Later Han Dynasty¡± that father lent to me before. I want to go to father¡¯s study to borrow the next book.¡±
As her daughter with Qin Wangye, Qin Wang Fei always favored Yingluo. Since childhood, she was also often taken by Qin Wangye to the study room to y, and now that she was all grown up, she would often go to the study to borrow some historical book. Thus, Qin Wang Fei has long been ustomed to it, she also thought it would be better to stay in the pce and read more books than let Yingluo go out to y.
Smiling, Qin Wang Fei said, ¡°Don¡¯t mess up your father¡¯s study.¡±
Yingluo pursed her lips, acting like a little girl. ¡°Mother, I¡¯m not like big brother!¡±
This one sentence made Qin Wangugh out loud.
A ray of light shed Yingluo¡¯s eyes that also disappeared in a sh as if it wasn¡¯t there in the first ce.
She talked with Qin Wang Fei for a while, before she went to Qin Wangye¡¯s outer study room from the main courtyard. She stayed in the study alone for a long time, and when she came out it was already two hourster.
***
Chapter 295
Chapter 295
Seeing that the sun has already set, Yingluo ordered her maidservant to go to the marquis¡¯ residence to pass a message to Qin Xin, asking her toe to Shenhua Pavilion the next day to have a talk.
In the next few days, the story of the third princess serving her imperial mother¡¯s filial piety spread widely among the people, and this made themon people sing praises about it, this also be a good talk for themon people for a while.
On the fifth day of March, Yelu Luan once again proposed to marry the third princess, saying that after he heard the third princess¡¯s filial piety he thought she must have a high moral character and that by her marriage to the Great Yan, they would be able to forge a good rtionship between two countries.
However, the emperor still did not answer, and just like before it was still for discussion.
When Gu Jing conveyed the result to Yelu Luan, thetter had an indifferent expression and didn¡¯t take it seriously, he just let out an ¡°oh¡± and drank it down with a ss.
In any case, he just asked for marriage, and whether the emperor offer his daughter or not had nothing to do with him.
Gu Jing also drank half a ss of shuijiu as his eyes slightly flickered, and then said, ¡°Does Prince Yelu have any other requests for peace talks?¡±
Yelu Luan put down his ss and said with a smile yet not a smile, ¡°I said everything I should sayst time¡ But can you guarantee that Gu Zezhi will agree?¡±
Yelu Luan¡¯s eyes were gloomy as he recalled Gu Zezhi¡¯s aggressive and upromising attitude, which made his chest burst with tightness.
Smiling faintly, Gu Jing said calmly, ¡°Prince Yelu doesn¡¯t need to worry, the Duan Wang couple is in the middle of a divorce and soon he will lose his title. I bet he was cowering and is swamped taking care of himself.¡±
Gu Jing has made a lot of efforts to promote peace talks between the two countries, and now the peace talks were finallying to an end, it was only one step away¡
At this time, surely Gu Zezhi was afraid it was toote for him to take the credit so how could he oppose it!
Also, Gu Jing was not afraid of Gu Zezhi stealing credit, anyway, all the civil and military ministers were watching his dedication. Gu Zezhi was leading the peace talks for months now but there was no progress at all, however, when he took over, he immediately made obvious results.
Gu Jing cupped his hand at Yelu Luan and said, ¡°I will increase my efforts again in the matter of peace, but, Prince Yelu, you must not forget what you promised¡¡±
He slightly narrowed his eyes making his elegant face look a little sharper.
Yelu Luan filled himself with wine, raised his ss to toast Gu Jing, and said loudly. ¡°Of course, if I be the King of Yan, the next King of Yan would be the offspring of my own and the princess from your Daqi and we will never get to war again.¡±
Gu Jing also held up the cup of wine in his hand and also raised it back to Yelu Luan.
¡°It¡¯s a deal.¡±
Gu Jing looked up and drank the rest of the wine in one gulp.
After that, Gu Jing left.
Yelu Luan yed with the white porcin wine ss leisurely and ecstatically as the amber liquid swayed gently in the ss and the aroma of the wine overflowed.
¡°Second prince,¡± at this time, a middle-aged envoy with a long beard entered the private room, carefully closed the door, saluted to Yelu Luan, and asked, ¡°Do you want to send the blueprint back to Northern Yan as soon as possible? In case it sleeps with long dreams*.¡±
(*the metaphor is long, and things are prone to change)
¡°No need.¡± Yelu Luan smiled and waved his hand. ¡°We are in the capital of Daqi now, just under the eyes of the Daqi Emperor. We should still be cautious and not act rashly, so as not to make mistakes. Anyway, we are not in a hurry at this moment, if the Daqi Emperor finds out, it won¡¯t be good.¡±
That¡¯s what he said, but in fact, after he got the blueprint of thepound bow, he had already memorized itpletely in his mind. And as for the blueprint, he had already burned it.
Only what was kept in one¡¯s mind was the safest!
He must personally bring the blueprint of thepound bow back to the Northern Yan, and make sure that this credit must not be given to others.
This newpound bow can help their Northern Yan cavalry to a higher level, and this would surely make the surrounding countries bow down to them sooner orter.
With these thoughts, Yelu Luan¡¯s mouth curled up and his blue eyes showed ambitious ambition as his pupils seemed to be burning with fire.
Yelu Luan added, ¡°A¡¯suoye, after the peace talks are over, we can return home and I will hand over the blueprints personally to father.¡±
Yelu Luan did not hide his ambition and intentions, naturally, A¡¯suoye saw it, and performed another salute of the Northern Yan again and agreed.
For these officers, since they were sent to Daqi together with the second prince, they shared honor and disgrace, naturally the second prince would never forget them even if he has made contributions!
Yelu Luan no longer continued this topic, and turned to ask: ¡°How is that batch of Turkic horses?¡±
Mentioning the Turkic horses, A¡¯suoye¡¯s eyes shed with a cold glint as he said in a deep voice, ¡°I have received the letter a few days ago and everything is going well, calcting the time, those Turkic horses should have been smoothly handed over the Northern Xinjiang Army of Daqi.¡±
¡°The war horses of the Daqi Northern Xinjiang Army are now ruined!¡±
Thest two words were spoken in an icy and somber manner.
Yelu Luan sneered: ¡°Daqi really thinks they can get our Dayan¡¯s Turkic horse. Dream on!¡±
***
Chapter 296
Chapter 296
The batch of Turkic horses was carefully prepared by him, and 90% of the horses were infected with an extremely poisonous horse gue, and if one of the horses in the herd was infected with this horse gue, it was enough to kill the herd.
As long as Daqi¡¯s Northern Xinjiang Battalion epts these Turkic horses, it couldpletely destroy the Northern Xinjiang Battalion¡¯s war horses!
Without horses, their cavalry would be crippled.
When that timees, the northern part of Daqi would be severely damaged, and they may have a hard time regaining again their cavalry for several years.
¡°Daqi wants horses, we¡¯ll give them horses, but these horses, it depends on whether they can take it or not!¡± Yelu Luan¡¯s voice had a touch of coldness in it as he said with a sneer.
¡°It is still the second prince who has thought of everything!¡± A¡¯suoyeplimented.
Yelu Luan¡¯s dark blue eyes looked increasingly deeper and full of spirit.
A¡¯suoye continued, ¡°This time the Daqi Northern Xinjiang Battalion is bound to suffer a big loss.¡±
¡°Of course!¡± Yelu Luan grinned exaggeratedly.
A letter had already been sent back to his country ahead, that once the Turkic horses arrived in the north, the Northern Xinjiang Battalion would be in chaos, and at that time the Yan army would take advantage of the chaos to attack.
¡°It¡¯s a pity¡±, Yelu Luan said somewhat regretfully. ¡°Last year¡¯s war with Daqi, we Dayan suffered heavy casualties.¡±
Otherwise, they could take this opportunity to break through the northern border of Daqi and drive straight into the country. Such a pity.
¡°However, as long as I, a Dayan can take down the Fufeng City, and when peace talk is brought up again, it is Daqi who wille to beg us!¡± Yelu Luan¡¯s eyes revealed the determination to win as the smile on the corner of his lips deepened.
When that momentes, he would be able to wipe with blood the shame of his past.
And that Qin Jiu!
At the thought of Qin Jiu, Yelu Luan¡¯s heart was surging and his mood was extremelyplicated.
On one hand, he was annoyed that she did not pay any attention to him, even if he showed her a hundred and one of his goodwill, she never even looked at him more than once. However, the more she did this, the more he attached himself to her and wanted her to surrender to him.
Yelu Luan¡¯s tightly clenched his hand into a fist, and the vein on the back of his hand burst as Qin Jiu¡¯s bright smile appeared in his mind like a morning sun on the grasnd.
However, that smile was directed at Gu Zezhi!
Yelu Luan: ¡°¡¡±
No hurry. Yelu Luan said to himself.
When the timees that Daqi woulde to beg him, he would ask the Daqi emperor for Qin Jiu¡¯s hand, and surely the Daqi emperor would agree.
After all, a woman was no match for the survival of a country.
Yelu Luan raised his head again and drank the cup of liquor in one go, the slightly spicy liquor stimted his throat making him feel as if his veins had been opened up all over his body giving him a burst of pleasure.
A¡¯suoye picked up the wine jug on the table and filled it for Yelu Luan, asking, ¡°Second Prince, do you still want the third princess of Daqi?¡±
¡°Yes, why not? The Emperor of Daqi didn¡¯t refuse, did he?¡± Yelu Luan then continued to drink his wine with one gulp.
A¡¯suoye poured for him again and praised him with a smile: ¡°The second prince is wise and resourceful, and can make this great achievements!¡±
Yelu Luan raised his hand and wiped the wine stains from his mouth, he was in high spirits and his eyes became even brighter.
He had nned every step of the way and nned it thoroughly at that, and so far he could be sure that the whole n could no longer go wrong.
Since he came to Daqi for the peace talkst year, he had been dispirited by everything. For the sake of peace talks he had retreated again and again, but Daqi refused to budge every step of the way. However, it would be different now, finally, it was time for him to feel proud.
He would make Gu Zezhi kneel in front of him and beg, or Daqi would not be able to get him to agree to peace talks.
The more Yelu Luan thought about it, the more impatient he became and couldn¡¯t wait to see that scene.
Gu, Ze, Zhi!
¡°Bang!¡±
At the same time, the door of the private room was suddenly pushed open from the outside, and another envoy rushed in with a pale face.
¡°Second Prince, it is not good!¡±
Yelu Luan frowned, A¡¯suoye hurriedly reprimanded: ¡°Yi Xin, what are you shouting for!¡±
Yi Xin¡¯s chest heaved rapidly as he gaspingly said: ¡°Yu, Yu Fuyun, he led his troops to take North Beiming City, Tuli City, and Mengta City¡¡±
¡°What?!¡±
Yelu Luan was shocked and abruptly stood up causing his movements to identally bumped the wine ss on the table, tipping it over, and the amber-colored liquor flowed out, flowing along the edge of the table to the floor, also sshed on Yelu Luan¡¯s robe.
¡°Thud!¡±
The ss fell to the ground, smashed into pieces, leaving a mess on the ground.
***
Chapter 297
Chapter 297
Yelu Luan couldn¡¯t care less about these things anymore, with erratic breathing, he asked again to confirm, ¡°You say it again!¡±
A vassal from Northern Yan secretly sends a message to the capital of Daqi to facilitate the transmission of news to and from the city, from which Yi Xin had just arrived.
¡°Second prince, I just got the urgent news and went to one of Yan¡¯s establishments. This is the news I just got!¡± Yi Xin hurriedly said while sweating profusely, ¡°There is no mistake. The person in charge of the army is Yu Fuyun.¡±
They have been in a confrontation with the Yu family for years. Once in Northern Yan, they almost turned pale when talking about the word ¡°Yu¡±, they could wrong anyone but absolutely not Yu Fuyun!
Yelu Luan murmured, ¡°But Yu Fuyun¡ isn¡¯t he sick? Isn¡¯t he still in the capital?¡±
Speaking of this, his eyes were slightly frozen, and he suddenly remembered that he had not seen Yu Fuyun for a long time.
Previously, for the sake of peace talks between the two countries, Yu Fuyun also followed Gu Zezhi from time to time. Later, after Gu Jing, the second prince of Daqi, took over the peace talks, let alone Yu Fuyun even Gu Zezhi rarely appeared, that¡¯s why he never noticed that Yu Fuyun was not in the capital!
Yu Fuyun secretly went to Northern Xinjiang!
¡°Despicable!¡±
Yelu Luan gritted his teeth and with great difficulty, he manages to squeeze out a word between his teeth as he asked Yi Xin, ¡°When did it happen?¡±
Yi Xin immediately replied, ¡°Just yesterday, the flying pigeon just arrived.¡±
¡°Useless things, Yu Fuyun already took three cities!¡± Yelu Luan picked up the wine jug on the table and hurled it on the ground. ¡°Daqi is despicable, they were negotiating peace with us here but in fact sneakily attack our Dayan.¡±
¡°I¡¯m going to see Emperor of Daqi, and I have to ask him to give my Dayan an exnation!¡±
¡°Does Daqi want to fight, or does he want to make peace!¡±
Yelu Luan¡¯s words became even heavier as his anger steadily raising.
So, the two Northern Yan envoys rushed into the pce with Yelu Luan to the emperor¡¯s imperial study but the emperor didn¡¯t see them and had the head eunuch in the imperial study turn them away.
Yelu Luan was unwilling to go back like this, so he waited and waited outside the imperial study for more than an hour before he was able to enter the room.
In the imperial study, besides the emperor, Gu Zezhi was also there as well as Gu Jing, the two were sitting by the window.
Gu Zezhi elegantly and calmly sipping his tea and did not even nce at Yelu Luan, while Gu Jing was a little surprised to see him.
Without waiting for Yelu Luan to salute, the emperor asked indifferently, ¡°What is Prince Yelu¡¯s urgent request that you are so anxious to see me about?¡±
Yelu Luan looked more irascible and asked in a sharp voice, ¡°Emperor of Daqi, why did you send troops to attack my Dayan in spite of the peace talks between the two countries?!¡±
¡°Daqi must return the three cities of Beimeng City, Tuli City, and Lunta City to Dayan and punish Yu Fuyun.¡±
Yelu Luan said angrily, hisplexion ashen.
The emperor also just received the military report of the northern border and seeing Yelu Luan¡¯s distraught look he felt very happy that he had a hard time suppressing his smile.
Gu Jing: ¡°!¡±
Gu Jing who heard this for the first time looked confused as he looked at the emperor. What¡¯s going on, aren¡¯t the two countries in peace talks, why are they suddenly at war again?
The emperor looked at Gu Zezhi on the side and asked indifferently, ¡°Zezhi, you are in charge of the peace talks between the two countries. Tell me, what is going on?¡±
Immediately, all the people¡¯s eyes turned to Gu Zezhi.
Gu Zezhi was calm, rx and with his always smiling face he looked at Yelu Luan who was a few steps away, and asked rhetorically, ¡°What about the six hundred Turkic horses infected with horse gue that Prince Yelu gave to my Daqi?¡±
¡°¡¡±
¡°¡..¡±
¡°¡¡±
So, everyone¡¯s eyes turned to Yelu Luan again.
Yelu Luan: ¡°!¡±
How did Gu Zezhi know?!
After all, was said and done, it doesn¡¯t erase the fact that Yelu Luan was still young and at this moment he couldn¡¯t hide the shock on his expression at all as his thoughts were racing: in other words, their n was seen through Gu Zezhi, and the n failed.
Gu Zezhi and Yelu Luan look at each other, neither of them raising their eyebrow. Gu Zezhi broke the silence, and asked, ¡°Prince Yelu, not reciprocating is against etiquette, I and Daqi is a country of etiquette, and this great gift from Prince Yelu, we will naturally give it back.¡±
Yelu Luan: ¡°!!¡±
His face seemed to have been sshed with ink, and even looked a bit unsightly.
He thought of Yu Fuyun¡ Northern Yan army and Yu Fuyun can be considered ¡°old acquaintances¡±, Yu Fuyun this person was used to using trickery, even if there was no chance on the battlefield, he would create an opportunity, let alone now that Northern Yan has such a big w!
Yu Fuyun would not let go!
Gu Zezhi picked up the teacup unhurriedly and took a sip looking calm and indifferent.
Yelu Luan felt his chest tighten as his whole body slightly trembled and his eyes spewed fire. He really wanted to chop Gu Zezhi and Yu Fuyun who was far away in northern Xinjiang, into pieces.
Despicable!
Looking at the ashen-faced Yelu Luan, the emperor felt as if he had drunk a jar of fine wine and felt very ecstatic: Yelu Luan was not going to vomit blood, right?!
***
Chapter 298
Chapter 298
Since the founding of Daqi, they have been in constant wars with Northern Yan and this feud exist until now, so seeing how the Northern Yan suffer such a big loss, the emperor feels happy from the bottom of his heart.
Gu Zezhi stood with his arms folded behind his back as he lightly nced at Gu Jing and the corners of his lips hooked up a shallow arc, smiling, ¡°This time it is still thanks to the second prince¡¯s help in dragging Prince Yelu¡¯s attention.¡±
Gu Jing: ¡°¡¡±
Gu Jing¡¯s pupils shrank as he inwardly roared: No, he didn¡¯t!
His face was stiff and his whole being was trying to understand the situation.
In this short period of less than half an hour, his heart has gone up and down several times. He was still shocked after hearing all of these things, and didn¡¯t expect that Gu Zezhi would suddenlye out and drag him down!
He really didn¡¯t secretly conspire with Gu Zezhi ah!
Gu Jing¡¯s mouth was slightly open, and his whole face looked like it was shrouded with ayer of dark clouds, looking more and more ugly.
Yelu Luan: ¡°!!!¡±
Yelu Luan red at Gu Jing like arrows, and hatred was evident in his eyes.
¡°You¡¡± Yelu Luan couldn¡¯t hide his trembling voice.
So that¡¯s how it was!!!
Gu Jing dared to fool him these days, and he believed it. He was fooled around by a fool like Gu Jing.
No wonder since Gu Jing got involved in the peace talks, Gu Zezhi stopped showing up and just let Gu Jing spend time with him and made him mistakenly think that Gu Zhen was trying to take Gu Jing¡¯s credit but in fact they colluding with each other and disguising themselves in red and white faces*.
(red faces- good guys, white guys- treacherous or bad guys)
Gu Jing ah, Gu Jing.
The more Yelu Luan thinks about it, the more aggrieved he felt as if his chest had been crushed by something and his blood was churning.
He felt a fishy sweetness in his throat and spits out a mouthful of blood from his throat that dripped down from the corner of his mouth.
¡°Tick, tick¡¡±
Drops of fresh blood fell on the brick floor below looking ghastly sight to see.
Gu Jing: ¡°!¡±
Gu Jing also came back to his senses at this moment.
He was not a fool, about this time he also had figured out what was really happening and subconsciously wanted to tell Yelu Luan that he was not part of this, but seeing that the emperor was here, if Yelu Luan told him about the cooperation that he had agreed with him then what should he do? How should he exin himself to his imperial father?
Gu Jing¡¯s eyes were obviously secretly changing endlessly, but could only swallow those words back and stood still on the spot.
However, unbeknownst to him, all the small details of changes in him were seen by the emperor.
The emperor looked at Gu Jing, and then at Gu Zezhi, feelingplicated. Duan Wangye had a good son, if his son had 80% or even 70% of Gu Zezhi¡¯s, why would he worry about the country!!
The emperor couldn¡¯t help looking at Gu Zhen, who was sitting by the window.
Gu Zhen was sitting upright on an armchair with his small feet that doesn¡¯t touch the ground yet and were just suspended mid-air, however his upright sitting position made him look like an honest man, he was also motionless like a small adult.
His small face was slightly sideways as he was listening carefully with his small mouth slightly pursed as if he was internalizing what he heard.
The emperor often asked Gu Zhen to follow Gu Zezhi, and at this time while Gu Zezhi was dealing with Northern Yan thetter specifically took Gu Zhen with him to teach and advise the small prince.
Fortunately, Gu Zhen was still young and was still teachable, so in the future, he should let Gu Zezhi teach Gu Zhen so his son could learn a thing or two from his nephew, and surely this would benefit Daqi a lot in the future.
While the emperor was lost in his thoughts, Gu Zezhi at this time still had that gentle and refined appearance, neither startled nor impetuous, neither proud nor arrogant, as if he hadn¡¯t seen Yelu Luan vomit blood at all. Smiling he said, ¡°Prince Yelu, do you want to continue the peace talks?¡±
His voice was clear and gentle, and his eyes were bright as if they contained the brilliance of the bright moon, he was also refined and courteous.
Yelu Luan wiped the blood from the corners of his mouth with his sleeves, and his face was pale as paper.
¡°Peace talks?¡± His eyes were sharp and sinister, and with clenched teeth, he said through gritted teeth, ¡°Return the three cities first!¡±
As he spoke, Yelu Luan¡¯s chest violently heaved up and down again.
In sharp contrast, Gu Zezhi was calm and indifferent. He faintly said, ¡°It seems that your country does not want to talk anymore.¡±
Without waiting for Yelu Luan to answer, Gu Zezhi sped his fist to the emperor and suggested, ¡°Your Majesty, why don¡¯t you let Fuyun take advantage of the victory to pursue and attack, maybe he can also take down the royal city of Yan all the way.¡±
The emperor raised his hand and tapped it on the desk, and said loudly, ¡°Alright!¡±
These words caused the atmosphere in the imperial study to change again.
Gu Jing¡¯s eyes slightly widened, and his fists were tightly clenched too much that the veins at the back of his hands were visible.
While the two Northern Yan envoys who were behind Yelu Luan got anxious, one of the middle-aged envoys strode past Yelu Luan and said eagerly to the emperor, ¡°Your Majesty, Emperor of Daqi, don¡¯t be angry. The terms of peace talks that Daqi proposedst time, this humble servant agreed to them all on behalf of my king.¡±
¡°Oh?¡± The emperor slightly raised his right eyebrow and tap twice with his right fist on the desk, ¡°Show me the draft and the book.¡±
Gu Jing only then reacted to the fact that he initially came today for the matter of peace talks, but the emperor did not ask him anything at all regarding the status of the peace talks and just left him alone until now.
Hearing this, he hurriedly presented the book he had drawn up before to the emperor.
The emperor nced over the terms of the agreement at a nce, and a sneer appeared on the corner of his lips. Since ancient times, emperors had this imposing power and prestige.
¡°Is this what you nned?¡± The emperor looked at Gu Jing sharply.
***
Chapter 299
Chapter 299
This and every use in the book were all biased towards Northern Yan, so much that those who don¡¯t know may think that their Daqi was not a victor but a loser!
Gu Jing¡¯splexion was even worse, he could naturally see that his imperial father was extremely dissatisfied with this agreement.
However, when he drew up this agreement, he wasn¡¯t informed that Gu Zezhi and Yu Fuyun would cooperate in secret, more so, he didn¡¯t know that Yu Fuyun would lead the army to take the three cities of Northern Yan!!
Gu Zezhi deliberately and clearly hid it from him on purpose, wanting to see him embarrass himself in front of his imperial father, right?
And¡
Gu Jing doesn¡¯t really agree with Gu Zezhi¡¯s decision and instead med him.
In his view, friendship between the two countries was the long-term solution.
But this Gu Zezhi actually wants to start another war again for the sake of momentum, lucky for him this time it went well and Yu Fuyun was able to conquer the Beimeng, Tuli, and Lunta ity, but what if luck wasn¡¯t on his side?!
Wouldn¡¯t it unnecessarily plunge the people of Daqi into war again!
Gu Jing took two deep breaths to calm down a little and bowed to the emperor as he said solemnly, ¡°Father, the friendship between the two countries is the blessing of the people, and the ministers think that peace is the most important thing. The matter of peace can be discussed again.¡±
Gu Jing felt that both sides could each take a step back, for instance, if the two cities were returned to Northern Yan, then the Northern Yan would definitely remember the kindness of Daqi, and with this, the two countries could coexist peacefully in the future.
The emperor: ¡°¡¡±
The emperor¡¯s eyes flickered as he slowly grasped the jade ring on his finger before looking at Gu Zhen once again and asked, ¡°Zhen¡¯er what do you think?¡±
Gu Jing couldn¡¯t believe his ears. His father actually asked Gu Zhen, who was only six years old, how the hell would he even know?!
He felt as if he had been pped in the face in front of the crowd.
During this period, Gu Zhen often followed Gu Zezhi and watched and listened to some information. And with a serious tone, he said, ¡°Imperial Father, Daqi is the victorious country.¡±
The emperor stroked his beard, and his handsome face became more radiant, and as he touched his ring again, he said, ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±
¡°If you want to talk about peace, that¡¯s fine,¡± said the emperor with a smile. ¡°Zezhi, rewrite the peace agreement.¡±
Gu Zezhi stood up, bowed to ept his orders, and then calmly offered his conditions.
¡°The three cities, Beiming, Tuli, and Lunta City belong to Daqi from now on.¡±
¡°Draw Lunta River and Lunta Grasnd in Daqi.¡±
¡°Indemnify the Daqi with 500,000 taels of gold, 5 million taels of silver, and 3,000 strong and healthy Turkic horses, including 2,000 mares.¡±
¡°¡.¡±
When Yelu Luan and the two envoys of the Northern Yan heard this, their faces became uglier every second and their hearts were bleeding as if a knife was gouging it out. This was more atrocious than the agreement Gu Zezhi talked with themst time.
It was simply opening a lion¡¯s mouth.
Gu Jing¡¯s face, on the other hand, turned blue and white, and felt that Gu Zezhi was deliberately stirring up the situation and insisting to let the peace talks between the two countries fail. However, his father seemed to be bewitched by him, and he seemed to appreciate him very much instead.
It was not easy to wait until Gu Zezhi finished, Yelu Luan¡¯splexion by this time has changed several times to blue, purple, and red, alternately.
He said in a stiff voice, ¡°No!¡±
Absolutely not!
If he epts such peace terms, when he returns to Northern Yan, what awaits him would be the thunderous wrath of his imperial father and the taunts of his brothers, and the throne of Yan would bepletely out of his reach!
¡°Then let¡¯s go to war!¡± Gu Zezhi smiled calmly and indifferently.
His tone was so casual as if he regarded the war between the two countries as a small fight between two children.
¡°¡¡¡± Yelu Luan¡¯splexion was even more uglier.
He didn¡¯t dare to answer this question. He was well aware of the situation of their military power at the moment, many and most of their soldiers were seriously injured, and they were unable to go to war again in a few years.
That¡¯s why he wanted to take advantage of the horse gue to destroy the war horses in Northern Xinjiang and take down Fufeng City.
When the timees, even if Daqi suffers a great loss, he would not dare to act recklessly again¡
But hearing Gu Zezhi¡¯s tone now, does Daqi still have spare manpower?
Yelu Luan¡¯s mind was numb for a moment, and be increasingly confused.
He could not help but look at Gu Zezhi again who was standing with his hands down and his body stood tall as rays of sunlight shone through the shade of the trees outside the window and cast a mottled light and shadow on his body as if coating him with a faintyer of halo, looking more elegant.
There was a smile on the corner of Gu Zezhi¡¯s lips as he stands there quietly and carried an aura of confidence that made people dare not underestimate him.
Yu Fuyun was not in Northern Xinjiang, and Northern Yan has lost three cities, so does Daqi have any backup¡
Just thinking about it made Yelu Luan feel as if a huge stone was pressing on his heart, making him gasp for breath.
However, Yelu Luan never showed timidity on his face, and with his head held high he said, ¡°If you want to go to war, I, the warrior of Dayan will not be afraid!¡±
Gu Zezhi smiled but said nothing, and didn¡¯t even raise his eyebrows.
***
Chapter 300
Chapter 300
Upon seeing this uncaring smile, Yelu Luan felt the boulder in his chest seem to be getting heavier by the second, especially when he saw the determined look on Gu Zezhi¡¯s face.
This also causes the air in the imperial study among the two parties to be even heavier.
Seeing this, Gu Jing became even more anxious, if Gu Zezhi continued to provoke them like this, it would not only force Northern Yan to fight them, but it would also cause both countries to suffer.
Gu Jing looked at the emperor eagerly.
The emperor who was behind his table did not speak and just picked up the teacup and drank his tea gracefully as if he didn¡¯t care about Yelu Luan¡¯s response at all.
Yelu Luan was also looking at the emperor, feeling even more uncertain.
And once again the imperial study room fell into a dead silence, it was too quiet that a needle drop could be heard.
The two northern Yan envoys next to Yelu Luan were sweating coldly on their foreheads and felt that Second Prince Yelu was too headstrong. The current situation was obviously not good for their Dayan if the Emperor of Daqi would really push the war, none of them could bear the consequences!
As the silence spread, the air became even more imposing, like a summer rainstorm making it hard for people to breathe properly.
The two Northern Yan envoys tried their best to send some signal with their eyes to Yelu Luan however thetter remained motionless, his heart hanging in the air, and felt that Gu Zezhi was deliberately bluffing but was also unsure deep inside.
He doesn¡¯t know how long it took, but suddenly there was sound of messy footsteps that could be heard outside.
A whileter, Zhou Xin hurriedly came in and respectfully presented a letter: ¡°Your Majesty, I just intercepted the flying pigeon message from Northern Yan to the capital, it is a military report.¡±
As he spoke, Zhou Xin gave Yelu Luan a meaningful nce.
Yelu Luan and the two Northern Yan envoys were both shocked, and an ominous premonition rose up from the depth of their hearts. Could it be that the information office set up by the Northern Yan in the capital has been exposed?
The emperor nced at the Northern Yan¡¯s Military report, and immediately after his lips curled up as he waved his hand and said, ¡°Show it to second prince Yelu.¡±
Zhou Xin then presented the military report to Yelu Luan.
Yelu Luan¡¯s hand trembled, and almost let go of the military report in his hand. On the top of the report, it was clearly written¡ª¡ª
Yu Fuyun already led his troops to take the Lunta Riverst night!
And this military report was written in the Yannguage, with the seal of Great General Xiao Li at the bottom, as well as their unique seal of Dayan, which cannot be forged.
And for the nth time, the imperial study was once again enveloped in silence.
Yelu Luan: ¡°!!¡±
For Yelu Luan, this news was thest straw that broke the camel¡¯s back.
Gu Zezhi looked at Yelu Luan with a smile and asked, ¡°Will you agree now?¡±
Yelu Lua¡¯s tense body tightened even more after remembering that just now Gu Zezhi clearly proposed to transfer the ¡°Lunta River¡± to Daqi, did he mean this, did Gu Zezhi know that Yu Fuyun would take the Lunta River?!
Upon realizing this, Yelu Luan¡¯s heart sank even deeper.
Obviously, the two Northern Yan ambassadors realize this, and just like Yelu Luan their eyes were incessantly flickering as if a butcher¡¯s knife was ced above their heads making the clothes on their backs wet.
Meanwhile, Yelu Luan¡¯s mind was now in chaos, his whole body seemed to be soaked in a wet swamp sinking him deeper and deeper¡
Everyone looked at Yelu Luan, not only the emperor, Gu Jing, and the others, but also the two envoys of the Northern Yan.
Each of them has different expressions, one was calm while the other one was anxious, there was also someone who was confused and others were nervous¡
They don¡¯t know how long it took before Yelu Luan finally uttered the word, ¡°agree¡± with much difficulty.
This one word seemed to have exhausted all of the strength in his body, as his whole being looked exhausted.
Different could be said for the two envoys of the Northern Yan, relief was written all over their faces when they heard this. They were really afraid that the war would resume and if the Northern Xinjiang Military continue their attack tonight, they would be the eternal sinner of Dayan!
On the same day, the emperormanded to the left minister of the Ministry of Rites to redraft the peace agreement, the three cities and one river of Northern Yan, plus the Lunta prairie would belong to Daqi eternally plus the previously mentioned 500,000 taels of gold, 5 million taels of silver, 3,000 Turkic horses, as well as the annual tribute and other terms.
The left minister of the Ministry of Rites who looked calm on the surface but was actually terrified, quickly prepared a new peace letter ording to Gu Zezhi¡¯s words.
The previous peace agreement led by the second prince, Gu Jing was also drafted by him himself, and obviously, the terms a few days ago were nothing more than Northern Yanpensating Daqi with 1,000 Turkic horses and 100,000 taels of silver and an additional 600 mares, it was included the marriage of the princess of Daqi and second prince Yelu of Northern Yan.
And right now, all of a sudden, the terms of the peace agreement changed drastically. ording to these terms, it was almost like ripping off ayer of flesh and blood from Northern Yan.
He was happy, this was indeed happiness!
As the left minister of the Ministry of Rites drew up the peace agreement happily, the ink on his brush immediately dried up, and a whileter, he carefully presented the newly drawn peace agreement to the emperor for review.
After the emperor looked over, he suddenly said, ¡°Add another one. From now on, Prince Yelu will stay in the capital of Daqi.¡±
¡°¡¡.¡±
¡°¡¡±
¡°¡¡.¡±
Yelu Luan¡¯s expression immediately changed, and raised his voice, ¡°Why?! There is no such use in the agreement just now!¡±
Staying in Daqi was tantamount to bing Dayan¡¯s hostage in Daqi, so how could Yelu Luan agree to this? He was still waiting to return to his country since he still has to fight for the crown!
The emperor slowly turned the emerald ring on his thumb and with sharp eyes, he calmly said, ¡°Since the second prince of Yelu has got the drawing of thepound bow, I, the emperor of Daqi can¡¯t let you go back.¡±
¡°Anyways, second prince Yelu, Daqi is not bad either, thend is vast and the resources are abundant, not to mention, talentse forth inrge numbers, isn¡¯t it?¡±
Yelu Luan felt his whole being freeze, and his blues eyes wide open in shock.
***
Chapter 301
Chapter 301
The emperor¡¯s words were like another heavy hammer hitting hard on Yelu Luan¡¯s heart making him feel the cold swamp has reached his lips¡
Does the Emperor of Daqi knows everything?!
But how?! Gu Jing¡¯splexion looked like he was wronged, and almost lost hisposure.
However, the emperor seems to not care about him and just looks at Yelu Luan as he continued, ¡°I will give you marriage with the third princess and Princess Yingluo, including a mansion.¡±
¡°After marriage, the three of you will never leave the mansion again.¡±
¡°These all are written in the agreement.¡±
The left minister of the Ministry of Rites was the only one who adhere as he wrote down the agreement use by use just like how he heard his emperor but couldn¡¯t hide his shock: the emperor¡¯s words revealed too much desire.
Was this a marriage¡ or a life imprisonment? What big mistake did the third princess and Princess Yingluo made!?
By this time, Yelu Luan was finally convinced, the Daqi emperor really knew everything.
After a short while, the left minister of the Ministry of Rites alreadypleted the new agreement and present it in front of Yelu Luan. The terms of this peace agreement were both written in Daqi¡¯s and Dayan¡¯s characters, it was written neatly in a row, and naturally, it was clear, with no mistake, and straightforward.
Although for Yelu Luan, every word in this agreement was too crude, every stroke was like countless needles stuck in his heart.
His thick and broad chest heaved violently wanting to tear up the peace agreement in front of him.
Of course, he didn¡¯t want to sign the agreement, however, he knew in his heart that he had no other choice. Even if he refuses to sign the agreement, the envoys who came with him were qualified to sign the agreement for him.
A¡¯suoye took a step forward and called him out in a low voice, ¡°Second Prince¡¡±
This call would look like getting his attention from other people¡¯s perspectives who were inside the imperial study but for Yelu Luan¡¯s ears, this was no different from a reminder and a threat.
However, if Yelu Luan doesn¡¯t sign this because he doesn¡¯t want to be a hostage, then he would be seen as the eternal sinner of Dayan so even if he returns home, the king of Dayan would not let him go unscathed, and nothing could be said different with the Emperor of Daqi since he has the blueprint of thepound bow, obviously, he would not let him go!
Perhaps not only him but all of the envoys who were with him might not be able to leave.
But if he takes the initiative to sign the peace agreement this time, and when this news travels back to his country then Dayan, his father would surely convict him.
Yelu Luan struggled to walk towards the table that was next to the window where the agreement was ced, the distance was less than three feet but to him, it felt like mountains of daggers and seas of mes, like some sort of torment.
One step after another, and another step after another¡
He couldn¡¯t believe that things had developed to this point!
He had been done by Gu Zezhi and Yu Fuyun together!
Finally, Yelu Luan arrived at the table, he stiffly picked up the brush on the brush holder.
His every moment was slow and rigid, and when he held the brush the veins on the back of his hand bulged.
The left minister of the Ministry of Rites looked at the peace agreement with burning eyes, watching Yelu Luan as he sign and sealed the peace agreement.
And finally, the dust settled.
The emperor indifferently ordered, ¡°Zhou Xin, send some people to send Second Prince Yelu and the two envoys back to Siyi Pavilion. Be sure to take good care of them.¡±
What he meant was, Yelu Luan and the two envoys were under house arrest.
Zhou Xin quickly obeyed the order.
Meanwhile, Yelu Luan¡¯s face was as ck as the bottom of a pot as he walked away without saluting the emperor.
The two Northern envoys did not dare to follow Yelu Luan, and politely saluted the emperor before chasing Yelu Luan out of the imperial study.
Gu Jing: ¡°¡¡±
Gu Jing stared at the door curtain swaying mid-air while still in doubt.
When he turned his gaze, he met the emperor¡¯s eyes. The father and son looked at each other, disappointment and indifference were clearly reflected in the emperor¡¯s eyes
Gu Jing¡¯s heart instantly sank, he slightly opened his lips wanting to say something but the emperor raised his hand and stopped him.
The emperor sharply asked, ¡°You have Yelu Luan the blueprint of thepound bow?¡±
Gu Jing: ¡°!¡±
Looking at the speechless Gu Jing, the emperor was even more disappointed with his son, he continued, ¡°Tai Wangye was in charge of the mass production ofpound bows in the Ministry of Industry, so he had the blueprint of thepound bow in his hand and in order to get the blueprint you deliberately diverted the tiger away from the mountain, and first tried to distract Tai Wangye so you let him go to the northern Xinjiang.¡±
Gu Jing: !!¡±
The emperor¡¯s eyes darkened even more as he said this.
His son has grown up and has his own ns, as well as ambitions, and although he could see some clues in his steps, he didn¡¯t put all the fragments into pieces until Gu Zezhi put them down for him.
¡°The reason why Yelu Luan proposed to marry Changning as part of the agreement is also your idea, isn¡¯t it?¡±
¡°Yingluo and Changning have already fought over who will get married, and you know Yingluo¡¯s knot in her heart so you use this matter of the two countries to put pressure on her and encourage her to steal the design of thepound bow in the study of Tai Wangye, isn¡¯t this emperor right?¡±
Gu Jing: ¡°!!!¡±
Emperor: ¡°Gu Jing, as the prince of Daqi, you betrayed Daqi. You let me down!¡±
¡°Imperial Father, this son never betrayed Daqi, and everything I did was for Daqi.¡± Gu Jing knelt down and looked up at the emperor to defend himself.
¡°Imperial Father, the future fate of Daqi is at stake in the peace talks between the two countries, and Daqi can no longer afford another bitter battle.¡±
¡°Last time, Daqi and Dayan fought periodically for more than ten years, and every year, the tax revenues from the south only went to northern Xinjiang which was not enough to bear the military pay and food.¡±
¡°After so many years of war, the lives of northern Xinjiang have been ruined. There are almost no strong men, there are not enough soldiers, not enough rations and food supplies, and there are still unrest in Daqi from time to time¡¡±
¡°Imperial Father, Daqi needs to rest and recuperate!¡±
Gu Jing looked at the emperor with sincerity.
***
Chapter 302
Chapter 302
Gu Jing was inwardly dissatisfied, in his eyes, his imperial father was supposed to be a wise ruler and had great intentions to restore the prosperity the Daqi once had, unlike the former emperor who became fatuous in hister years, and caused Daqi to its copse, and the people had no way of living.
So, even if his imperial father was leaning like the former emperor, it was inevitable that he only has the intention to spare but his strength was insufficient.
Gu Jing took two deep breaths to calm himself down a little before he continued to say seriously, ¡°Imperial father, of course, this son would not be so stupid as to give Yelu Luan that blueprint, it was fake.¡±
The emperor slightly raised his eyebrows in surprise, this was something he didn¡¯t expect.
Seeing that the emperor believed him, Gu Jing continued: ¡°Imperial father, perhaps this son isn¡¯t thoughtful enough in some aspects but this son never has the heart to betray Daqi.¡±
¡°The blueprint of thepound bow was given to this son by Yingluo voluntarily, saying that she knows that this son is in peace talks with Northern Yan, and this blueprint can make Yelu Luan agree to the terms of the peace talks as soon as possible.¡±
¡°Of course, this son thought it was also inappropriate, but thinking about what Yelu Luan had said before that if Daqi was willing to give the blueprint of thepound bow, he can give Daqi more than 1000 Turkic horses, so this son made its mind.¡±
¡°But this son also knows that thepound bow is of great importance and must not fall into the hands of the Northern Yan, so this son gave a fake blueprint to Yelu Luan.¡±
The emperor looked at Gu Jing in silence as he slowly turned the jade ring, not expressing his opinion.
Gu Jing took out a blueprint from his arms and presented it with both hands high, Zhou Xin then took the blueprint and handed it to the emperor.
Gu Jing kowtowed repeatedly to the emperor, ¡°Imperial Father although this son wanted to sign a peace agreement with Northern Yan as soon as possible, in hope that the two countries can have a truce, this son will never betray Daqi.¡±
The emperor took the blueprint of thepound bow without looking at it and handed it directly to Gu Zezhi, giving him a meaningful look.
Since Gu Zezhi has set up this game, so of course, he would not really let Yelu Luan get the real blueprint. The said blueprint in Tai Wangye¡¯s mansion was originally tampered with.
Gu Zezhi nced at the blueprint in his hand, this was actually drawn by him, so he naturally wouldn¡¯t admit it. However, it was just merely a blueprint, that¡¯s for sure.
Gu Jing noticed the exchange of nces between Gu Zezhi and the emperor and secretly heaved a sigh of relief, knowing that the most difficult hurdle had passed and a cold sweat broke out on the back of his neck.
¡°Imperial Father, although the peace talks between this son are unfavorable, this son really did not do anything to betray Daqi.¡± Gu Jing stressed again, ¡°The peace between the two countries has note easy, and this son always believes that we should not go to war again!¡±
The emperor looked at Gu Jing and hesitated to speak but, in the end, he didn¡¯t say anything and just slightly pursed his thin lips.
After a while, the emperor said, ¡°Go back to your pce, and reflect on yourself.¡±
This statement was tantamount to striping him of his duties, seeing that Gu Jing was not up for the job.
¡°Yes, Imperial Father.¡± At this moment, Gu Jing dare not say a word more. After kowtowing to the emperor again, he got up and retreated.
As he kowtows and withdrew, his hand hidden in his sleeve was still slightly shaking as his heart tightened.
In the imperial study, only the emperor, Gu Zezhi and Gu Zhen were left.
The emperor began to slowly turn the jade again, and only after a while did he sigh, ¡°It¡¯s a pity.¡±
Gu Zezhi knew what the emperor was saying, and nodded slightly.
Truly a pity.
Daqi¡¯s foundation was too weak.
Ever since the former emperor¡¯ster years, Daqi has been riddled with holes, the national treasury was empty, and chaos was everywhere, in addition, Northern Yan and Xidi have invaded the Daqi¡¯s border for years. Today¡¯s Daqi was just merely making it known that they still have enough manpower to wage a war but that¡¯s all and nothing more, otherwise, they could take advantage of this great victory in northern Xinjiang and seize the Dayan¡¯s capital then maybe they could really win and conquer the north.
The emperor softly sighed again, his body has been in poor health for many years now, and his spirit was no different.
At the beginning of his ession to the throne, he also made great efforts to govern, but he was powerless. It took him ten years to get rid of the plight of almost losing his country, but domestic and foreign troubles continued.
Regardless of whether Gu Jing was just exonerating himself or not, there was one thing that he was right about, Daqi had no strength to fight anymore.
¡°It¡¯s a pity¡¡± the emperor couldn¡¯t help but said it again.
Gu Zezhi said softly: ¡°Your Majesty, after Daqi recovers, we will fight again.¡±
The emperor was stunned and subconsciously looked at Gu Zezhi.
Gu Zezhi stood with his hands behind his back, and his usual beautiful and gentle eyebrows and eyes showed sharpness, like a sharp sword being drawn from its sheath, gleaming with a deep chill.
A smile slowly escaped from the corners of the emperor¡¯s mouth, and his expression gained confidence.
The emperor pped loudly as he said with a smile, ¡°Then I will wait for you to open up the territory for Daqi.¡±
Gu Zhen who was watching the adults also followed his imperial father pping and nodding heavily.
¡°Your Majesty,¡± Gu Zezhi smiled and cupped his hand, ¡°Da Qi still has Yu Fuyun.¡±
¡°Well said!¡± The emperorughed heartily.
Yes, Daqi has Yu Fuyun and Gu Zezhi¡
***
Chapter 303
Chapter 303
The previously gloomy look on the emperor¡¯s face was immediately swept away as he looked at Gu Zhen lovingly, and asked patiently, ¡°Zhen¡¯er, what do you understand?¡±
Gu Zhen jumped down from the chair, bowed to the emperor, and solemnly said, ¡°Answering to Imperial Father, do not just look at the immediate sess and failures in front when doing things.¡±
The emperor smiled encouragingly and asked again, ¡°What else?¡±
Gu Zhen who just turned six years old still talks with his soft and milky voice, but his thoughts and way of speaking were already organized and said again. ¡°When Northern Yan has offered to give Turkic horses to us before, we should not only see how good Turkic horses are but also think deeply about their intention on why they give them to us.¡±
The emperor listened with a smile as his eyes also flicked slightly.
Initially, when he heard that North Yan was willing to give 500 Turkic horses, the emperor actually could not stop his excitement.
These Turkic horses were really too important for Daqi since these could help improve Daqi¡¯s cavalry horses, but Gu Zezhi poured cold water on him, saying. ¡°Turkic horses are very important to Northern Yan. Dayan and Daqi are in a feud, but Yelu Luan promised five hundred Turkic horses so easily, there must something wrong with it.¡±
The emperor felt that what Gu Zezhi said was reasonable, and so he also keeps this in mind.
He originally thought that Northern Yan would give Daqi some inferior horses at most, and never expected that Yelu Luan would actually use such vicious tricks as giving Daqi gue horses.
After all, the temptation of Turkic horses was just too great, if it wasn¡¯t for Gu Zezhi¡¯s warning they might have really caught into Northern Yan¡¯s schemes.
If not because of that warning, war horses in northern Xinjian would be in danger!
Just thinking about this sent a chill to the emperor for a while, after drinking two sips of his tea only then did his mood stabilizes.
After putting down the teacup, the emperor looked at Gu Zezhi again and asked curiously, ¡°Zezhi, did you really know it was horse gue?¡±
Gu Zezhi shook his head and replied truthfully, ¡°I don¡¯t know, I don¡¯t have the ability to predict.¡±
Saying this, he had this smile on his face, like a breeze blowing through willow branches with a light breeze and thin clouds.
The emperor looked at him and could not guess whether his words were true or not.
Gu Zezhi was clearly only a young man but his resourcefulness and wit were far superior to that of ordinary people. He takes one step while thinking about his next ten steps which simply gives him the idea of how to predict his opponent¡¯s next move making him incredible.
¡°I know, I know!¡± Gu Zhen excitedly raised his hand and his eyes were sparkling. ¡°It¡¯s before it rains, bind around with silk*.¡±
(*taking precautions.)
¡°That¡¯s why General Yu went to northern Xinjiang, right!¡±
Gu Zhen looked at the emperor with a burning gaze and his small face glowed as if the word e and praise me¡± were written all over his face.
He figured it out on his own!
The emperorughed again and praised his son as he wished, ¡°Zhen¡¯er is so smart.¡±
Gu Zhen smiled and a pair of shallow dimples appeared on his round little face with a touch of embarrassment and shyness.
Seeing this, the emperor beckoned Gu Zhen toe closer and rubbed the top of his soft hair before sending him first to the inner room to read.
Gu Zhen obediently left with the eunuch.
The emperor looked at the receding back of Gu Zhen leaving when he suddenly asked Gu Zezhi in a low voice: ¡°Zezhi, what do you think of the Zhen¡¯er?¡±
The curtain was raised and then lowered again, and Gu Zhen was already out of sight.
Gu Zezhi: ¡°A benevolent and skillful execution, good at thinking and understanding everything right off.¡±
This was apliment but the emperor¡¯s expression became more serious.
In the imperial study, there was a moment of silence until the door curtain that was swaying stopped, did the emperor asked again, ¡°Is he suitable to be the crown prince?¡±
Gu Zezhi looked at the emperor calmly, and theymunicated with each other¡¯s eyes, before he said.
¡°The second prince is ambitious but short-sighted; the third prince is gentle andcks assertiveness; the fourth prince is young and weak, and is raised by a woman¡¡±
The emperor¡¯s descendants were weak, and the fifth prince died early at the age of five, followed by the youngest sixth prince, Gu Zhen.
¡°Although the sixth prince is small, there are advantages to being small¡¡±
Gu Zezhi stopped at that point and did not continue.
In fact, the person who knows best about the strengths and weaknesses of several imperial princes was the emperor himself.
The country does not have a crown prince. Gu Zhen was young which was a disadvantage and an advantage at the same time. He was a nk te because he was young and was easier to teach.
Moreover, Gu Zhen was intelligent, deduce many things from one case, and was clear-minded, although he doesn¡¯t have the resoluteness and decisiveness that a king should have, he could make good decisions in dealing with things but he was also not the kind of ruler who wants to conquer othernds, instead he had a benevolent heart and judge a person with his own eyes and open-minded, he was also eager to learn. He ought and possibly preserve the aplishments of previous generations.
And now Daqi also needs a centralized leader as they recuperate!
Casting his eyes down, the emperor was lost in his thoughts in silence.
The courtiers have quarreled many times over the issue of ¡°establishing a legitimate heir¡± and ¡°establishing the elders but not the young¡±. Basically, they are talking about ¡°the legitimate son and the concubine-son¡±, but Gu Zezhi was different, he analyzes the princes¡¯ individual characters and abilities before giving his judgment.
After thinking about it for a long time, the emperor chooses not to say anything in the end and just lets Gu Zezhi rest.
In the imperial study, only Zhou Xin stayed to serve tea to the emperor.
Outside the window, the spring breeze gently swayed the leaves, and the subtle rustling sound made the room extremely quiet, dappled with mixed light and shadow cast on the emperor¡¯s face making hisplexion profound andplicated.
Silence enveloped the inside and outside of the imperial study room.
***
Chapter 304
Chapter 304
The next morning on their morning court, the emperor announced a few things directly.
¡°Yu Fuyun led his army to take the three cities namely; Beimeng, Tuli, and Lunta City as well as Lunta River.¡±
¡°Daqi and Northern Yan had reached a peace agreement, and Wang Jilin the left minister of the Ministry of Rites is sent as an envoy together with two envoys of Northern Yan with the letter of the peace agreement of the two countries to King of Yan.¡±
¡°Marriage is given to the Second Prince of Yan to Third Princess Changning and Princess Yingluo.¡±
¡°And this emperor will establish Gu Zhen, the sixth prince as the crown prince.¡±
Every word of the emperor resounded in everyone¡¯s ears like a thunderbolt in the sky as each of those words was of great importance that even if they were said separately, it was enough to shake the court.
And instantly an uproar could be heard in the Jinluan Hall.
All the ministers were dumbfounded by the first announcement made by the emperor and immediately had countless doubts such as when did Yu Fuyun went to northern Xinjiang, or what were the terms of the peace talks between the two countries and how could the emperor make the third princess and Princess Yingluo marry Second Prince Yelu.
But these shocking events were not as shocking as thest sentence the emperor brought to them. The emperor actually nned to make the sixth prince the crown prince so suddenly!
After a brief shock, all the ministers came back to their senses with different expressions, some were in disbelief, some were bewildered, some disapproves while others did not give much opinion and some immediately stood up from the line and expresses their objections one after another.
¡°Your Majesty, the emperor, the sixth prince is young, and there is a saying that the country should not establish a young ruler, please think twice before acting your majesty, the emperor.¡±
¡°Your Majesty, what Minister Zuo said is very true. The Sixth Prince is only six years old, so it is really difficult for him to take on a big responsibility.¡±
¡°This minister seconded.¡±
Among the ministers who object, some simply thought that the emperor¡¯s move of establishing the sixth prince as the crown prince was too hasty, while some of those were supporters of the second prince. Thinking that after the second prince busied himself with the Northern Yan peace talk that has now suddenly concluded, and how the second prince was ordered to confine in his pce for self-examination, they all concluded that he must have made a big mistake during the peace talks.
Now that the second prince¡¯s situation was obviously disadvantageous, and the emperor suddenly wanted to establish a crown prince, no matter what, they need to dy this.
Moreover, the Daqi Dynasty paid more attention to capabilities first, among the previous generations of emperors, four surpassed their sons to sit on the throne.
The emperor sat with his expression unchanged on the high imperial throne hall, he was neither surprised nor angry or outraged.
It wasn¡¯t until these ministers finished speaking did the emperor in front of them asked indifferently and rhetorically, ¡°Is this emperor going to die?¡±
¡°¡¡.¡±
¡°¡..¡±
¡°¡..¡±
This short question from the emperor made the whole hall silent and stood in awe.
Who dares to answer?!
As the emperor said, he was still alive, and the crown prince was only a crown prince, what young ruler were they talking about?!
However, even so, many courtiers still feel it was inappropriate.
After all, the sixth prince was too young, and it was not umon in history that people who were ¡°younger, may not be good¡±. Now if the sixth prince was established as the crown prince and was deemed inappropriate in the future, and would be abolished from the title it would cause turmoil in the court, and even cause a grudge between the new crown prince and the sixth prince in the future!
With this in thought, another seven to eight courtiers jumped out of the line.
¡°The health of the emperor¡¯s dragon body is a blessing to Daqi, so the matter of establishing a crown prince should not be rushed. Why don¡¯t we discuss it in the long run?¡±
¡°Lord Chen is right. His royal highness the sixth prince is still young so it is better to wait for his highness to grow up in a few years, by then it will still be not toote to establish a crown prince again!¡±
¡°¡..¡±
And once again the Jinluan Hall was in chaos.
The matter of establishing a crown prince was rted to the lifeline of the country, so even if some ministers had important things to report, they set aside their report for now, after all,pared with the matter of establishing a crown prince, other things were nothing.
The morning court for this day did not have a break until noon.
However, chaos was not only heard in the court but also in the harem.
***
Chapter 305
Chapter 305
In the Fengluan Pce, Imperial Concubine Xu and Changning knelt in front of Empress Wei. Changning was crying like a pear blossom as crystal tears rolled down her eyes like pearls on her slightly pale cheeks.
Qin Jiu was also there, sitting on the side armchair silently looking at Imperial Concubine Xu and Changning, the mother and daughter pair.
Imperial Concubine Xu and Changning came to Empress Wei more than an hour ago, but Empress Wei refused to see them so the mother and daughter kneeled outside Fengluan Pce while crying straight up, no matter how much the pce maids persuade them to leave.
At that time, Qin Jiu was apanying Empress Wei, who was still recuperating, so during this time the concubines, prince, and princess didn¡¯t need to greet her early morning.
The two of them were in the middle of their breakfast, and because of the mother and daughter¡¯s fuss early in the morning, Qin Jiu wasn¡¯t able to finish her bowl of congee.
After eating, Empress Wei didn¡¯t let Imperial Concubine An and her daughter in until after a cup of teater, and as soon as the mother and daughter came in, they immediately knelt and started crying once again.
Qin Jiu looked at the mother and daughter with great interest and felt that they were worthy of being mother and daughter. Both of them cried beautifully, their eyes were red, and foggy after being washed by tears, however, they did not look remorseful at all. On the contrary, they looked delicate, and weak, more like a beauty who looked so pitiful after being bullied.
Empress Wei ignored Imperial Concubine Xu and Changning, and instead continue chatting with Qin Jiu with a smile.
Kneeling at one side, Imperial Concubine Xu and Changning wiped their tears with their handkerchief, while quietly looking at Empress Wei from the corner of their eyes.
They originally wanted to wait for the empress to take the initiative to ask but instead, they heard Empress Wei chatting happily with Qin Jiu. The two chatted about the ¡°Peony Pavillon¡± to ¡°Mu Guiying Takes Command¡±, and talk more about books that had just been handed over by the Zhongguo Division.
Imperial Concubine Xu: ¡°¡.¡±
Imperial Concubine Xu wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief again as her eyes flickered.
There was really no other way, so Imperial Concubine Xu could only open her mouth and said to Changning, ¡°Changning, you are still sick, is your body, okay? Are you taking your medicine on time?¡±
¡°This concubine mother knows that you are filial, and is copying the ¡°Buddhist Sutra¡± every day to ask blessings for the empress but you also need to take care of yourself ah¡¡±
Imperial Concubine Xu may have said it like she was praising her daughter for her filial pity but in fact, behind those words meant that Changning was praying for the empress, and that was why she got sick.
Empress Wei still ignored them as if she never heard what Imperial Concubine Xu had said.
Seeing this, Changning sobbed a few times as if suppressing her tears as she said, ¡°Concubine mother, this daughter is fine. This daughter made concubine mother worry.¡±
¡°Changning, you have been like this since you were a child. You take care of everything yourself¡¡±
As Imperial Concubine Xu said this, she began to sob again while wiping her tears from the corner of her eyes with a handkerchief.
¡°Since you are sick go back and let the imperial physician take a look, don¡¯t dy the wedding date.¡± At this time, Empress Wei finally spoke gracefully and calmly to them.
The moment she said ¡°wedding date¡± the empress¡¯s voice was so cold that they all felt chill all over their body.
Qin Jiu had already heard from Empress Wei that the emperor bestowed marriages on Yelu Luan, Changning, and Yingluo, so hearing Empress Wei say this her expression was subtle.
Originally, the emperor didn¡¯t n on bestowing marriage of his offspring to Dayan which Qin Jiu already know, and she also heard Empress Wei mention this herself before the incident.
But this would be different now since ording to Empress Wei in the future Yelu Luan would have an ¡°extended stay¡± in the capital and couldn¡¯t leave his residence without official reason which clearly meant that he would be imprisoned for life.
After several months of getting along with each other, Qin Jiu knew a little about her uncle, the emperor. He was used to being gentle to others, so gentle that he doesn¡¯t look like an emperor at all
Therefore, the reason for the marriage proposal was obviously because the emperor hated Changning so much that he made her marry Yelu Luan.
Qin Jiu¡¯s eyes shed as she thought of a vague guess: The reason why her aunt had a sudden asthma attack was really rted to Changning!
On the other, hearing Empress Wei mention the ¡°wedding date¡±, Changning¡¯s face turned paler than a white paper and her thin and delicate body shook violently and almost fell down.
¡°Changning!¡± Imperial Concubine Xu eximed as she rushed over and hugged Changning in her arms and tears streaming down her face as if she had lost her daughter.
Imperial Concubine Xu patted Changning on the back and pleaded to Empress Wei again, ¡°Empress has watched Changning grow up, and she has always been filial to you. She had a fever because of a knife wound two days ago, but even so she still always wanted to pray for you¡¡±
¡°Empress, forgive me for daring to say that Changning is too weak to bear the pain of marrying someone in Northern Yan.¡±
Imperial Concubine Xu said this very sadly and with reddened eyes.
She really loves her daughter, and she couldn¡¯t help ming Empress Wei for being cruel.
Also, it¡¯s not like she could me herself just because Changning didn¡¯t crawl out from the empress¡¯s stomach. Changning already cut her flesh and prayed for her, but the empress didn¡¯t have a trace of kindness for her¡
Empress Wei drew a sneer from the corner of her lips as she looked at the mother and daughter kneeling on the ground, with sharp eyes she said indifferently: ¡°Filial piety, do you mean deliberately scattering catkins where this empress passes by?¡±
Imperial Concubine Xu and Changning froze as if they had been pped in the face, both mother and daughter forgot to cry and looked up at Empress Wei in disbelief.
How did the Empress know about this?!
***
Chapter 306
Chapter 306
Empress Wei drew a sneer from the corner of her lips as she looked at the mother and daughter kneeling on the ground, with sharp eyes she said indifferently: ¡°Filial piety, do you mean deliberately scattering catkins where this empress passes by?¡±
Imperial Concubine Xu and Changning froze as if they had been pped in the face, both mother and daughter forgot to cry and looked up at Empress Wei in disbelief.
How did the empress know about this?!
Meanwhile, Qin Jiu: Sure enough!
¡°Someone.¡± Empress Wei raised her hand and made a gesture.
The door curtain was immediately opened from the outside, and Xiao Kouzi walked in followed by two other servants escorting a maid in blue, soon a group of people filed in and bowed to the empress.
¡°Empress, this servant had brought Mingfang, and Li Rende.¡± Xiao Kouzi bowed to Empress Wei and said.
Imperial Concubine Xu and Changning¡¯s expressions changed as their gazes fell on the pce maid, Mingfang.
Mingfang was a pce maid in the Changning Pce.
The pce maid, Mingfang staggered to her knees on the ground, her face paling while her whole body trembling like a falling leaf against wind and rain.
Empress Wei slightly nodded, Xiao Kouzi turned to a square-faced pce maid beside her and said, ¡°Li Rende, you speak first!¡±
Li Rende also bowed to Empress Wei and said tremblingly, ¡°On the first day of the first month, before the Empress went for a walk in the imperial garden, this servant saw Mingfang carrying a basket past Yuanxiang Water Pavilion and went up the rockery next to it. At that time, this servant thought that Mingfang was going to pick flowers, and did not care.¡±
Xiao Kouzi took a bamboo basket from another round-faced pce maid behind her and presented it to Youbai, then said, ¡°This basket was found in Mingfang¡¯s room, and there are still willow catkins in it.¡±
With just these few words, Mingfang¡¯s body trembled even more.
¡°Your Majesty, the empress, please spare this ve¡¯s life.¡± She kowtowed heavily to Empress Wei that her forehead knocked with a thud, and within a few kowtowed her forehead was now red and swollen, ¡°It was all because Her Highness, the Third Princess, she instructed this servant to do so.¡±
Imperial Concubine Xu¡¯splexion was extremely uglier at this time.
Witnesses and physical evidence were all there, and there was no way to refute them.
In other words, the emperor already believed it, and it was useless for them to say more!
Empress Wei¡¯s eyes became even colder as she looked down at Imperial Concubine Xu and Changning who were kneeling on the ground, and the sarcasm at the corner of her mouth intensified, ¡°So this is filial piety!¡±
¡°¡¡.¡± Imperial Concubine Xu was speechless.
Changning, on the other hand, was too shocked to move, she knew that the situation would get worst after seeing Mingfang and at this moment her mind was nk, and couldn¡¯t think at all.
She had no other way but to make this decision, after all, she was just a concubine-born daughter and although she was regarded as a princess in the eyes of others, she was still a concubine-born daughter. And one of the people who could decide her marriage with one word was the empress.
She didn¡¯t intend to harm the empress and just wanted to let the empress get a little sick so that she could give her a chance to show her filial piety.
Obviously, since childhood, as long as she cries everyone would soften their heart for her, so this time she thought it would be the same.
She clearly calcted everything, so why did things develop to this point?!
Changning felt cold all over her body and even pierces her heart.
¡°Imperial Mother, this daughter¡knows she¡¯s wrong!¡± Changning took a few steps towards Empress Wei¡¯s knees in fear, and tears slid down her cheeks again as she begged pitifully. ¡°Please forgive this daughter, this daughter didn¡¯t intend to harm you!¡±
That¡¯s right, wasn¡¯t the empress doing fine, she has no desire and intention to harm anyone! She just wanted to find a way out for herself!
Imperial Concubine Xu at the side was also crying as she begged, ¡°Empress, Changning knows her mistake and from now on, Changning will listen to you. She is weak and cannot marry far away in a barbarian ce like the Northern Yan.¡±
Empress Wei raised her willow eyebrows and said calmly, ¡°Can¡¯t marry far away? It¡¯s okay, Second Prince Yelu will have an extend stay in the capital and so in the future, the emperor will give him a residence soon.¡±
¡°As for Changning¡¡±
Empress Wei¡¯s cold gaze fell on Changning¡¯s teary-eyed pretty face appearing all pitiful without a bit of softness.
She still remembered how Changning had used low-handed means to plot against Qin Jiu at the hunting pcest year, fortunately, Qin Jiu was smart enough to prevent her from seeding.
Changning had many thoughts running inside her head after hearing the empress and thought that things could get more out of hand.
Empress Wei continued: ¡°Changning, don¡¯te back here in the pce after you get married, so as to avoid the willow catkins floating around and making the pce ufortable.¡±
Changning: ¡°!!!¡±
Changning¡¯s pupils shrank and couldn¡¯t believe her ears as if all her strength was suddenly drained away.
Beforeing to Fengluan Pce today, she imagined that the worst situation would be going to Northern Yan and getting married.
Thinking that since no matter what she was still a princess, her status was higher than that of Yingluo so naturally, she would be the main wife, and Yingluo could only be the concubine, therefore even if she marries far away, she would still keep her status as the wife consort and may even be the queen of Northern Yan in the future.
However, she never thought that Yelu Luan would stay in the capital as a hostage, and she would be also put under house arrest. Wouldn¡¯t that be the same as going to prison?!
Then wouldn¡¯t she be trapped in a square inch ofnd for the rest of her life, and only seeing that square inch of the sky?!
Deep despair appeared in Changning¡¯s eyes; her life was over before it even started!!
¡°¡¡¡± Changning¡¯s throat tightened, she wanted to talk but couldn¡¯t make any sound, and could only taste a strong bitterness spread from the bottom of her throat.
¡°Empress¡¡±
Imperial Concubine Xu on the other hand still wanted to intercede for her daughter but Empress Wei didn¡¯t want the mother and daughter to speak anymore, she said. ¡°As for Imperial Concubine Xu, you will be demoted to the third ss from today onwards and you will never be allowed toe out from your pce without an order from this empress.¡±
If Imperial Concubine Xu was demoted to the third ss, she, Changning her daughter would be a daughter of not even a mere concubine without a title, but a meiren*.
(*beautifuldy)
Empress Wei ordered again, ¡°Xiao Kouzi, send those people back. The third princess is about to get married so make sure she stays in her pce and prepares for her marriage.¡±
Xiao Kouzi immediately bowed to ept the order and had a few maids boorishly ¡°helped¡± Meiren Xu and Changning up from the ground and escorted them out of the Fengluan Pce.
These pce maids were not polite at all, after all, anyone could see that Meiren Xu and Changning, this mother and daughter have beenpletely ruined. In the pce, this kind of thing has long beenmon.
Changning¡¯s mind was buzzing, and her whole person was confused as she was dazedly dragged out of the East Side Hall by the pce maids.
When she went out from the main hall, she saw a familiar figure not far ahead of her and slightly narrowed her eyes.
Tai Qin Wang Fei led Yingluo into the main hall of Fengluan Pce, Yingluo was following behind her mother in a daze as if she didn¡¯t see Changning at all.
Boom!
Changning only felt as if a me exploded in her head, and anger instantly spread to her whole body, burning her out of reason.
***
Chapter 307
Chapter 307
¡°It¡¯s all because of you!¡±
Changning rushed towards Yingluo and wrestled with her as she shouted hysterically, ¡°You¡¯ve caused me harm!¡±
Yes, it¡¯s all because of Yingluo.
If it wasn¡¯t for Yingluo¡¯s instigation, how could she have gotten into trouble with Qin Jiu, and could she have offended the empress!
She made a mistake on her first step, so her next step was also a mistake and the oue end up like this today!
Changning vented all her resentment on Yingluo as she grabbed and bit her.
¡°Princess!¡±
¡°Her Royal Highness Third Princess!¡±
Tai Qin Wang Fei¡¯s maidservants as well as the maidservants brought by Meiren Xu were in a mess as they tried to separate them.
The servants in Fengluan Pce who escorted Meiren Xu out as well as other servants who were working either, continued their work or watch while others move some valuable vases far away to avoid the scramble.
There was amotion in the main hall so naturally, this noise reached the east side of the hall where the empress was, a pce maid immediately went to report the incident to Empress Wei.
Empress Wei looked calm as she slowly removed the floating stem on the tea with the tea lid, and said with half a smile, ¡°Let them be.¡±
¡°They have a lifetime to fightter!¡± Empress Wei hooked her lips meaningfully.
Qin Jiu nodded approvingly, thinking that Changning and Yingluo¡¯s brains weren¡¯t probably very good, or that their braincked supplements and needs repair. It was obviously clear that no one needs to get married but, in the end, they have to make a fuss, who could they me?
Empress Wei put down the teacup and turned to look at Qin Jiu, ¡°What did we just talk about?¡±
Qin Jiu woke up from her thoughts and in high spirits picked up the book as she continued to chat with Empress Wei, ¡°Aunt, I think this book plot should be changed into the heroine suing her husband and son, how can she indulge her unfilial son?¡±
¡°And here¡.¡±
Qin Jiu turned two more pages, pointing to another plot with excitement.
One of the two was happily talking while the other one was happily listening and before they knew it the hall outside fell into silence once again, and when You Bai came in, she said. ¡°Your Majesty, the empress, Tai Qin Wang Fei request for an audience.¡±
¡°Finished fighting?¡± Empress Wei asked casually.
¡°It¡¯s over.¡± You Bai said with a suppressed smile, ¡°The third princess scratched Princess Yingluo¡¯s face. Princess Yingluo kicked the third princess a few times causing the third princess to roll on the ground and cried out in pain.¡± The third princess pretended to be sick and always has tricks behind her sleeves, these people have long been used to it.
¡°The maidservant asked someone for the imperial physician and sent away the third princess and Meiren Xu.¡±
Empress Wei said casually, ¡°Tell Tai Qin Wang Fei that this empress will not see her, and instead ask her daughter, Yingluo what she did. Don¡¯t let them bother Empress dowager either.¡±
You Bai epted the order before retreating back.
The two, aunt and niece, talk once again about the book for a while. Empress Wei said in a good mood, ¡°This empress will ask Zhong Gusi to change the plot of the story and then arrange it into a y.¡±
Qin Jiu¡¯s eyes lit up and got excited, pping her hands, she said. ¡°Good, that¡¯s good.¡±
Empress Wei looked at Qin Jiu with a smile on her face and was about to order someone to go to the Library Division when a young maidservant in green hurriedly came in and out of breath said, ¡°Empress, it¡¯s not good, the emperor just fainted!¡±
The atmosphere suddenly turned cold and the air condensed.
Empress Wei¡¯s face visibly turned pale as she stood up and said, ¡°Take this empress to see the emperor quickly!¡±
The young maidservant in green hurriedly responded, and walked ahead to lead the way for Empress Wei, and the maidservants including You Bai also hurriedly followed while Qin Jiu was left alone.
Qin Jiu stayed where she was and did not follow. She knew there was nothing she could do to help so she didn¡¯t follow Empress Wei and caused inconvenience instead.
The rest of the servants in Fengluan Pce had a heavy expressions on their faces, and the whole pce seems to be shrouded in ayer of gloomy clouds.
Empress Wei did not return to Fengluan Pce all night.
Although Qin Jiu was now staying in the pce she couldn¡¯t just inquire about the emperor¡¯s affairs and that night she didn¡¯t sleep well. The next morning, she was woken up by a rustling sound outside, so she simply got up early.
After getting up, she learned from a maidservant that the empress¡¯s puppy named Shuangyu, had gone somewhere.
So, Qin Jiu also helped them find the little puppy from Fengluan Pce all the way to the imperial garden.
¡°Shuangyu, Shuangyu¡¡±
A rustling sound could be heard in the hydrangea bushes in front of her when suddenly a white jade-like dumpling ran out of the bushes, its butt facing her and it started running forward.
¡°Shuangyu!¡±
Qin Jiu went around the flower bed and chased after the puppy, and two feet away the chubby body was bouncing up and down, looking extremely agile.
Slightly bending, Qin Jiu wanted to grab the puppy when she saw a slender hand from the side grabbing the puppy¡¯s neck and lifting it up.
The white chubby puppy whose neck was held struggled with his short and fat limbs midair as it ¡°whimpers¡± and his watery eyes seemed to be covered with a thin mist looking pitiful.
However, the owner of the right hand was as stable as Mount Tai, and the hand holding its chubby neck didn¡¯t even flinch.
The corner of Qin Jiu¡¯s lips curled up as her gaze fell on slender knuckles.
She straightened up as she slowly moved her gaze from the hand and met a pair of warm eyes, smiling she said sweetly, ¡°Big Brother.¡±
***
Chapter 308
Chapter 308
¡°Your dog?¡± Gu Zezhi looked at her with a smile as he gave the puppy in his hand to Qin Jiu.
Qin Jiu shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s aunt¡¯s dog.¡±
She carefully held the white dumpling in her arms and stroked its round head. The white dumpling squinted, feeling exhrated, and pressed its head against her palm even more.
¡°Brother, are youing here to visit the emperor?¡± Qin Jiu stroked the white dumpling¡¯s head again as she continued, ¡°Why did the emperor suddenly get sick?¡±
¡°The emperor is ill with anger.¡± Gu Zezhi said.
The spring breeze in March was warm, and the imperial garden was full of flowers, but Qin Jiu was not interested in appreciating it. She instead slightly widened her eyes in shock.
Gu Zezhi continued: ¡°During the early court yesterday when the emperor proposed to establish the sixth prince as the crown prince, the courtiers raised objections one after another. Some objections were justified, but there were also deliberate and arbitrary.¡±
Gu Zezhi knew in his heart that most of the courtiers who objected and causes trouble were Gu Jing¡¯s people. To put it bluntly, they wanted to deliberately interfere with the establishment of the crown prince, after all, Gu Jing now made a big mistake and was also grounded by the emperor making him unable topete with Gu Zhen for the title.
¡°Just because of this?¡± Qin Jiu¡¯s big, beautiful eyes were as deep as an ink pool.
It couldn¡¯t be that this was the only reason.
The emperor has a good temper, so how could he get angry to the point of getting ill just because the courtiers oppose his notion.
In the spring breeze, the willow branches along thekeside move with the wind, gently plucking theke surface, and ripples appeared on the clear and mirror-likeke surfaceyer uponyer¡
Gu Zezhi shook his head, ¡°No.¡±
¡°The emperor knew a long time ago that making the sixth prince the crown prince, the courtiers will certainly have opposition, this matter will just slowly grind its way.¡±
Qin Jiu held the white dumpling in one hand, and slowly stroked it with the other as she thinks about it too, the emperor was the son of heaven, if he wants to establish someone who could stop him.
Even if these courtiers were opposed today, what about a monthter, six monthster, or even a yearter?
As long as the emperor¡¯s will was firm, no matter how fierce the opposition was, it was nothing more than just hitting the pir. That¡¯s what happens in TV dramas!
Gu Ze said, ¡°It was Wang Yu¡¯s letter.¡±
Qin Jiu: ¡°?¡±
Qin Jiu has not been in the capital for less than half a year so she still hasn¡¯t figured out so many noble ns and courtiers in the capital. She only vaguely feels that they sound familiar, and nkly blinks her eyes as she tries to search for the said person in her memory.
Gu Zezhi could tell that Qin Jiu didn¡¯t know Wang Yu at all, the corner of his lips curled up, and said, ¡°Wang Yu is the emperor¡¯s younger brother, the ninth son of thete emperor, and also his most beloved son.¡±
¡°It was because of Wang Yu that thete emperor wanted to abolish the crown prince several times, but your grandfather disrupted the situation so the crown prince was not abolished but was imprisoned instead by thete emperor. Before thete emperor died, he left an edict saying that Wang Yu¡¯s title will be hereditary and will never be demoted, and Wang Yu shall have his residence in Yuzhou forever.¡±
¡°After the emperor ascended to the throne, Wang Yu went to Yuzhou, and he is also the only one among the former emperor¡¯s princes who has a fief.¡±
¡°Over the years, Wang Yu has been quiet, but yesterday he suddenly sent a letter saying that Princess Yongle is dead¡¡±
¡°Princess Yongle is the emperor¡¯s full-blooded sister, when thete emperor was still in reign he married her to Wang Yu¡¯s cousin, his mother¡¯s side in Dongping County, andter lived in the fiefdom of Wang Yu¡Princess Yongle is only thirty-eight years old this year.¡±
When thete emperor was alive, he favored Imperial Concubine Fang Shu and even favored the ninth son born by the imperial concubine. Back then, Imperial Concubine Fang Shu proposed marriage for Yongle to her nephew, andter was forced by thete emperor¡¯s edict.
The emperor and Yongle were close siblings, so when the emperor heard the news of his eldest sister¡¯s death, the emperor had an anger attack.
¡°Ah!¡± Qin Jiu suddenly gave a low cry and her hand stroking the little dumpling stopped.
Gu Zezhi: ¡°?¡±
Gu Zezhi raised his eyebrows and looked at Qin Jiu as the spring sun shone softly on his body sprinkled on a delicate jade statue, graceful and dignified.
Qin Jiu¡¯s eyes slightly widened and her pupils were particrly deep as she finally remembered who Wang Yu was.
At the beginning, the novel ¡°Beauty in Prosperous Times¡± was only read casually by Qin Xuan as a mindless essay, and it was a long story with millions of words. When she read it, she could read everything at a nce, and she waspletely brainless. Many plots and characters had been forgotten. Until now, Gu Zezhi mentioned it, she remembered such a person¡ª¡ª
Wang Yu.
In the novel, Gu Zezhi died at the hands of Wang Yu.
Qin Jiu: ¡°!¡±
Qin Jiu¡¯s eyes widened and looked up at Gu Zezhi¡¯s face.
The plot of the novel was all concentrated on the hero and heroine. From the perspective of the hero and heroine, Gu Zezhi was a vicious viin boss, but Qin Jiu knows he was not! Moreover, with Gu Zezhi¡¯s brain, he would not let himself die and eight out of ten he had something on his sleeves.
Even her, the cannon fodder vicious female supporting character manages to escape from the clutches of the plot and survive, she mustn¡¯t let her golden thighs die!
***
Chapter 309
Chapter 309
Qin Jiu subconsciously took one of his hands.
His palm was warm and dry, with thin calluses left from practicing martial arts, it was also slightly rough, but it made Qin Jiu feel a lot more at ease.
Gu Zezhi: ¡°???¡±
Seeing that this good luck has fallen into hisp, Gu Zezhi also held Qin Jiu¡¯s hand in turn and led her to walk along thekeshore at a leisurely pace.
Qin Jiu looked at their intertwined hand and pursed her lips into a smile, feeling that his palm was like a warm sun, ironing her heart with indescribable warmth and joy.
Her eyes were as bright as the stars as she continued to hold his hand and walked forward freely and openly before she asked with concern, ¡°Brother, how is the emperor?¡±
Gu Zezhi replied sinctly, ¡°Doing good.¡±
Over the years, the emperor¡¯s dragon body has been in poor health. The empress dowager asked the emperor to take an elixir, and even turn to any physician one could find but not only it failed to regte the emperor¡¯s dragon body but because of erysips in the elixir the current emperor was like a decayed beam, full of holes.
It was because of this that the emperor fainted, which added to the sudden death of Princess Yongle.
While talking, the two came to the entrance gate of the imperial garden.
Gu Zezhi rubbed the top of Qin Jiu¡¯s hair and said as if coaxing a child, ¡°You will stay in the pce for the time being. I will go to the Hall of Mental Cultivation now and I will see you tomorrow.¡±
As Gu Zezhi left, Qin Jiu watched him leave from where she was while the well-behaved white dumpling in her arms started to make a fuss again, twisting its round body restlessly.
Qin Jiu stretched her finger and gently flicked the white dumplings head. ¡°Do you want to run again?¡±
The white dumpling aggressively ¡°whimpered¡±, but, Qin Jiu didn¡¯t soften her heart, and walked towards Fengluan Pnce with it in her arms.
Qin Jiu actually knew in her mind that the emperor¡¯s life was indeed not in danger, but although Gu Zezhi said that the emperor was doing fine his illness was not that simple.
It was on the fifth day that Empress Wei returned to Fengluan Pce.
Slight fatigued was evident on her face, she also lose a lot of weight but her expression was very rxed, there was even a hint of a smile lingering on her lips. Seeing this, Qin Jiu knew at a nce that the emperor should be fine.
Qin Jiu greeted her with a smile and said, ¡°Aunt.¡±
¡°Were you bored these days?¡± Empress Wei looked at Qin Jiu with a loving smile.
¡°Not bored.¡± Qin Jiu took her arm affectionately and together they walked towards the main hall, ¡°Aunt, you go and rest first and then we can talk about anything you want to talk about when you wake up from your sleep.¡±
With that, she gave Empress Wei a yful wink.
These days, from time to time, concubines havee to Fengluan Pce to pay their respect to the empress. On the surface, they were ostensibly paying their respect but in fact, they were just inquiring whether the empress hase back so as to specte on the emperor¡¯s condition. And now that Empress Wei was back, she was afraid all the concubines would soone.
Qin Jiu felt that instead of dealing with them, it was better for her aunt to rest. Her aunt had just recovered from her illness!
Empress Wei understood and since she was toozy to deal with the concubines, she said with a smile. ¡°Xiao Jiu, then this empress will go rest first.¡±
Empress Wei patted Qin Jiu¡¯s hand and went back to her chambers by herself.
Qin Jiu then instructed the pce servants not to disturb Empress Wei and told the momo to keep an eye on her, and if any concubine came over, she would say that the empress had already rested.
The whole Fengluan Pce was quiet and peaceful, no sound could be heard at all.
Empress Wei slept until the morning of the next day, and when she woke up the fatigue of the past few days was gone and she felt refreshed.
And just like usual, Qin Jiu apanied Empress Wei for lunch. The Empress didn¡¯t mention the emperor¡¯s condition, and Qin Jiu didn¡¯t ask either but only told some interesting things about Gu Zhen which made Empress Wei smile.
A lively atmosphere envelops the hall, asionally apanied by the bark of the small dumpling which sweeps away the gloom of the previous days.
After lunch, Empress Wei said while drinking tea, ¡°The monk from Bogo has been escorted to the capital the day before yesterday.¡±
Qin Jiu was stunned for a moment and immediately realized that Empress Wei was referring to the n monk who offered the ¡°Nine Harmonious Incense¡± to Madam Xiao.
Empress Wei continued, ¡°The emperor ordered a joint trial by the three divisions in a few days, and then the truth will be clear by then.¡±
Qin Jiu nodded, as she quietly picked up the teacup, and a trace of doubt appeared in her almond-like eyes.
She remembered that shortly after the Lantern Festival, Gu Zezhi said that he had someone escort the monk to the capital, however, why did he just arrive in the middle of March?
Empress Wei naturally saw Qin Jiu¡¯s doubts and exined, ¡°This empress heard from the emperor that their party was ambushed on the way to the capital, and the monk was seriously injured and nearly died. At that time, they were afraid that someone would identally die on the road, and there would be no proof of death, so they took a different road and cause dys for a while.¡±
Qin Jiu: ¡°¡.¡±
She didn¡¯t know what to say.
It was too obvious who did this ambush.
Empress Weiughed mockingly and said, ¡°It¡¯s just that Duan Wangye still can¡¯t see it.¡±
She put down the teacup, pressed the corner of her lips with her handkerchief, and said, ¡°When the witness and physical evidence are put in front of him, this empress will see if he will still deceive himself!¡±
Qin Jiu shook her head and said firmly, ¡°He will.¡±
***
Chapter 310
Chapter 310
She put down the teacup, pressed the corner of her lips with her handkerchief, and said, ¡°When the witness and physical evidence are put in front of him, this empress will see if he will still deceive himself!¡±
Qin Jiu shook her head and said firmly, ¡°He will.¡±
¡°¡¡¡± Empress Wei raised her eyebrows.
Qin Jiu said with a smile, ¡°Duan Wangye¡¯s eyes have long been blinded. Unless he sees and hears with his own eyes and ears, he will not believe whatever others say.¡±
¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Empress Wei sighed thoughtfully. ¡°It¡¯s still Xiao Jiu who can see through it clearly.¡±
Qin Jiu pursed her lips and smiled as she slowly sipped the fragrant rose tea.
After taking two sips of tea, Empress Wei said, ¡°Xiao Jiu, when you are free, you should go visit Duan Wang Fei more often, whether she and Duan Wangye will be reconciled or not, when you get married, you will still spend more time with your mother-inw, and it is best for you to let her like you.¡±
Empress Wei looked at Qin Jiu with a gentle smile, the girl in front of her was about to reach her marriageable, standing tall and graceful. Her skin was now fair after half a year of care, and her almond-like eyes were bright, her delicate facial features were soft and beautiful with a sense of heroism. She was sensible and elegant, not to mention, she was sparkling that people could not look away from her.
Her Xiao Jiu was about to get married.
The tenderness in Empress Wei¡¯s eyes seemed to be overflowing as she said with a smile. ¡°You can watch the affairs of Duan Wangye and Duan Wangfei but don¡¯t interfere with them and don¡¯t try to persuade them to make peace let alone persuade them to leave. They have been married for more than 40 years, so it¡¯s hard to say whether the result will be good or bad. If you do more, you may not please them in the future.¡±
Empress Wei has seen a lot, when a couple quarreled and made a big mess out of it, wishing to hurt each other, but reconciled in the end, the couple would tend to me the person who persuaded them to leave, that was why it was hard for outsiders to get involved. So, this matter has to be handled by Duan Wangye and his wife alone.
¡°Aunt, I understand.¡± Qin Jiu replied earnestly.
She was confident that she was quite urate in seeing people. With Duan Wang Fei¡¯s clear temperament of distinguishing between love and hate, once she has decided to divorce and leave, she would never go back on her word. But since the empress mentioned this to her, these were obviously for her own good, and she needs to appreciate them.
¡°Xiao Jiu is so good.¡± The smile on Empress Wei¡¯s face deepened looking at her like she was a little girl looking cute and adorable, tender and delicate, unlike a boy¡ ai, she just learn how to run and now she would be gone not even leaving a shadow, and they wouldn¡¯t be seeing each other more often.*
(am not sure what she meant by this, but I think she was thinking that she just recently knew Qin Jiu and now she¡¯s getting married¡?)
If she hadn¡¯t been exchanged back then, Xiao Jiu would have grown up by her side and she would certainly be like having an extra daughter. She could have personally taught her how to y qin, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and choose a well-matched family, with simple, upright and noble family, unlike Duan Wang fu which was chaotic and a wangye with a questionable character.
Empress Wei had a moment of regret for a while before she sigh, after all, when all was said and done there were so many assumptions in the world.
No matter how reluctant Empress Wei was, Qin Jiu couldn¡¯t live in the pce forever. Besides, Empress Wei was worried about Qin Zening and Qin Zeyu, those two brats who were home alone. After staying in the pce for a few days, she reluctantly asked Xiao Kouzi to send Qin Jiu back home.
The carriage returned directly from the imperial pce to the Qin mansion. Getting off the carriage, she bumped into Qin Zeyu and his little friends.
A group of youth of simr age, looking so cheerful and gaily were going out having fun as they walked out of the residence and were making so much ruckus but when they saw Qin Jiu they immediately fell into silence as if their throats had been choked.
Qin Zeyu looked extremely well-behaved, standing up straight as he called, ¡°Sister¡¡±
Those friends he was with also hurriedly stood up straight, and obediently one by one called out, ¡°Sister!¡±
The seven or eight voices called her out in unison, and the word ¡°sister¡± was called out in a very articte and vocalizing sound, which was more energetic than how the brat Qin Zeyu called her.
¡°Where are you going?¡± Qin Jiu nced at Qin Zeyu and the boys beside him.
These brats have a history of being drunkards! And they should not be tolerated!
The teenagers immediately stood with their heads held high, all standing as if they were soldiers waiting for the general¡¯s inspection.
¡°We¡¯re going to his house to y polo,¡± Qin Zeyu said quickly, pointing to a boy in blue, with a polite and respectful look, remembering that his sister was not familiar with the nobles in the capital, so he added, ¡°It¡¯s Kang Jun¡¯s wangfu.¡±
¡°It¡¯s my home.¡± The boy in blue raised his hand and pointed to himself. He also hurriedly said, ¡°Sister, my home has a polo field, so we will never leave the capital!¡±
Qin Jiu¡¯s eyes swept over the group of teenagers again, seeing that, Qin Zeyu¡¯s heart rate elerated little by little until he heard his sister say mercifully, ¡°Go, be back before the curfew.¡±
¡°Yes!¡± Qin Zeyu smiled. ¡°Sister, then I¡¯m going!¡±
He then called out his little friends, and they all ran out of the gate as if they had wings under their feet, afraid that Qin Jiu would change her mind.
***
Chapter 311
Chapter 311
From a distance, the teenagers outside the gate were heard making a ruckus.
¡°A¡¯yu, your sister didn¡¯t hit anyone today!¡±
¡°She didn¡¯t even touch the whip!¡±
¡°We¡¯re so lucky!¡±
Qin Jiu: ¡°¡¡±
The corners of her eyes twitched and she muttered softly, ¡°These brats.¡±
But¡
These spirited voices made the house full of happy noise like fireworks and making it more like a home.
Her home in this world.
A smile slowly spreads across her mouth, as brilliant as the morning glow.
She walked briskly to the front yard, she had to tell her eldest brother who was recovering at home that she was back!
After spending lunch with Qin Zening in his courtyard, Qin Jiu went back to her own Wanxing Courtyard and ordered someone to deliver a notice to Xiao Mansion for her visit the next morning.
Anyway, there were only two streets between Jinyu Alley and where the Xiao Mansion was located, so Qin Jiu was thinking of going there on foot, and she could even take a detour to buy two boxes of pastries for Madam Xiao.
When she came to Jinyu Alley, she coincidentally saw a royal carriageing out from Xiao¡¯s mansion so Qin Jiu walked to the further side of the road and let the other party go first, unexpectedly, the royal carriage stopped.
Following that, an old momo got out of the carriage and curtsied Qin Jiu, saying, ¡°Third Miss Qin, our wangfei asks young miss to get in and say a few words.¡±
Before Qin Jiu could answer, the curtain on the side of the royal carriage was pulled open a little revealing a stout face. The other party was nearly sixty years old with a lot of silver hairbed in a neat bun inserted with a pair of suet white jade making her look more elegant and noble.
Qin Jiu had met the other party at a pce banquet and recognized her as Li Qin Wang Fei.
Seeing who it was, Qin Jiu asked Du Ruo to carry the snacks for her, while she herself got into the royal carriage.
¡°Wangfei.¡± She simply bowed to Li Qin Wang Fei and then sat down at the side.
Li Qin Wang Fei smiled as she looked at Qin Jiu and said affectionately, ¡°Third Miss Qin, you are fourteen this year, and you look pretty making you more look like your mother.¡±
¡°Wangfei¡¯spliments are very kind.¡± Qin Jiu politely thank the other party.
What Li Qin Wang Fei said just now was merely a conventional greeting, as she immediately got to the point, ¡°Third Miss Qin, are you here to see Duan Wang Fei?¡±
Qin Jiu naturally nodded as she gives a positive response with a light smile.
Li Qin Wang Fei sighed ruefully, ¡°You are a filial child, and very considerate.¡±
¡°This is what I should do.¡± Qin Jiu said modestly.
Li Qin Wang Fei said again, ¡°I can see that Dan Wang Fei must be very fond of you and listens to what you say. You should be able to advise her to think carefully about everything and not be impulsive andter regret it for life.¡±
After saying this, she showed an expression of ¡°doing it for the good of Duan Wang Fei¡±.
Li Qin Wangye also came to visit Madam Xiao earlier before Li Qin Wang Fei, to persuade Duan Wang Fei but thetter refused to back down at all causing Li Qin Wangye to lose his temper and returned to his mansion angry.
Seeing that the case was about to be examined by a joint trial from three divisions, and if it was really found out that the heir tried to kill his mother consort, it would be a scandal for the royal family. So today, Li Qin Wang Fei made another trip to the Xiao Mansion and persuaded Duan Wang Fei, however, no matter how much she persuaded and talk to Madam Xiao, it was all in vain. Duan Wang Fei was obstinately persistent in going about things the wrong way and didn¡¯t even give any face to the royal n.
And just like her husband, she went back defeat when coincidentally after leaving the Xiao mansion she saw Qin Jiu, so she asks her momo to call Qin Jiu inside the carriage. Anyway, she was already nning to visit the Qin mansion to see Qin Jiu.
This girl in front of her was still young, so if she tells her the advantages and disadvantages, she would surely understand.
¡°¡¡± Qin Jiu looked at Li Qin Wang Fei, speechless.
***
Chapter 312
Chapter 312
Li Qin Wang Fei only thought that Qin Jiu was shy after not seeing any response from her and continued, ¡°Third Miss Qin, don¡¯t me me for being shallow, you are Zezhi¡¯s future wife and I am going to be your royal aunt, and what I am telling you today is not only for the sake of Duan Wang Fei but also for your own good.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t just think that Zezhi is from a royal family, there are many people in the royal n that has no rank or titles.¡±
¡°Think about it, you will soon be married into the Duan Wang fu, if Duan Wang Fei and the Duan Wangye divorce, then Zezhi will have even less chance to be the heir.¡±
¡°The current heir is just a concubine-born son and his wife is only from a small official family while you on the other hand are a daughter of a marquis¡¡±
Li Qin Wang Fei paused for a moment before staring deeply at Qin Jiu.
Her point was very obvious, would Qin Jiu be willing to spend her life as an ordinary wife of the royal n?!
In the future, Duan Wang Fei and Madam Gu would exist in the same world, same ce, and there was no way there would be noparison at all! And once this happens, would Qin Jiu be willing to bow her knees to the Duan Wang Fei in the future?!
Li Qin Wang Fei ¡°point out¡± while Qin Jiu just quietly listens, but her thoughts were already out of the conversation and just asionally responded with ¡°oh¡±, and ¡°yeah¡±.
Although Qin Jiu did not make a clear statement, Li Qin Wang Fei believed that the little girl in front of her understood what she meant, and looked at Qin Jiu with certainty as her eyes flickered.
Duan Wangye resides on the border and Duan Wang Fei was the consort, on the western border, this couple lives like an emperor of thend.
Knowing this, she didn¡¯t believe that Qin Jiu would not take interest in the title Duan Wang Fei, who could give up the glory and fortune that was within her reach!
Li Qin Wang Fei talked for a full cup of tea time before she stopped, and finally added meaningfully, ¡°Third Miss Qin, for your own sake, for the sake of your brother, you should also think carefully.¡±
If Gu Zezhi could inherit the title of Duan Wang, he, the husband would honor his wife and with the support of the Duan Wang House, it would not be impossible for Qin Zening to take back the marquis title.
Duan Wang Fei doesn¡¯t listen to her words, but it should be different when ites to her son and daughter-inw, after all, she had to take care of their interest, right?
Seeing that Li Qin Wang Fei finished speaking, Qin Jiu took her leave and got off the royal carriage.
Du Ruo was still waiting for her at the entrance of the alley, and once Qin Jiu came back, the master and the servant walked towards Xiao¡¯s mansion, while Li Qin Wang Fei in the carriage open the curtain again and watched Qin Jiu enter the mansion.
¡°Third Miss Qin.¡±
As soon as the gatekeeper saw Qin Jiu, and several other maidservants all greeted her warmly and curtsied in session.
The momo in charge was Madam Xiao¡¯s confidant, Shi momo, whom Qin Jiu knew, so she called her out.
In front of the second gate before entering the courtyard, the area was in a disarray. Several carriages were parked as servants unload heavy boxes from the carriages.
Qin Jiu couldn¡¯t help but take another nce, seeing this, Shi momo immediately said beamingly, ¡°This is Madam¡¯s dowry, which has just been moved back from the Western Border.¡±
Shi momo ordered the servants to carefully pack Madam Xiao¡¯s dowry before she personally led Qin Jiu in the direction of the inner courtyard.
Knowing that Duan Wang Fei doted on her future daughter-inw, Shi momo didn¡¯t hide it from Qin Jiu and said as they walked, ¡°This servant personally went to Western Border to pick up the madam¡¯s dowry. And you know what Third Miss Qin, as soon as this ve arrive, the heir¡¯s consort specially sent someone to help this ve clean up the madam¡¯s courtyard.¡±
Shi momo curled her lips in disdain, ¡°She¡¯s just a concubine¡¯s daughter-inw, but she really thinks she¡¯s some kind of noble person, how can she have the impression that any Tom, Dick, and Harry can enter the madam¡¯s courtyard?!¡±
Shi momo was Madam Xiao¡¯s confidant, so she naturally doesn¡¯t really have a good impression of the heir¡¯s consort, not to mention the consort¡¯s actions were nothing worthy of a good impression!
Shi momo was not a fool, it may seem like the heir¡¯s consort wished for the madam and Duan Wangye to reconcile but she probably hoping that Concubine Feng would soon take over!
Along the way, Shi momo kept on talking about the things that happened on the way back to the capital, including being dyed for a few days because of the rainstorm, and encountering some mountain bandits blocking their way in Qinzhou, fortunately, the apanying guards beat the mountain bandits away.
While talking, they soon arrived at the main courtyard and went into the inner room.
Inside, Madam Xiao was sitting on the arhat bed by the window while happily rummaging through the jewelry box.
Seeing Qin Jiuing, Madam Xiao waved at her and said, ¡°Xiao Jiu,e here!¡±
Madam Xiao pulled Qin Jiu to sit beside her and happily picked out a ne of eight jewels and put it on Qin Jiu herself. She also picked a pair of bracelets carved with phoenixes and gold-encrusted jade and put them on Qin Jiu¡¯s wrist.
She said with a smile, ¡°The little girl¡¯s family must be well dressed.¡±
Qin Jiu knew that Madam Xiao liked bright colors, and so every time she came to Xiao Mansion she would wear bright clothes such as crimson, rose red, duck yellow, green lotus, and any other bright color clothes.
Today, she was wearing primrose-colored clothes, which perfectly matches the eight jewels ne and a gold encrusted-jade bracelet given by Madam Xiao.
Madam Xiao was indeed good at dressing up!
Qin Jiu looked for traces of her youth on Madam Xiao¡¯s old and kind face and saw that Gu Zezhi and Madam Xiao looked very simr. Madam Xiao must have been very beautiful when she was young.
Qin Jiu took a rosewood hairpin iid with several gems from the small jewelry box, ¡°Madam Xiao, this hairpin matches yourplexion,e and try it!¡±
She then enthusiastically leaned over to put the hairpin on Madam Xiao¡¯s hair, which thetter liked, and also lean closer to Qin Jiu so the former could put the hairpin on her hair.
The eldest maidservant, Qing Lu, came over with a mirror to show Madam Xiao her reflection. Smiling, sheplimented. ¡°Look Madam, Third Miss Qin has really good eyes, this hairpin really suits you!¡±
Madam Xiao raised her hand and stroke the hairpin in front of the mirror as she nodded her head and said, ¡°Xiao Jiu does have a good eye!¡±
Qin Jiu rubbed her small chin, showing a thoughtful look, and said, ¡°Madam Xiao, your clothes don¡¯t match this hairpin. You have to change it.¡±
With that, she looked at Qing Lu and asked, ¡°Qing Lu, do you have any clothes with bright colors?¡±
¡°Yes, yes!¡± Qing Lu replied repeatedly, calling several servant girls to act immediately, and rummaged out several clothes.
***
Chapter 313
Chapter 313
Clothes after clothes were spread all over the room.
Qin Jiu looked over one by one and pointed to a purple jewel flower with a gourd pattern engraved clothes and said, ¡°This purple cloth is good, with this ck color embroidered phoenix and engraved gourd pattern on the skirt edged look graceful and elegant. These will be good together.¡±
Madam Xiao unable to help herself and burst intoughter, ¡°I¡¯m too old for such a bright color.¡±
¡°This purple will make you look dignified, and since your skin is fair, it will reflect yourplexion when you wear it. Didn¡¯t you say I have good eyesight?¡± Qin Jiu climbed up the arhat bed with a smile and looked at Madam Xiao coquettishly.
Qing Lu and the other maidservants also chimed in and persuaded her with a few words.
Madam Xiao could not resist Qin Jiu, so she was taken behind the screen by Qin Jiu together with the maidservant and personally helped Madam Xiao change her clothes.
But that¡¯s not all, Qin Jiu also selected Madam Xiao¡¯s hairpin, earrings, bracelets, jade pendant, purses, and shoes.
And from head to toe, Madam Xiao changed beyond recognition before Qin Jiu was finally satisfied. Feeling her taste was excellent, she said with a smile, ¡°Look, Madam Xiao, don¡¯t you look young by several years dressing like this?¡±
Qin Jiu then asked Qing Lu and several maidservants to take more mirrors for Madam Xiao to see, before she muttered softly, ¡°The mirrors here are still too small, if only there were full-length mirrors¡¡±
She said this softly but Madam Xiao was close to her and happened to hear it, and thought it was a good idea so she was thinking of telling her son to get a full-length mirror for her daughter-inw.
Qin Jiu supported Madam Xiao and sat down on Arhat¡¯s bed again, smiling, she said: ¡°Madam Xiao, besides purple, you must look good in cherry-apple color,ke blue, and pine flower colored clothes.¡±
At this time, Shi momo came over and personally served tea to the two of them again before jesting, ¡°Just in time, Madam, there is a roll of purple-tang colored in your dowry, which is just right to be cut for summer clothes.¡±
Speaking of materials, Madam Xiao also got excited, pping her hands she said, ¡°Right, there are still some materials in my dowry that are suitable for youngdies, bring them here, and I¡¯ll pick them out.¡±
Immediately a maidservant picked up the material, momentster chatter andughter could be heard in the room. It was only after an hourter that Qin Jiu went home, and never mention anything about Li Qin Wang Fei asking her to ¡°persuade¡± Madam Xiao.
Madam Xiao¡¯s healthy was not fully recovered and has to take a nap every day so while she went to rest Qin Jiu went back home.
Getting out of Xiao¡¯s mansion, Qin Jiu found that the royal carriage of Li Qin Wang Fei was still parked at the entrance of the alley.
Qin Jiu: ¡°¡.¡±
The corner of her eye twitched and choose to just ignore it.
However, even if she wanted to ignore it, Li Qin Wang Fei refused to let her go.
The old momo who was asked her to get in the carriage before once again stopping Qin Jiu¡¯s tracks, ¡°Third Miss Qin, stay here.¡±
Qin Jiu looked at the old momo with a smile and said, ¡°I have already given my greetings to the wangfei.¡±
The implication of her words was very obvious, since she has greeted Li Qin Wang Fei, there was no need to greet her again.
The old momo¡¯s face faintly stiffened, thinking that Qin Jiu was too disrespectful and that the only reason their wangfei wanted to see her was because she was giving her face.
The two faced each other and the atmosphere was slightly stiff.
When words get sour, adding words were useless, so Qin Jiu didn¡¯t want to talk anymore and was about to go around the old momo but there was movement in the royal carriage, and the curtain was pulled up, Li Qin Wang Fei got off the carriage with the help of maidservant, and walked towards Qin Jiu.
Li Qin Wang Fei walked towards her, and seeing her face to face, Qin Jiu naturally couldn¡¯t pretend she didn¡¯t see her. She politely curtsied, ¡°Wangfei.¡±
Li Qin Wang Fei aloofly and faintly nodded, before she asked straight to the point, ¡°Third Miss Qin, did you persuade Duan Wang Fei?¡±
Her tone showed a touch of politeness, the reason why she waited here patiently for so long was to wait for the good news from Qin Jiu. And give these ¡°good news¡± to her husband when she returned to the pce.
Under the burning gaze of Li Qin Wang Fei, Qin Jiu shook her head as she said, ¡°No.¡±
What? Li Qin Wang Fei¡¯s expression changed instantly as if she had been poured a bucket of cold water on her head.
Herplexion changes constantly from blue and purple, looking really furious.
Li Qin Wang Fei has always had a good reputation in the capital, and anydies of any noble residence have to give her some face when they see her, but today, she was first swept away by Duan Wang Fei, and now this little girl also dares to throw her face at her, this girl was clearly very obedient before entering the Xiao Mansion, but it turns out that her obedience was all a trick!
And she was foolish enough to believe it, waiting here for her for an hour!
The dignified Li Qin Wang Fei was actually teased by a yellow-haired girl who has yet to mature!
All of a sudden, old and new grudges arose together, and Li Qin Wang Fei took all the me from Duan Wang Fei to Qin Jiu.
Clenching her teeth, she raised her finger and pointed at Qin Jiu as she said, ¡°Give her a p!¡±
She couldn¡¯t do anything to Duan Wang Fei, but it doesn¡¯t mean she could teach a ssless and stupid little girl a lesson right?!
¡°Yes, wangfei.¡± The old momo immediately responded, and looked at Qin Jiu with a smirk, thinking that Qin Jiu was shameless and that their wangfei asking her to persuade Duan Wang Fei was their wangfei giving Qin Jiu a face!
The old momo raised her thick right hand and hit Qin Jiu in the face, the wind from her palm brought up a strong wind.
Qin Jiu would not be so stupid as to let herself be beaten, so she nimbly dodge away and leaned her body to the side.
While, Du Ruo¡¯s expression on the other hand turned pale and hurriedly stepped forward to protect Qin Jiu, ¡°Young Miss.¡±
***
Chapter 314
Chapter 314
¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Qin Jiu didn¡¯t bother to pay attention to Li Qin Wang Fei and just faintly nced at the other party, made a gesture to Du Ruo for her to follow, and walked away on her own.
However, this faint nce of Qin Jiu, in the eyes of Li Qin Wang Fei, was like a hard p on her face.
This disrespectful and rude girl doesn¡¯t respect her elders!
Li Qin Wang Fei was even angrier and ordered again, ¡°Stop her for this wangfei!¡±
So, the maidservants immediately responded to the order and aggressively approached Qin Jiu, blocking her way.
Qin Jiu wasn¡¯t someone who would suffer loss and immediately reached for the whip.
Du Ruo on the other hand thought that her fist would not be enough to beat these old momos, and looked in the direction of the Xiao mansion, thinking that she still had a chance to call for help.
¡°Squeak!¡±
At the same time, the door of the Xiao Mansion opened and a woman draped in a ck cloak came out, it was none other than Madam Xiao.
Madam Xiao¡¯s face looked cold and dignified, her pair of old and wise eyes were shining brightly making the seven to eight maidservants behind her look blurry.
¡°Stop!¡±
Madam Xiao slightly raised her voice and bellowed, striding towards Li Qin Wang Fei and Qin Jiu.
Seeing Madam Xiaoe, Du Ruo¡¯s heart breathed a long sigh of relief and waspletely at ease.
Li Qin Wang Fei looked at the approaching Madam Xiao as she tightly clutched the eighteen bodhi Buddha beads in her hand, and the anger in her eyes burned brighter even more.
¡°Sister-inw, do you really not know what¡¯s good for you?¡± Li Qin Wang Fei¡¯s face was ashen, feeling that her good intentions had been fed to a donkey¡¯s liver and lungs.
Madam Xiao gave a sneering, cold snort.
Sparks fly between the two eyes that shes and the air suddenly bes tense at once, ready to explode.
The surrounding servants of Li Qin Wang Fei who watched this scene were wary, but they didn¡¯t dare to act rashly and stood with their heads bowed awkwardly.
¡°Whether it is good or bad, I certainly know. Don¡¯t bother this wangfei.¡± Madam Xiao stroked her sleeve casually.
Li Qin Wang Fei: ¡°¡¡±
Madam Xiao ignored the other party¡¯s gloomy face that was almost dripping with ink, and with her eyes sparkling she said, ¡°I wanted to wait for the result of the joint trial of the three divisions but since you¡¯re doing it like this, I¡¯m going to y the dengwen drum.¡±
¡°Xiao Jiu, let¡¯s go!¡±
As soon as Madam Xiao beckoned, Qin Jiu immediately followed and affectionately took Madam Xiao¡¯s arm, who looked at her with a smile on her face.
Li Qin Wang Fei was dumbfounded, her anger disappeared instantly and her ears couldn¡¯t believe what she heard. Madam Xiao, what did she say she was going to do?!
¡°Madam Xiao, you¡¯re crazy!¡±
This time, Li Qin Wang Fei even forgot and forgo calling her sister-inw formally and blurted out.
Madam Xiao answered with her actions as she just gets into the carriage with Qin Jiu¡¯s help, and thetter followed closely behind.
The coachman ¡°snapped¡± his whip, and the carriage with Madam Xiao and Qin Jiu inside drove towards the entrance of the alley, passing through Li Qin Wang Fei¡¯s side, causing the strong wind to blow up a corner of her dress¡
Li Qin Wang Fei was in a daze as she never expected that things would develop to this point.
¡°Wangfei¡.¡± the old momo called out to Li Qin Wang Fei apprehensively, knowing that things were not good.
Only then did Li Qin Wang Fei react and hastilymanded, ¡°Quick, chase them!¡±
Li Qin Wang Fei hurriedly boarded her royal carriage while holding the hem of her dress and ordered the young servant, ¡°Go back and report to wangye!¡±
In just a few words, Li Qin Wang Fei was already sweating and her heart was as cold as ice, if Duan Wang Fei beats the dengwen drum, the whole capital, no, the whole Daqi would see the royal family as a joke!
The royal carriage hurriedly chased Madam Xiao¡¯s carriage, knowing the importance of this matter the driver frequently hit the horse with his whip.
Passers-by on the street saw the royal carriage and knew that the owner of the carriage was either rich or noble, so they hurriedly gave way both sides of the street.
The two carriages arrived at the entrance of the pce one after the other, Qin Jiu assisted Madam Xiao getting off the carriage again, then two of them walked towards the Dengwen Drum outside the right gate of Chang¡¯an with a clear goal.
The Dengwen Drum was set up by the founding Emperor of the Qi Dynasty to allowmon people to air their grievances as a means of ¡°sending down information¡± by beating the drums but in order to avoid malicious petitions, ording to thew of Daqi, if the person who beat the Dengwen drum had no merit or grant, he would be pped with 30 sticks.
Madam Xiao was a dignified wangfei, so she was naturally qualified to beat the drum.
The guards around also recognized her, they were first surprised, and then remembered the rumors, so they associated this with the Duan Wang House, looking pensive.
The dengwen drum of the Qi Dynasty has not been beaten for more than ten years, and since the ascension of the current Emperor to the throne, this would be the first time!
Under the scorching gazes of all the guards, Madam Xiao walked to the Dengwen drum in a calm manner, raised her hand, and picked up the drumstick, and without hesitation she struck down the drum.
¡°Dong! Dong! Dong!¡±
***
Chapter 315
Chapter 315
The loud beating of the drums rang out one after another, like continuous muffled thunder sting in the sky, and this also reached the ears of Li Qin Wang Fei who was in the royal carriage.
Li Qin Wang Fei¡¯splexion was as white as paper.
Several voices in the crowd from the right side of Chang¡¯an gate could be heard shouting excitedly after hearing the beating drum. ¡°Dengwen drum, someone is beating the dengwen drum to call the emperor!¡±
Surrounded by amotion, those people scrambled and excitedly announce to other passersby the event that was about to happen, and more and more people came to hear the sound rushing towards the direction of Chang¡¯an gate.
Amidst the mor around her, Madam Xiao continued beating the drum with the drumstick and shouted loudly as she strung, ¡°This wife is suing Duan Wangye¡¯s son for murdering his mother consort, and I ask for a divorce with Duan Wangye!¡±
Through the ear-shattering drumbeats, Madam Xiao¡¯s voice carried a strange prating force, resounding and powerful, that spreads far and wide.
Surrounded by those meddlesome onlookers standing in circle who were watching started chattering.
¡°Could this woman be the Duan Wangfei?¡±
¡°It must be. If the person who doesn¡¯t have a mandate sounded the drum, the person would have been struck with 30 sticks by the court guards!¡±
¡°Duan¡¯s heir tried to murder his mother consort, this is too heartless!¡±
¡°What the heck! Indeed there are so many nobles and noble families who hide their filth!¡±
¡°¡.¡±
As people talk more and more, the lively atmosphere boiled like a pot of boiling water, causing the surrounding got even more crowded and noisy.
¡°Dong! Dong! Dong!¡±
The ear-splitting beating of the drums was still going on one after another.
At this moment, the emperor in the imperial study also heard the drumming sound and put down his memorial as he frowned.
Before he could call someone, Zhou Xin came in and said, ¡°Your Majesty, it is Duan Wang Fei who is beating the dengwen drum to use Duan¡¯s heir of murdering his mother consort, and has also asked to divorce Duan Wangye.¡±
Zhou Xin¡¯s scalp was numb as he said this, after all, this kind of thing was almost unheard of in Daqi¡¯s history.
The emperor¡¯s eyebrows twitched with a look of surprise on his face.
The matter of the monk has been handed over for joint trial and the result should be out this month. Duan Wang Fei was not someone impulsive, after all, she has been waiting for the past two months for this patiently until now.
The emperor pondered for a moment and issued twomands, one was to announce Duan Wang Fei and the other was to ask the Royal Guards to investigate what happened.
After a while, Yuan Minggang, themander of the Royal Guards, came and gave a brief ount of Li Qin Wang Fei¡¯s visit to Xiao¡¯s mansion today and the conflict with Qin Jiu.
Emperor: ¡°¡.¡±
The emperor rubbed the center of his brows showing a trace of fatigue on his face: Li Qin Wangye and his wife were really making a fuss.
Now that the matter has developed to this point, it wouldn¡¯t be enough to just say a few words to get this over with. The emperor pondered for a moment before he made up a decision and immediately, stood up, and said, ¡°Call the three divisions responsible for this, this emperor wants to examine this case personally.¡±
¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± Zhou Xin made a bow and received the order while sighing inwardly.
Half an hourter, people rted to the case gathered at the Jinluan Hall.
The emperor sat on the high Jinluan Hall, Madam Xiao, as the intiff, stood in the hall, the minister of justice, the minister of Dali Temple, and the royal historian of Zuo Du stood on one side as representatives of the three divisions, and Qin Jiu stood alone on the other side of the Jinluan Hall.
After Madam Xiao bowed her knee to the emperor, the whole group calmly repeated her intention of why she beat the drum, ¡°Your Majesty, this wangfei is suing Duan Wangye¡¯s heir for trying to murder her mother consort. Please give justice to this wangfei!¡±
The minister of the Ministry of Justice, the minister of Dali Temple, and the Zuo Du imperial historian all have a subtle expression.
Zhou Xin whispered a few words in the emperor¡¯s ear, thetter looked out the hall withplicated eyes.
¡°Hold on!¡±
Duan Wangye arrived panting, along with him were Li Qin Wangye and his wife, and Gu Zezhi.
¡°Your Majesty, there is some misunderstanding between this wangye and wangfei. Please allow me to exin to wangfei.¡± Duan Wangye bowed to the emperor before he looked eagerly at Madam Xiao.
The moment hended his eyes on her, he was momentarily stunned.
Madam Xiao has taken off her ck cloak and exposed the purple dress under it, this dress was matched by Qin Jiu from top to bottom. The color was bright and elegant, reflecting her radiance.
Since Madam Xiao moved out of Duan Wang¡¯s mansion on the 15th of the first month, Duan Wang has not seen her for more than two months.
***
Chapter 316
Chapter 316
These past two months were neither long nor short, but after a period of careful recuperation, Madam Xiao looked several years younger, and her face was full of vitality. Just standing like this, her whole body was full of dignified air.
Duan Wangye stared at Madam Xiao who was only three steps away from him, with his eyes slightly in dazed as if seeing the young Madam Xiao.
Madam Xiao said indifferently, ¡°There is no misunderstanding between you and me.¡±
Only then did Duan Wangyee back to his sense, he took a deep breath, and softly said, ¡°Wangfei, let it pass, why bother make trouble in front of the imperial court!¡±
Li Qin Wangye and Wang Fei were constantly nodding at the back, thinking that if this continue, they would lose all the face of the n.
Duan Wangye continued, ¡°If you are really dissatisfied with the heir, this wangye will properly discipline the heir in the future.¡±
¡°How about this, when we return to the western border, this wangye will have the heir and his consort live separately from us, is that good?¡±
¡°Wangfei, this is just a little misunderstanding. You and I have been married for many years. Why should we divorce for some misunderstanding?¡±
Duan Wangye persuaded and insisted, he had gone to Xiao¡¯s mansion several times before, but was turned away by the gatekeeper so now that he had a chance to talk with Madam Xiao, he said it all at once.
With the thought that since he had already taken a step back by not hesitating on living separate house with the heir, so it should be all right.
Madam Xiao¡¯s poised and graceful face looked calm as she looked at Duan Wangye as if she were looking at a stranger, she didn¡¯t even raise her eyebrows and said, ¡°I have been married for many years with you, you should also know my temper.¡±
Duan Wangye: ¡°¡.¡±
Duan Wangye¡¯s heart suddenly went cold, he did not know how else to persuade Madam Xiao, but could only look at Gu Zezhi, trying to get him to persuade her a few words.
However, Gu Zezhi all this time, was not looking at Duan Wangye at all, his eyes that were as deep as a pool were sizing Qin Jiu¡¯s face up, and after confirming that there were no scars on her face, only did his his expression eased a little.
Qin Jiu probably guessed what Gu Zezhi had heard and winked at him.
Meaning, rest assured, she was never one to wait for someone to hit her!
Only did Gu Zezhi¡¯s brows rx, and his expression returned to the usually calm and gentle appearance.
Madam Xiao once again looked at the emperor and said aloud. ¡°The heir of Duan Wangye intended to murder his mother consort, so requesting the emperor to deal with this impartially and give justice to this wife!¡±
The Jinluan Hall was not a ce for children¡¯s y, so even Duan Wangye could not repeatedly interrupt the emperor¡¯s trial.
The emperor said solemnly: ¡°If the heir really has the heart of poisoning his mother consort, I will definitely return justice to wangfei.¡±
¡°Somebody, bring the monk up!¡±
At the emperor¡¯smand, two Royal Guards escorted a monk in his forties toe. The monk in the red cassock had blue eyes and a long nose, a beard, and a hundred and eight beads of Buddha hanging around his neck. Looking at his pale and sunken face, he looked panic-stricken.
As soon as he reached the center of the Jinluan Hall, he stumbled down on his knees and saluted the emperor in an awkward Central insnguage: ¡°This humble monk, greets his emperor, his majesty of Daqi.¡±
The emperor looked down at the monk and asked, ¡°Monk, did you give this Jiuhe incense to Duan Wang Fei?¡±
As he spoke, Yuan Minggang opened a wooden box, inside was the Jiuhe incense that the princess gave to Qin Jiu. Opening the box, the orchid and plum blossoms fragrance wafted out.
***
Chapter 317
Chapter 317
The monk nced at the Jiuhe incense in the box, nodded, and said, ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±
The emperor asked again, ¡°Who asked you to give this Jiuhe incense to Duan Wang Fei?¡±
The monk hung his face halfway and his eyes flickered.
He was assassinated while on the way to the capital, fortunately, he was escorted but although he was lucky enough to save his life, he has not fully healed and was still very weak.
Of course, he knew who wanted him to die, and he also knew that whether he tell the truth or not, it would be a dead end, and since he was going to die anyways, he must let the person who wanted him dead pay the price!
The monk gritted his teeth as he said resolutely, ¡°It¡¯s Duan heir¡¯s consort!¡±
Duan Wangye and Li Qin Wangye¡¯s as well as his wife¡¯s expressions changed instantly.
Qin Jiu looked at Madam Xiao, her face neither sad nor happy as she watched the scene calmly.
The emperor then asked, ¡°But did the heir¡¯s consort give it herself?¡±
The monk shook his head and said, ¡°It¡¯s a woman in her thirties. She gave me three boxes of ¡®Jiuhe incense¡¯ and told me that the wangfei would go to the Maple Temple to offer incense on the fifteenth of September so this poor monk could take the opportunity to give the incense to wangfei.¡±
¡°This poor monk was worried at first, so I quietly followed the person and there this monk saw her enter the residence with my own eyes.¡± At that time, he just wanted to hold a piece of information that he could use against the person as ckmail and get another sum in the future, but he didn¡¯t expect to discover such a big secret. ¡°Later, this poor monk saw her with the heir¡¯s consort when they were giving porridge. This poor monk inquired and then knew that she was the consort¡¯s momo.¡±
¡°It was this poor monk who got greedy and was bought by five hundred taels of silver, which made me do something stupid.¡±
The monk told everything that happened from beginning to end and never left a single piece of information. Hearing this, the emperor looked at Duan Wangye and asked, ¡°What does that woman look like?¡±
¡°She had an oval face, will-leaf eyebrows, ah, she also has a mole on the corner of her mouth.¡± The monk gestured at the location of the mole with his hand.
Wang Fei said calmly: ¡°It was the heir¡¯s consort¡¯s dowry maid, whoter married a steward of the wangfu and became the nanny in charge of the heir¡¯s consort courtyard.¡±
Duan Wangye¡¯s face was so ugly, ording to the monk¡¯s description, this person really looks like the dowry maid of the heir¡¯s consort.
The monk looked panic-stricken and repeatedly kowtowed, begging for mercy.
But the emperor looked indifferent and was not moved by the monk¡¯s begging. He dered, ¡°This foreign monk conspired to murder Duan Wang Fei, and since the evidence is conclusive, ording to Daqi¡¯sw, he should be sentenced to hang. Take him away.¡±
As soon as the emperor ruled, the two Royal Guards immediately dragged the monk down who was still begging for mercy, saying that he was only driven by others and was not the main culprit.
But soon his mouth was covered, and could no longer be heard.
The emperor nced at Duan Wangye again before he continued, ¡°Duan¡¯s heir, Gu Chen, and his consort conspired to murder their mother consort. Using this vicious ways will cause Gu Chen¡¯s position as the heir¡¡±
¡°Your Majesty, please wait!¡±
Duan Wangye endured and restrained himself, finally, he could not bear it anymore and interrupted the emperor.
Duan Wangye exined, Your majesty, based on what the monk said, there is no evidence to say that the heir did it. It is unfair to him to have this verdict.¡±
¡°Over the years, the heir has made great achievements in wars. He not only led the troops to push back Xidi, but also led the troops to take a group of horse bandits who killed and looted goods in the northwest, and made countless contributions to the western border and the imperial household. How can the heir be convicted of murdering his mother consort because of a few words spoken by an unknown monk!¡±
¡°The heir is the son of Duan Wangye, and this wangye does not agree with such a hasty conviction and condemns the heir.¡±
¡°And¡¡±
After a pause, Duan Wangye spoke forcefully and with justice. ¡°Moreover, I wonder if anyone deliberately instigates the monk and knowingly nders the heir and his consort¡¡± wanting to disturb the morale of the western border.
Madame Xiao sneered as she said, ¡°Wangye is suspecting me that I instigated it? That I ordered the monk to poison me just to nder your good son?¡±
Duan Wangye¡¯s face changed again, and forgot what he was going to say as he hurriedly shook his head and said, ¡°Wangfei, this is not what this wangye meant.¡±
Mrs. Xiao: ¡°Are you still suspicious of Zezhi?¡±
Duan Wangye: ¡°¡¡±
He hesitated for a moment and subconsciously looked at the calm and indifferent Gu Zezhi on his right side.
A sneer appeared at the corner of Madam Xiao¡¯s mouth but was reluctant to even give her disappointment.
Duan Wangye eagerly approached Duan Wang Fei and said, ¡°No, I don¡¯t doubt Zezhi.¡±
However, Madam Xiao was already disheartened.
She could see that no matter what Duan Wangye was thinking, he hesitated at that moment, that was, at least for a moment, he suspected that Zezhi was doing all of this, and Zezhi was deliberately trying to frame his son.
Madam Xiao clenched her fists that were hidden under her sleeves as well as her heart, not because of Duan Wangye but for her Zezhi.
Duan Wangye on the other hand continued talking, ¡°Wangfei, this wangye knows that Zezhi is a good boy, and he would not do this but so was the heir. Please intercede for the heir, he has been always filial to you. There must be a misunderstanding.¡±
Madam Xiao looked at the emperor as if she hadn¡¯t heard Duan Wangye, she said, ¡°Your Majesty, ording to thew of Daqi, if one of the rtives of a husband, kills, beats, scolds, injures, or rapes the wife, the husband and wife will be considered as divorce.¡±
¡°The consort of Duan Wangye¡¯s eldest son intends to murder her mother-inw, so please allow me, Your Majesty, to divorce Duan Wangye.¡±
Madam Xiao said loudly, making Duan Wangye stunned.
Li Qin Wangye on the other hand hurriedly said, ¡°No, absolutely not!¡±
¡°There has never been a precedent in the royal family of a couple separating or getting divorced!¡±
Li Qin Wangye resolutely opposed in a loud voice while Li Qin Wang Fei concurred, pointing out all the ancestors of the Gu family.
***
Chapter 318
Chapter 318
The Jinluan Hall was in chaos.
The minister of Justice and other high government officials all looked submissive as they looked at each other, after seeing that the case was turning into a farce while still on trial. Anyway, this was a private matter of the royal family, they should not get involved if they could.
Madam Xiao, Duan Wangye, Li Qin Wangye, and others all looked at the emperor, waiting for the emperor¡¯s ruling.
The emperor¡¯s right hand gently rubbed the armrest twice seemingly pondering.
After a while, the emperor spoke: ¡°I allow it.¡±
The three words were neither light nor heavy, but to Duan Wangye, it was like a thunderstorm on the ground, and once again he was shocked.
Li Qin Wangye couldn¡¯t believe his ears, his face was ashen and his forehead was twitching.
¡°No! Absolutely not!¡±
¡°Please, asking the emperor to withdraw the order. Your majesty, there has never been such a precedent in over a hundred years for the n of the Great Qi Dynasty!¡±
Li Qin Wangye repeatedly objected, his expression bing more and more agitated.
The emperor said again, ¡°I allow it.¡±
¡°¡¡±
Truth be told, even the the minister of Justice and other high government officials did not expect the emperor to give such a verdict.
Compare to the shock or anger that Li Qin Wangye was feeling at the moment, Madam Xiao appeared calm andposed, as if she wasn¡¯t surprised by this at all. She instead bowed down and thanked the emperor, ¡°Thank you, your majesty, the emperor.¡±
¡°Ridiculous! Simply absurd!¡± Li Qin Wangye was on the verge of palpitating, his beard started to tremble as he fume.
The royal n has never had such a shameful disgrace, even if the emperor was the emperor, he couldn¡¯t just act recklessly and disregard the face of the n, acting willfully! Did the emperor deliberately p him in the face now for persuading him not to make the sixth prince the crown prince on behalf of the royal n!?
It was all for the sake of the royal n, for the sake of Daqi, has he ever had selfish intentions?!
Li Qin Wangye¡¯s face turned even bluer as a surge of blood rushed to his forehead and he continued to tremble slightly.
¡°Ah!¡± Qin Jiu suddenly let out a low exim and said ¡°worriedly¡±, ¡°Li Qin Wangye¡¯s face doesn¡¯t look right, is he about to have a heart attack?¡±
Qin Jiu curtsied to the emperor and said with a serious expression, ¡°Your Majesty, quickly call the imperial physician, it will be bad if its really a heart attack, heart attackes small and big¡¡±
Seeing that Li Qin Wangye¡¯s expression was not right, Li Qin Wang Fei became anxious, ¡°Wangye, are you okay?¡±
¡°Quick, call the imperial physician.¡±
Li Qin Wang Fei said hurriedly as she sweats profusely and was disorderly for fear that something might happen to Li Qin Wangye.
After all, Li Qin Wangye was old, he was already sixty years old and was not in a good health these days.
Nonsense! He only felt his breath stuck in his chest.
¡°Your majesty¡¡± Li Qin Wangye¡¯splexion turned even uglier as his chest heaved violently.
¡°Wangye, don¡¯t talk, be careful, you¡¯ll have headaches again¡¡± Li Qin Wang Fei anxiously and quickly went to give him a gentle stroke on the chest, afraid that something might happen to him.
Li Qin Wangye and Wangfei were in upheaval, the emperor could clearly see it sitting on the golden throne above. Pretending to be deliberately anxious, he orders Zhou Xin. ¡°Zhou Xin, do hurry up and take the Li Qin Wangye down to rest.¡±
¡°Quickly, summon the Imperial physician!¡±
The moment the emperor gave an order, Zhou Xin was confuse but still quickly make two other eunuchs carry the sedan chair and swarmed to carry Li Qin Wangye out of the Jinluan Pce.
Li Qin Wang Fei was worried about Li Qin Wangye¡¯s body, so naturally, she followed.
Without half a cup of tea time, the Jinluan pce was instantly almost empty.
Qin Jiu¡¯s lips curled up, feeling that she was awesome!
Look, it¡¯s all finally quiet.
Madam Xiao looked at Qin Jiu calmly with happiness filled in her eyes, thinking that her future daughter-inw was really clever.
She then collected herself, took out a folded silk cloth from her sleeve pocket, and presented it with both hands, ¡°Your Majesty, this is the divorce paper for this madam!¡±
The emperor¡¯s gaze moved from Madam Xiao to Duan Wangye, whose face was stiff, and said, ¡°Imperial Uncle, please sign.¡±
Duan Wangye: ¡°!¡±
Duan Wang said stiffly, ¡°No way.¡±
He would never agree with either separation or force divorce. How could he agree!
Madam Xiao looked at Duan Wangye calmly and with a firm gaze, she said, ¡°Didn¡¯t wangye wanted me to intercede for your son? All right, then sign this letter of divorce.¡±
The implication was that as long as Duan Wangye signs this letter, she would not sue.
Madam Xiao knew inside that what the monk said just now was a ¡°one-sided statement¡±, if she wanted to convict the heir and his consort, it would not be enough.
It was bound to be investigated and trialed! And at the end of the trial, it was likely that most of the servants would bear all the charges while the consort would just cry saying that she waspletely ignorant, and that was it.
This being the case, Madam Xiao was also tired of continuing to tangle with Duan Wangye even longer.
When the song ends, the peoplee apart.
Duan Wangye: ¡°¡¡±
Duan Wangye seemed to be choked by his throat and could not speak.
***
Chapter 319
Chapter 319
If he disagrees, then wangfei would not give up either. Even if the evidence was insufficient now, and she would not immediately condemn the heir however if this case of the heir ¡°killing his mother consort¡± was reinvestigated and retrialed, it would definitely affect the reputation of the heir, and would also affect the prestige of the heir in the military.
Xidi has been eyeing the western border for years. If Xidi takes the opportunity to attack, it would be more than worth the loss!
Duan Wangye¡¯s pupils flicker and change constantly, weighing his pros and cons.
At the same time, two young eunuchs moved arge mahogany table and ced it in front of Duan Wangye and Madam Xiao.
The divorce paper was also neatlyid on therge table, with a dragon-shaped paperweight holding down one corner, the brush, and inkstone was also prepared.
After all was said and done, Duan Wangye walked slowly towards the table, and carefully read the contents of the divorce paper.
At this time, in fact, other people present had vaguely guessed his decision.
Sure enough¡ª¡ª
Duan Wangye picked up the wolf-tipped brush, dipped it in ink, and signed his name on the divorce paper¡ªGu Xiao.
Then, he pressed his thumb on the red ink and stamped it on the divorce paper.
But inwardly he told himself that this was only a dy.
It was only to put this matter down for the time being, and then slowly intercede with wangfei. They have been married for decades, and wangfei only thinks of breaking up with him because she was angry for a while, butter if he exins and bows his head, wangfei would definitely softens her heart.
Zhou Xin presented the divorce paper signed and sealed by Duan Wangye to the emperor which the emperor only nced at and ordered Zhou Xin to take it to the patriarchal mansion for records, and removed the name of Xiao from the book of record ancestry.
This also means that Madam Xiao has changed from wangfei to an ordinary madam without a title, and her status has changed greatly from before.
The Minister of Justice and others sighed.
At this point, the matter of Duan Wangye and Madam Xiao¡¯s divorce finally concluded, and this news spread throughout the entire capital that day causing everyone into an uproar.
The Duan Wang couple has been in conflict for more than two months, at first, most people felt that it would be impossible to divorce butter seeing Duan Wang Fei¡¯s firm attitude, they felt uncertainty.
After all, Duan Wangye was from the royal n, and the n doesn¡¯t allow the Duan Wang couple to divorce. In all likelihood, the couple would more or less lives separately and would just drag this matter,stly, it was not umon for wangfei to live in a separate house.
So, no one expected or even thought that the end would be Duan Wang Fei beating the dengwen drum and asking for a forced divorce.
For a while, people were discussing privately. Some thought Madam Xiao was being stupid, and that Gu Zezhi was pitiful.
Gu Zezhi was originally the eldest son of the legal wife but if Duan Wangye chooses to make his concubine his new consort to upright his eldest son, the heir, then Gu Zezhi would have no way of getting the title back. Not to mention, Duan Wangfei chooses force divorce, meaning Gu Zezhi had no chance of getting the title of Duan Wangye from that moment on!
Because of this, the majority of the people were thinking that Madam Xiao was being too headstrong, she could have just made an exception for the sake of her son and should have just endured but it seems that regardless of the future of her own son she wanted her heart¡¯s contentment. Sooner orter her son would me her, after all, who wouldn¡¯t want to give up the title without feeling grievance.
Amidst the discussion, the emperor suddenly issued an imperial decree, stating that Gu Zezhi and Yu Fuyun had made great achievements for Daqi, causing Northern Yan to cede three cities and a river, opening up territories for Daqi. Gu Zezhi was specially granted the title of Chenjun Wang (Imperial County King) and was given a mansion while Yu Fuyun was granted the title of Marquis of Xuanwu.
And since Madam Xiao was the birth mother of Chenjun Wang, she was also named Chenjun Wang Fei by the imperial decree, with even greater honor.
This edict set off a turbulent wave in the court and was once again in an uproar.
After retreating from the court, when the civil and military officials came out in twos and threes from the Jinluan Hall they still felt as if they were in a dream, and they didn¡¯t even remember any government affairs discussed in the court this morning.
¡°The emperor actually bestow the third son, Gu Zezhi as Chenjun Wang directly!¡± At this time, the minister of the Ministry of Justice as if just remembering the scene when Duan Wangye and Duan Wang Fei officially divorced, his expression became even moreplicated.
An old judicial officer and the left minister exchanged a tacit look with him, before the old judicial officer said affirmatively, ¡°It seems that the emperor has long nned this.¡±
It was obvious how the emperor decisively agreed on the official separation of Duan Wangye and the now Madam Xiao that day, probably because he had the intention of using Gu Zezhi again.
The left minister walked down the marble steps while stroking his beard, ¡°Third Master Gu¡the imperial county king has made great contributions, so he has conferred a title and is highly valued by the emperor. What an honor it is!¡±
¡°Compared with Duan Wangye¡¯s heir¡¡±
He didn¡¯t say anything any further, but the Minister of Justice and the judicial officer understood what he meant.
Although Duan Wang fu was supported by Qin Wang fu, Duan Wangye was still alive, strong, and healthy if there was no ident, he could still live for so many years, so after all was said and done the heir was still an heir, but Gu Zezhi on the other hand had achieved beyond being just an heir and directly became a king.
When things werepared, there was a huge gap in strength and level, which was higher and which was lower, who wins and who loses was easy to judge.
In other words, the emperor issued this imperial edict because he wanted to support Gu Zezhi.
Gu Zezhi¡¯s future was boundless, maybe in two years, he, Chenjun, would be Qin Chenjun!
Not only do the three ministers of the Ministry of Justice think the same, but so was other ministers.
For a while, the Duan Wang Mansion in the capital was bustling with people, but these people who came to give gifts to Gu Zezhi just found out that Gu Zezhi had lived in the Xiao Mansion with Madam Xiao for a while now.
After knowing this, the capital was once again shaken by the events of the Duan Wang Mansion.
***
Chapter 320
Chapter 320
Gu Zezhi didn¡¯t care about the hustle and bustle outside, at this moment he was busy helping Madam Xiao pack her luggage in the main courtyard of the Xiao mansion.
The luggage was already packed, but Madam Xiao was still a little hesitant.
¡°Zezhi, why don¡¯t I¡ter,¡± Madam Xiao said hesitantly.
She had always wanted to go to her mother¡¯s house in Jiangnan, but when she was really about to leave, she became hesitant again.
¡°Xiao Jiu is about to reach marriageable age, it¡¯s not good for me to be away, and, I have to prepare a dowry for you¡¡± Madam Xiao couldn¡¯t help but find various reasons.
Gu Zezhi calmly patted his mother on the back and coaxed saying, ¡°Mom, if you don¡¯t go to Jiangnan now, there will only be more things in the future, then there will be no chance to go.¡±
He looked at Madam Xiao with a gentle smile, and his tone sounded meaningful.
Wang momo persuaded on the side with a smile, ¡°Madam, the third master is right, the third master will soon have a big wedding, after this big wedding maybe you will have grandchildren soon, by then, can you still go?!¡±
Madam Xiao: ¡°¡¡±
Hearing this, Madam Xiao thought so too, yes, she would have to help take care of her grandchildren in the future, and if that happens she was afraid she won¡¯t be able to leave for several years.
She hesitated again and said, ¡°Zezhi, then¡ why don¡¯t I go?¡±
¡°Go!¡± Gu Zezhi said gently but firmly, ¡°Mom, you have already informed uncles. They are waiting for you.¡±
¡°When you go to Jiangnan, pick out a dowry gift for me. The materials and jewelry from Jiangnan should be beautiful, don¡¯t you think?¡±
Madam Xiao¡¯s eyes lit up as soon as she heard this and nodded her head repeatedly, ¡°Zezhi, it¡¯s still you who are more thoughtful.¡±
She became immediately enthusiastic as she listed the famous cloth and jewelry shops in Jiangnan, and talked about where her mother ordered her dowry back then saying that most of those shops were century-old shops, and they were still in Jiangnan today thriving and prosperous¡
Madam Xiao continued talking while Gu Zezhi continues to listen and asionally asked a few words along with her, and the more Madam Xiao spoke, the more excited she became andpletely forgot about her previous hesitation.
Wang momo and Qin Jiu on the side, waited as they silently exchanged knowing nces.
They were close and attended to Madam Xiao so they also knew that Madam Xiao wanted to go back to Jiangnan, to put it more urately her feeling of entanglement was just because of her timidity of being homesick.
It was the third master who understood the madam¡¯s mind and found something to do for her, which temporarily diverted her attention! Wang momo looked at the mother and son with a smile on her face.
In their view, Madam Xiao was better off without a heartless husband like Duan Wangye, as long as the third master was filial to his mother, that was the most important thing.
Wang momo and Qin Jiu silently retreated, and continued to pack Madam Xiao¡¯s luggage.
On the seventh day of April, Gu Zezhi and Qin Jiu personally sent Madam Xiao out of the capital, thetter¡¯s convoy was grandiose, and Gu Zezhi also sent a team of guards to escort Madam Xiao.
They sent Madam Xiao all the way to Wuliting Pavillion, and bid farewell, it was only more than half an hourter did the two of them went back to the capital.
The two rode out on horseback, so they went back on a horse ride as well.
Anyway, they were not in a hurry, so they let the horses run leisurely on their own. Qin Jiu was now quite skilled in riding, she was more rxed now and even asionally raised her gaze to check the weather.
The two rode andughed all the way.
After entering the south city gate, Gu Zezhi took the initiative to mention the county mansion, which was rewarded by the emperor.
Qin Jiu¡¯s eyes instantly lit up and asked, ¡°Where is it?¡±
Gu Zezhi: ¡°Huashang Street.¡±
Qin Jiu blinked her eyes and smiled: ¡°Huashang Street is good!¡±
Huashang Street was only one street away from Hulu Alley where their Qin Mansion was located. It was very close!
¡°I think so, too.¡± Gu Zezhi also smiled, ¡°but it¡¯s a little old. It needs to be repaired.¡±
The county mansion bestowed by the emperor was the original marquis mansion.
The former marquis of Yongping has been honored for several generations and he was once distinguished for a time, the mansion was over more than thirty mu, and it was imposing and impressive. During the reign of the first emperor, the title Marquis of Yongping came to an end, and was moved out, since then the mansion was vacant.
The marquis mansion was being facilitated by the government and has been vacant for more than ten years and now it must be renovated and expanded as the official fu of Chenjun.
¡°Will you apany me to have a look?¡±
As soon as the words fell, a familiar male voice came from behind, ¡°Zezhi.¡±
***
Chapter 321
Chapter 321
The two of them looked over at where the sound came from and saw Duan Wangye, dressed in a green brocade robe, walking out of a teahouse in front of them.
Gu Zezhi and Qin Jiu got off their horses and led them to Duan Wangye before they curtsied.
¡°Father.¡±
¡°Wangye.¡±
Duan Wangye looked at his son and a smile appeared on his majestic face and said earnestly. ¡°Zezhi, now that you have been given a title, you must do well for the emperor in the future, and not becent when you just seed a little.¡±
Duan Wangye was very pleased that his son made a lot of achievements,ter on, his eldest son inherits the Duan Wang title, and since Zezhi already earned a title for himself, it was the best of both worlds.
Gu Zezhi sped his hand in salute to Duan Wangye and said with a smile, ¡°Thank you, father for your teaching.¡±
Duan Wangye stroked his beard, and the smile on his face deepened as he asked, ¡°How is your mother consort¡ how is your mother?¡±
Gu Zezhi said bluntly, ¡°My mother has left the capital.¡±
Duan Wangye: ¡°!¡±
The smile on the corners of Duan Wangye¡¯s lips disappeared in a sh, and was reced with a frown of disbelief as he blurted out, ¡°Your mother consort left the capital, why didn¡¯t you even tell this wangye in advance?¡±
¡°Zezhi, don¡¯t you know how to persuade your mother, the world now is chaotic, what will you do if she encounters some bandits?¡±
¡°Where the hell did she go? This wangye is going back to the border soon, isn¡¯t she going back with this wangye?¡±
Duan Wangye said in a questioning tone.
¡°¡¡¡± Qin Jiu was startled, and her eyes widened looking at Duan Wangye, thinking his logic was really strange!
Madam Xiao had already divorced him in front of the emperor in Jinluan hall, could it be that he thought it was all just a sham, and if he just coaxed her a little bit Madam Xiao would go back to the western border with him to continue living?
How does his brain work!
Qin Jiu heard that Duan Wangye had guarded the western border for so many years and his outstanding achievements on the battlefield were enough to go down in history, so could it be that all his brains were spent with military affairs?
Compared to Duan Wangye¡¯s stunned looked, Gu Zezhi was so calm as he looked at Duan Wangye and reminded him. ¡°Father, you haven¡¯t remarried yet.¡±
Duan Wangye was dumbfounded for a moment before realizing what Gu Zezhi meant. His son was clearly saying that he no longer had a consort, so why call his mother ¡°mother consort¡±!
This time, Duan Wangye¡¯s face stiffened, before he scolded angrily, ¡°Scoundrel, no son in this world is looking forward to his parent¡¯s divorce!¡±
Duan Wangye never thought of divorcing the wangfei, it was just a matter of priority.
But in his heart, there was only one wangfei.
Duan Wangye calmed down as he softly said, ¡°Zezhi, you also know that your eldest brother has always been good to you and is always the first to think of you when he gets a good horse and a good sword. You and your brother are eighteen years apart, he is like a father to you so how can your eldest brother be on guard against you.¡±
¡°This wangye is convinced that there must be a misunderstanding in this matter, you can¡¯t convict your eldest brother just because of the monk¡¯s words, right?¡±
Gu Zezhi chuckled, and the sound disappeared with the wind in a blink of an eye.
In Duan Wangye¡¯s ears, thisugh seemed to carry a hint of sarcasm.
Gu Zezhi said calmly, ¡°Father, you said that the heir should not be condemn just because of the servant¡¯s words, and now you said that the foreign monk¡¯s words were misunderstanding, if this was the case, then since father said eldest brother is innocent then his innocent.¡±
¡°Zezhi!¡± Duan Wangye¡¯s brow furrowed even more, thinking why Gu Zezhi wouldn¡¯t listen to him.
Gu Zezhi didn¡¯t want to hear any more nonsense from Duan Wangye, and immediately added. ¡°I already have a title, so you no longer have to worry that I will ¡®steal¡¯ the title of your heir. Father, if you have nothing to do, go back to the western border early and in the future, I will live in the capital forever.¡±
***
Chapter 322
Chapter 322
Duan Wangye looked Gu Zezhi in the eyes who was only three steps away and felt that his son in front of him was familiar yet unfamiliar. The father and son looked at each other, and for a while, Duan Wangye didn¡¯t know what to say.
His third son who just reached adulthood was already more than an inch taller than him, he also always has this faint smile painted on his lips that look as gentle as jade as if he was someone who was easy to talk to, but his brows reflects his full determination like a sword hidden in the sheath.
Duan Wangye understood what Gu Zezhi meant when he said this, his son¡¯s meaning was very clear. He was saying that he would not return to Luan City again, since they had already separated.
For some unknown reason, Duan Wangye¡¯s heart suddenly trembled and his chest felt stuffy as if something had been blocked.
He subconsciously asked, ¡°Zezhi, are you ming this wangye?¡±
Gu Zezhi smiled but did not say anything.
Obviously, Gu Zezhi was smiling but seeing his smile made Dua Wangye¡¯s heart feel even more ufortable.
¡°Zezhi¡¡± Duan Wangye hesitated.
Gu Zezhi added, ¡°Father is guarding the border, so it¡¯s not good to be away for a long time, it¡¯s not good for the troops without anymander even a day less.¡±
Was Zezhi trying to drive him back to the western border?! Duan Wangye stared nkly at Gu Zezhi, feeling that his hard work had been let down.
After a moment of silence, Duan Wangye lightly sighed and said, ¡°Okay, this wangye will go back in a few days.¡±
Duan Wangye secretly made up his mind that once he returned back to the western border, he would find out everything, and then put the truth in front of Duan Wang Fei and Zezhi, then make them realize how they wronged the heir.
Only in this way can wangfei and Zezhi know how sincere the heir was to them.
With this in mind, Duan Wangye felt a little better and said, ¡°After this wangye returns, you should do your job well in the capital and don¡¯t cause any trouble.''¡±
¡°And let your mother¡ return to the capital as soon as possible. It¡¯s too dangerous outside.¡±
¡°Yes!¡± Gu Zezhi cupped his hand in courtesy, ¡°Father if there is nothing else, we will leave first.¡±
Duan Wangye looked at Qin Jiu who looked docile on the side and knew that his son was probably shopping with his future daughter-inw.
The folk customs of Daqi were not as conservative as those of the previous dynasty. So seeing, this engaged young couples go shopping together, as their elder, Duan Wangye was happy to see them together as if remembering the time when he and Duan Wang Fei used to ride horses on the street of the capital when they were young.
Duan Wangye nodded and waved, ¡°You guys go.¡±
Thus, Gu Zezhi and Qin Jiu led the horses and walked away without looking back.
A few steps away, Qin Jiu let out a long sigh of relief, being with Duan Wangye always made her very ufortable.
How should she put it, Duan Wangye¡¯s brain circuit was different from normal people so although she never really had a real conversation with him and just listened to him most of the time, she felt a sense of suffocation that she couldn¡¯t understand.
Unfortunately for her, Duan Wangye was Gu Zezhi¡¯s biological father, so she couldn¡¯t just whip him directly¡ªher hands were so itchy earlier!
Qin Jiu turned her head to look at Gu Zezhi who was beside her and saw a gentle side profile. Under the sun, his well-defined profile glowed with a faint halo making his features more picturesque.
However, in her eyes, Gu Zezhi always hides his emotions so deeply that no could see through him.
As if noticing her gaze, Gu Zezhi turned his face slightly to the side and the moment he met Qin Jiu¡¯s gaze, his long and narrow phoenix eyes showed a little loneliness.
Qin Jiu: ¡°!¡±
She knew that Duan Wangye had no affection for Gu Zezhi, so Duan Wangye treating Gu Zezhi like this for the sake of the heir seems to have make him sad.
Qin Jiu felt that the golden thigh was really pitiful.
She tilted her head and thought for a moment, then took out a pine nut candy from her purse and handed it to him.
With her eyebrows curved, and her big almond eyes shining brightly looking at him, Qin Jiu said, ¡°Would you like to taste them?¡±
Gu Zezhi didn¡¯t answer nor pick up the candy, but instead sighed softly, and under the backlight, his reflection looked became even lonelier.
Qin Jiu was afraid that he would be overwhelmed, so she quickly raised her hand and handed the pine nut candy to his mouth directly, and thetter obligingly leaned his head over and swallowed the candy in one gulp. When he closed his lips, the corner of his lips slightly cocked up, and the smile spread to the corners of his eyes.
Qin Jiu: ¡°Is it sweet?¡±
Gu Zezhi covered his lips with his fist and gave a low chuckle, then nodded and said, ¡°Sweet!¡±
The smile at the bottom of his eyes ripples like spring water.
Qin Jiu, on the other hand, looked at him with a deeper smile, and felt that she was bing more and more skilled at coaxing Gu Zezhi!
¡°I made this rose pine nut candy myself.¡±
¡°It¡¯s filled with roses in addition to pine nuts and honey, it smells good and delicious.¡±
¡°Do you want more?¡±
¡°¡.¡±
As they talk, the two gradually walked away.
***
Chapter 323
Chapter 323
Duan Wangye looked at their backs that were drifting away, and his heart seemed to be pressed against a huge stone. For the first time, an idea came to mind.
Was he wrong?
Duan Wangye stood in ce for a long time until the two figures disappearedpletely at the street corner, and then turned left.
On the same day, Duan Wangye entered the pce and made a request to the emperor to return to the western border which the emperor immediately agreed.
Three dayster, Duan Wangye left the capital.
Shortly after Duan Wangye left the capital, the emperor issued another decree, ordering the only daughter of Princess Yongle to be brought into the capital from Yuzhou.
All the officials in the court know that the emperor¡¯s sudden serious illnessst time was rted to the death of Princess Yongle, and so was the matter about Wang Yu, this were all gnawing the emperor¡¯s mind.
Back then, thete emperor favored Imperial Concubine Fang Shu, the mother of Wang Yu, and this said emperor imprisoned his own son, the emperor now, who was the crown prince at that time in the crown prince¡¯s fu. Wang Yu who was highly valued by thete emperor visited the crown prince¡¯s fu three times and what happened between these two brothers, only they knew about it. What everyone knew was that the current emperor, who was the crown prince at that time vomited blood and was in critical condition.
The enmity and resentment between the current emperor and Wang Yu could be said to be something constant, involving Princess Yongle in the middle¡
However, this doesn¡¯t give enough reason to take Princess Yongle¡¯s daughter back to the capital.
Immediately, some over-conservative envoys protested one after another, some even reasoned that thete emperor ordered Princess Yongle to choose imperial concubine Fang¡¯s nephew as his son-inw which means that Princess Yongle¡¯s daughter was from the Fang family. And this Young Miss Fang still has both her father and grandmother, taking her back to the pce to raise her was not in ordance with the rules.
Some also tried to reason that Princess Yongle was like a twisted band between the emperor and Wang Yu, and now that Princess Yongle has just passed away if the emperor takes Young Miss Fang to the capital it may cause Wang Yu to overthink and may view this as the emperor nning to attack him, which they must prevent from happening after all peace was the most important thing between brothers.
These booklets of opposition were pressed down on the emperor.
The court was buzzing for days until an ¡°interesting¡± booklet appeared on the emperor¡¯s royal desk.
¡°Zezhi, take a look.¡± The emperor casually threw the booklet to Gu Zezhi.
Gu Zezhi raised his hand and catch the booklet easily, opened it, and raised his sword-like eyebrows after reading the booklet.
It was mentioned in the booklet that if the emperor insists on raising Young Miss Fang in the capital, then it would be logical to choose a good marriage for her. The second prince was about the same age as her, and they were cousins, so the emperor could rest assured of the future.
Gu Zezhi close the booklet and met the emperor¡¯s mirror-like eyes.
Almost as soon as the emperor saw this booklet, he immediately understood the intention of those imperial officials who have been opposing for so many days.
The emperor¡¯s expression was serene and hidden in depth as he murmured to Gu Zezhi, ¡°These people are really stubborn, and still thinking about getting merits from this emperor!¡±
¡°The Yun family rejected Gu Jing¡¯s marriage proposal, so they took their minds on my niece, knowing that this emperor pitied that girl, so they wanted to take this opportunity to turn Gu Jing around.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t even think about it¡¡± The more the emperor talk the more he be angrier, and pped the imperial table causing the tea to overflow from the teacup.
Zhou Xin hurriedly tidied up the table for the emperor, fearing that the tea might wet the booklet.
The emperor didn¡¯t say more but Zhou Xin knew that the emperor was really angry at this time, Young Miss Fan had just lost her mother, and someone was already daring to mention marriage to her. These people really have a lot of nerve!
Gu Zezhi casually ced the booklet aside and reminded him, ¡°Your Majesty, were simply trying to have small talks but if the empress dowager is moved by them¡¡±
Emperor: ¡°¡¡±
Young Miss Fang was the granddaughter of Empress Dowager Liu, and the second prince has always been favored by the empress dowager, if she was really moved by these people¡
The emperor¡¯s face became even heavier.
On the same day, the emperor send someone directly to Yuzhou to pick up her, and issued another decree, ordering the second prince, Gu Jing, to leave his pce and establish himself and choose his own attendants.
For a prince, establishing himself and choosing his own attendants would have been a good thing, after all, only after leaving the pce would an imperial prince be able to cultivate his own connections. However, the emperor only ordered the second prince to leave the pce but did not assign any title to the second prince which make people think that there was more to it.
For a moment, various voices of discussion and spection continued.
High Ranking official Cheng¡¯en and others, for various reasons, tried to persuade the emperor which thetter ignored causing more officials to convince the emperor. But the emperor only gave the second prince ten days to move out and did not even give the second prince time to repair his mansion.
On the 20th of April, as soon as the time arrived, the emperor directly ¡°sent¡± the young man out of the pce.
This matter causes a stir in the capital, and even Qin Zhun knew about it though he was on the very edge of the court.
Qin Zhun was worried as he anxiously walked around the study.
Ever since the second prince was grounded by the emperor, Qin Zhun hadn¡¯t slept well for several days, his eyes sockets were covered with dark shadows making him look more upset and this was because he felt that things were not going well recently.
The opportunity he was optimistic about turned out to be a mess, not to mention the Su family deliberately made trouble because of Su Xiyang¡¯s ident,pletely disregarding the affection of inws and causing a great opportunity to slip through his hand with a high-ranking official.
Just thinking about it made Qin Zhun feel his teeth itch, resenting the Su family and Madam Su.
Not only that but he has been criticized since his eldest brother¡¯s children separated from them. Many people pointed at him behind his back, saying that he had treated his eldest brother¡¯s orphan unfairly, even though he had fully allocated ¡°70%¡± of the marquis¡¯s household property to the eldest house. Now, these children were living freely and leisurely outside, while his life has been difficult. This year, the earnings of the shop and the vi have also been confiscated, so the expenses of the marquis¡¯s mansion were tight, they might need to pawn their things.
Furthermore, the second prince was often short of silver, so he spent so much money like running water, and now he could only bite the bullet and continue to fill it in as if he was filling a bottomless pit¡
Qin Zhun couldn¡¯t help but think of the emperor¡¯s proposal to make the sixth prince the crown princest time. If the second prince fails to seed, then the Qin family would have bet the wrong treasure.
***
Chapter 324
Chapter 324
Qin Zhun felt that his heart was dripping with blood, and was so worried that his white hair had grown a lot, and couldn¡¯t help sighing again.
Qin Xin only thought that Qin Zhun must have been upset about the second prince failure and was even to house arrest, and advised, ¡°Father, even if His Highness the second prince is unsessful at the moment, it¡¯s just temporary you don¡¯t have to worry too much¡¡±
It was easy for her to say this, Qin Zhun thought as he looked at Qin Xin like some kind of arrow, after all, if it wasn¡¯t for Qin Xin, why would he be so eager to stand in line and fall into this current dilemma.
Qin Xin only ignored the anger in Qin Zhun¡¯s eyes and confidently and calmly said, ¡°Father, the emperor¡¯s dragon body is not good. You see, as soon as Princess Yongle died, the emperor fell down, enough to know that his dragon body is already full of wounds and holes, his battle is nearing its end.¡±
¡°Think about it, the Daqi dynasty never establishes a young crown prince. If the emperor can¡¯tst until the sixth princees of age, the only one who can seed the throne is the second prince.¡±
Qin Zhun¡¯s eyebrows slightly rxed as Qin Xin said this.
Qin Xin picked up the teacup and took a sip with downcast eyes and the light in her eyes slightly flickered.
In herst life, she was far away in exile where life was really difficult, and had to exhaust herself to have daily food so she had no time to worry about anything else. However, she still knows about the emperor¡¯s death. Counting from now, it¡¯s only a few years away.
Qin Xin looked determined and then analyzed, ¡°Father, even if the emperor insists on making the sixth prince the crown prince now, as long as there are many objections from the court, the emperor cannot ignore the opinions of the ministers, and it will be dted for a year or two.¡±
¡°With these one or two years, His Highness the Second Prince should have enough achievements to recover from his disadvantage.¡±
¡°There are both disadvantages and advantages for the second prince to establish his own fu. A few days ago, the second prince was grounded by the emperor in the pce and couldn¡¯t move a single step. Even if Duke Chengen wanted to see him, he couldn¡¯t even meet him but now that the second prince has his own fu, it¡¯s easier to do anything in the future.¡±
Qin Xin said meaningfully, almost putting ¡®Gu Jing¡¯s having his own fu was convenient for him to win people¡¯s hearts.¡¯.
Qin Zhun¡¯s face softened a bit, and he felt that what Qin Xin had said was quite reasonable.
Over the years, courtiers have been paying close attention to the emperor¡¯s dragon body, for years he had been drinking medicinal soup. This time, due to the death of Princess Yongle, the emperor has been out of court for five days, and a group of imperial physicians and eunuchs were almost staying in the Yangxin Hall all the time.
In another year or two, the emperor¡¯s dragon body would get even more worst and if he could not establish a crown prince by then, he would inevitably have his eldest son established as the crown prince which was the second prince that has the support of Empress Dowager Liu. In contrast, the third prince was cordial in nature, and the fourth prince was weak in physique, making him unsuitable for being a crown prince. The advantage of the second prince among several grown-up princes was obvious.
Moreover, he has invested too much in the second prince, except for the family properties that have been distributed to the eldest house, nearly half of the remaining family properties have already been invested. At this time, if he withdraws, the silver provided would be tantamount to sshing water!
Besides, everyone knows that he sides with the second prince and he couldn¡¯t just ¡°change his mind¡± and support the sixth prince. If he changes his position like this, who would trust him.
Qin Zhun calmed down a lot, lifted his robe, and sat down. After pondering for a moment, he said, ¡°Xin¡¯er, you¡¯re almost ready for theing age ceremony and since His Highness the Second Prince has left the pce to establish himself, you should marry him early.¡±
He naturally has his own ns. Since the second prince¡¯s first imperial concubine has not yet been decided, and Qin Xin happens to be able to ¡°marry¡± and give birth to a son early before the first concubine passes through the door. A grandson who has the blood of the Qin family was the greatest guarantee for the Qin family.
After all, having an heir was the most important thing, and once the second prince has a son, this could also be an advantage for the second prince in winning the throne. Contrary, the sixth prince who was only six years old this year must wait for another nine years for him to get married and have an heir. Everyone knows how important an heir was to the royal family, just take for example, what happened recently with Duan Wang fu.
¡°Yes, father.¡±
Qin Xin responded obediently on the surface, but her heart was agitated and didn¡¯t dare to show any signs: First, it was Yun Jiaoniang, and now there was this young miss from Dongping fu, all aiming at her own man, indeed they were despicable!
After personally pouring a cup of hot tea, Qin Xin then brought it to Qin Zhun.
She knows that the only one she could rely on now was Qin Zhun, as long as the Qin family thinks she still has value, then her future life in the second prince¡¯s house would be much easier.
Qin Zhun took two sips of tea before putting down his cup, and said, ¡± Xin¡¯er, do you think we should go to the Second Prince¡¯s Mansion to congratte His Highness on his move?¡±
Qin Zhun knows that Lord Chengen would hold a housewarming banquet for the second prince in two days, the banquet post was also sent to the Marquis, but he feels that the rtionship between his family and the second prince was extraordinary, the second prince just moved to his fu today, so shouldn¡¯t his family go early to congratte him and show the second prince that the marquis was loyal to him.
¡°Father, you are due for a trip.¡± Qin Xin said.
Qin Zhun felt the same, stroking his beard and muttering, ¡°It¡¯s much better to give charcoal in the snow than to add flowers to the cake.¡±
Qin Zhun¡¯s heart was burning, and couldn¡¯t wait the more he thought about it. He stood up from his chair and felt that he had to go to the Second Prince¡¯s Mansion immediately.
He was about to leave, but then stopped in his tracks and after thinking about it, he said to Qin Xin, ¡°Xin¡¯er, why don¡¯t you go with me too?¡±
Qin Xin hadn¡¯t seen Gu Jing for a while now and was eager to see him, so hearing him say this, her eyes immediately lit up.
With a reserved smile, she got up and said, ¡°Then I will apany my father on his journey.¡±
Qin Zhun immediately asked his servant to prepare a carriage and traveled from the Marquis¡¯ residence to the Second Prince¡¯s residence in the south of the city.
At this time, in the second prince¡¯s mansion, there were only Gu Jing and the servants he had brought out of the pce.
After the people from the Ministry of Rites send him here, they hurriedly left before a stick of incense was burned.
Looking at the strange and deserted mansion in front of him, Gu Jing was a little dumbfounded.
After being grounded in the pce by his imperial father, these days, Gu Jing was in a state of panic, and could hardly sleep at night, especially after hearing that his imperial father wants to establish Gu Zhen as the crown prince. Knowing this, his heart went as cold as ice feeling that his imperial father most likely would abandon him.
Gu Jing could not ept this.
He has been nning and working hard for so long, just wanting to exchange the peace between the two countries of Daqi and Northern Yan and to make his imperial father look at him in a different light but in the end, he was robbed of everything by a yellow-mouthed kid* like Gu Zhen.
(*young and ignorant)
He refused to ept; he was dissatisfied but he was helpless.
While he was worried that his imperial father would ground him for too long, he suddenly received an order of establishing his own fu and was sent here. During this whole process, he was passive and confused.
He tried to seek an audience to his imperial father but thetter didn¡¯t want to see him at all, so he could only ask Zhou Xin to deliver a message.
***
Chapter 325
Chapter 325
Gu Jing clenched his fist tightly as he looked at the mansion in front of him.
He remembered that this was the mansion left behind by the former right imperial governor when he was appointed to his post. As far as the eye could see, it was deserted, with broken tiles and rotten walls, grass and trees growing wildly; no one had lived here for at least three years, it was old and dpidated, even though it was managed by the imperial government.
He is the prince and a prince¡¯s residence, so although this mansion was regted under the imperial government but this was only a residence that was awarded to a former governor during the reign of the previous emperor, and no more than an ordinary three-building mansion.
His imperial father told him to live here, but how could he live here!
Moreover, apart from the pce maids and servants he used in his pce before, he couldn¡¯t bring anyone out.
There were no stewards, no guards, no gatekeepers¡there was nothing but just an empty mansion, not to mention money to renovate the ce.
If this was done amongmon people, it would mean that the father had kicked his son out of the house.
Just thinking about it, saddened Gu Jing. He devoted himself to Daqi and exhausted his energy, but his imperial father treated him as a useless waste son, moreover, those courtiers also acted ording to the circumstances. Today, when he moved out of the pce, no one came to congratte him.
¡°Your Highness¡¡± A young attendant beside him could also see that Gu Jing was in a bad mood, but standing like this dumbfounded was not good.
The young attendant was about to persuade Gu Jing to settle down inside when he heard a cold male voice from behind. ¡°I have heard that Your Highness the Second Prince is moving in today, and I havee to express my congrattions.''¡±
Gu Jing¡¯s body stiffened and immediately recognized the owner of the voice, and turned to look.
Seven to eight steps away was where Yelu Luan could be seen, dressed in a bluepel robe as he strode towards his direction with his head held high and a sinister smile on the corner of his lips.
With his arrival, the atmosphere froze.
Gu Jing: ¡°!¡±
As far as he knows, his father has sent people to the northern border to deliver the peace agreement between the two countries, while Yelu Luan was temporarily ced under house arrest by his imperial father in the Siyi Pavilion, until the wedding date.
How did Yelu Luan get here?!
The young attendant felt that Yelu Luan was not friendly at all, so he stood guard in front of Gu Jing, but thetter waved his hand telling him to back down and saluted to Yelu Luan, ¡°Prince Yelu, I was also looking for a chance to find you and go to Siyi Pavilion.''¡±
¡°Really?¡± Yelu Luan smiled that was not a smile, ¡°I thought the first thing His Highness the Second Prince wanted to do when he saw me was to have me sent back to Siyi Pavilion!¡±
Gu Jing looked at Yelu Luan and said, ¡°Prince Yelu, I¡¯ve been wanting to exin to you for a while now that I was unaware of the incident and it wasn¡¯t supposed to be like that, I also didn¡¯t know in advance that Yu Fuyun had gone to the Northern Border¡¡±
Remembering the scenes in the imperial study that day, Gu Jing¡¯s eyes flickered and immediately changes as he secretly recited Gu Zezhi¡¯s name bitterly: ¡°Damn it, Gu Zezhi deliberately made enemies for him on purpose!
While Gu Jing exined, Yelu Luan listened as the sneer on his lips getting thicker and thicker.
In Yelu Luan¡¯s case, he had already suffered a loss once at the hands of Gu Jing, so of course he would not be foolish enough to trust him again.
He has already been tricked once by Gu Jing and Gu Zezhi, and this Gu Jing was even more infuriating than Gu Zezhi. In the beginning, he made a bold statement, gave way to them in every way, and promised various conditions only for the sake of peace between the two countries. He even agreed on future cooperation, not to mention Gu Jing behaved too sincerely, so he really believed him. But this time would be different, he wouldn¡¯t allow Gu Jing to be the only one ying tricks all the time.
Thinking about it, Yelu Luan still felt aggrieved, making his chest throb again.
After suffering a loss in Gu Jing¡¯s hands, Yelu Luan was not foolish enough to believe whatever Gu Jing says.
The sarcastic sneer remained stered on Yelu Luan¡¯s lips as he said, ¡°Your Highness if you were me, would you believe it?¡±
¡°¡¡± Gu Jing paused.
He had to admit that if it were him, he probably wouldn¡¯t believe it either.
Seeing Yelu Luan didn¡¯t believe him, Gu Jing also began to be impatient. He also had a rough time these days and has no mood to coax others.
But he still patiently added, ¡°Prince Yelu should have seen how my imperial father treated me, believe it or not, the prince can decide for himself.''¡±
For this peace talk, for the cooperation with Yelu Luan, the price he has paid was already high enough!
Gu Jing¡¯s eyes were deep as he clenches his fists in the wide cuffs, then released and clenched again.
Yelu Luan silently stared at Gu Jing with his sharp eyes as if they were trying to prate him, and a momentter, his gaze turned to the dpidated house behind him, pulled out another sneer, and nodded, ¡°Okay, I believe you.¡±
Seeing that the other party finally believed him, Gu Jing finally breathed a sigh of relief. He has nothing now, so although Yelu Luan was about to be a hostage prince in their country, he was still ultimately the second prince of Northern Yan, and may have something of use!
Yelu Luan waved to Gu Jing and said, ¡°Your Highness, I have one thing to tell you¡¡±
Gu Jing took two steps closer to him, and Yelu Luan lowered his voice and said, ¡°It¡¯s like this¡¡±
His words only went to this and the corners of his lips spread a sly smile as he pulled his right hand out of his sleeve with a dagger gleaming in his hand.
This dagger stabbed at the upper part of his thigh with a lightning sh¡
At this moment, time seemed to have stagnated as the surrounding pce people watched with disbelief.
¡°Tick-tock, tick-tock.¡±
The blood quickly overflowed from the wound, dying the clothes red and the scarlet blood continues to drip onto the ground below.
¡°Tick-tock, tick-tock.¡±
***
Chapter 326
Chapter 326
Gu Jing: ¡°!!!¡±
His pupils shrank and he looked at Yelu Luan in disbelief.
Yelu Luan¡¯s expression remained unchanged, his turquoise blue eyes were as gloomy as an owl, as he pulled the dagger out.
Gu Jing¡¯s face turned even paler, as pale as paper just while his right hand covered his wound and blood stained his fingers.
The dagger¡¯s de was dyed with scarlet red blood and trickled down the floor, ¡°tick, tock.¡±
On the other hand, Yelu Luan casually threw the blood-stained dagger on the ground and said in a cold tone, calling him by his name. ¡°Gu Jing, this is the retribution.¡±
For Yelu Luan, Gu Jing dared to y him like this, treating him like a fool, so this knife was his gift in return, in order to calm his raging heart.
Just then, Qin Zhun and Qin Xin arrived, stopping the carriage a few steps away.
Qin Zhun took the lead in getting out of the carriage and was shocked by the scene before him.
He strode up to Yelu Luan, wondering why Yelu Luan was there as he asked in a hard voice, ¡°Prince Yelu, did you actually hurt His Highness the Second Prince?¡±
Qin Zhun¡¯s face was extremely ugly, thinking Yelu Luan was simply crazy. Did he forget that he was still in Daqi¡¯s territory now!
Meanwhile, Yelu Luan wiped his hands casually with a handkerchief. ¡°We Yans¡¯ have always been clear about our gratitude and grievances.¡±
So, what if he hurt Gu Jing, as long as Gu Jing didn¡¯t die, the emperor of Daqi could not kill him, could he? Anyway, he was already under house arrest as a hostage and if Daqi retaliates, it couldn¡¯t be worse than this.
Yelu Luan felt the pent-up rage he was holding in his chest finallye out, as he shook his sleeve and said, ¡°I¡¯m going back to the Siyi Pavilion. If Your Highness the Second Prince wants to take revenge, I¡¯ll wait for you at the Siyi Pavilion!¡±
Yelu Luan rolled onto his horse and rode away.
¡°Stop¡¡±
Qin Zhun wanted to ask Yelu Luan to stop but was interrupted by Qin Xin¡¯s anxious voice. ¡°Your Highness, Your Highness, are you okay?¡±
Qin Xin eximed and ran towards Gu Jing, her fair and beautiful face was filled with worry.
Gu Jing¡¯s right hand was still tightly covering the wound as he watched Qin Xin anxiously run towards him, and suddenly a ripple burst in his heart: Xin¡¯er, only his Xin¡¯er has him in her heart and treats him sincerely.
And Qin Zhun¡
Gu Jing¡¯s gaze passed Qin Xin and looked at Qin Zhun, who was closely following Qin Xin, whose face was also burning with anxiety.
A tide of emotions surges Gu Jing¡¯s heart: A human¡¯s nature was either cold or warm, when he was in despair and in grave danger no one else showed up but only Xin¡¯er and Qin Zhun.
Now he knows that the Qin family was the most reliable!
Qin Xin held Gu Jing¡¯s left arm as her eyebrows were deeply drawn together.
Gu Jing was in so much pain that he couldn¡¯t stand anymore, but his right hand was still covering the wound and blood continued to seeped from between his fingers, numbing his nerves with pain. He was almost unable to distinguish whether the pain was in his thigh or¡ somewhere else.
His face became even paler, not daring to think further.
Qin Xin shouted anxiously, ¡°Quick, go get the physician!¡±
Everything happened so fast that the surrounding pce maids and chambermaids were stunned and did not react until this moment and gathered around Gu Jing.
Qin Zhun hurriedly ordered his entourage to hurry to find a physician, while some of the courtdies helped Gu Jing, other servants rushed to prepare the sedan chair, and some went to the pce to invite the imperial physician. Everyone was in a mess.
Hence the emperor, who was in the imperial study, soon learned about it and waspletely dumbfounded.
Only then did the emperor remember that today was the day Gu Jing left the pce to establish himself.
The emperor immediately ordered, ¡°Send the imperial physician to visit and then ask Yuan Minggang to follow.¡±
¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± The young eunuch who hade to inform him epted the order and retreated.
The emperor¡¯s gaze turned to Gu Zezhi sitting by the window, his eyes flickered.
Last time in the imperial study, the emperor acquiesced with Gu Zezhi to deliberately mislead Yelu Luan.
The Northern Yan people were very ambitious towards Daqi, if they saw even a tiny opportunity to take advantage of Daqi, they would certainly secretly continue to collude with Gu Jing, so to simply cut off the North Yan people¡¯s thoughts in a big way the emperor went along with Gu Jing, and on the other hand, the emperor also intends to let Gu Jing suffer some losses.
So, even though Northern Yan people were all irritable and unwilling to swallow their anger, but Yelu Luan was in Daqi, and the emperor was certain that even if he had any dissatisfaction with Gu Jing, he would not kill Gu Jing. At most, Gu Jing would be beaten up and taught a lesson, so he didn¡¯t expect Yelu Luan to stab him like this.
The emperor turned the jade ring on his thumb and sighed, ¡°After this, Gu Jing should also learn to behave well.¡±
As an imperial prince, Gu Jing was born with a noble status which also means that every decision he makes would also affect Daqi, and he couldn¡¯t just do whatever he wants for his own selfish desires.
It¡¯s time for him to think clearly about what he could do and who he could make friends with!
Gu Zezhi smiled without saying a word and just drank his tea gracefully.
Smart people learn after one loss.
However, Gu Jing was obviously not.
He only mes others and never considers this his own faults.
***
Chapter 327
Chapter 327
The emperor also took a sip of his tea, then changed the subject and continued to talk about the topic they were discussing earlier. ¡°¡The Japanese pirates and bandits in Minzhou have be a problem, these two years, the troops in Minzhou have suffered heavy casualties so have the imperial court sent more troops for reinforcements.¡±
As he spoke, the emperor showed a hesitant look on his face.
Gu Zezhi knew why the emperor was hesitant, he had long intended to pacify Minzhou, however, over the years, the internal and external troubles of Daqi have been constant, and the sessive wars with Northern Yan have left Daqi with great damage to its strength. Not to mention the national treasury was insufficient, and the emperor was afraid that Daqi would not be able to mobilize if in any case, those other barbarians were to move.
Gu Zezhi said bluntly, ¡°If the emperor intends to pacify the Japanese insurgency in Minzhou, I think the time is right now¡¡±
The emperor raised his eyebrows and listened intently; and his gaze deepened.
The two cousins continued talking about the matter of Minzhou. The servant in the imperial study didn¡¯t dare to disturb them and just held her breath and only asionally reced them with fresh tea.
In the imperial study, there was only the sound of the two of them talking, and asionally the sound of the wind blowing the leaves of the tree outside the window.
After two rounds of drinking tea, Yuan Minggang and the imperial physiciane back to report.
Yuan Minggang reported in detail how Yelu Luan sneaked out of the Siyi Pavillion and stabbed Gu Jing in the thigh with a dagger. He also mentioned that Qin Zhun had gone to the Second Prince¡¯s Mansion.
Upon hearing the name ¡°Qin Zhun¡±, the emperor seemed somewhat surprised. The teacup held in mid-air paused for a moment, and a hint of mockery shed through his eyes but didn¡¯t say anything.
At the end of his report Yuan Minggang said. ¡°¡ Prince Yelu has returned to the Siyi Pavilion.¡±
Yuan Minggang had to admit that the Second Prince of Northern Yan was indeed a ruthless person who take his revenge. Under normal situations, normal people would have long tucked their tails between their legs and acted humanely but instead, he made such a huge fuss.
The emperor¡¯s gaze shifted to the imperial physician and asked, ¡°How is Gu Jing¡¯s injury?¡±
¡°Answering to the emperor, when this imperial physician arrived at the Second Prince¡¯s residence, the physician from Hui Chun Hall had already arrived, so neither this imperial physician nor imperial physician Wu saw the second prince. His Highness only sent a word that it was a minor injury and did not need an imperial physician, so this imperial physician returned first and left Imperial Physician Wu over there.¡± Imperial Physician Ling Zuo bowed his head and said, his expression inevitably shows fear as if something might happen to Gu Jing.
The emperor, on the other hand, still looked calm as he slowly sips on his tea.
Putting his teacup down, the emperor said in a low voice, ¡°Since he doesn¡¯t want to be seen by the imperial physician, it means his injury is not serious. You can ask Imperial Physician Wu toe back, too.¡±
Imperial Physician Ling Zuo epted the order.
After the imperial physician retired, the emperor ordered Yuan Minggang again, ¡°This is Daqi, not Northern Yan, Yelu Luan shouldn¡¯t run wild.¡± As he spoke, the emperor¡¯s eyes became deep and serene.
Gu Jing was his son, and Yelu Luan injured Da Qi¡¯s second prince with a weapon in public, this was clearly a disrespect to Daqi!
Gu Zezhi curled his lips as he said softly, ¡°His eating well, has no work and since he has nothing to do he is free, your majesty why don¡¯t you let him do hardbor?¡±
Emperor: ¡°¡¡±
The emperor thought for a moment and realized that Gu Zezhi¡¯s idea was brilliant.
Yelu Luan was the prince of Northern Yan. Daqi and Dayan have temporarily ceased the war at the moment, and have just signed a peace agreement, so for the sake of the hard-won peace between the two countries, he couldn¡¯t just have him dead.
So, having him do hardbor was reasonable after themotion he cause, otherwise, where would he ce Daqi¡¯s prestige!
The emperormanded, ¡°Yuan Minggang, you should personally go to the Siyi Pavillion and pass on my oral orders to punish Yelu Luan for thirty boards, plus one year of hardbor.¡±
¡°Your Majesty, Second Prince of Yelu still has a wedding to attend.¡± Gu Zezhi reminded at the right time.
The emperor thought that was right and, changed his mind, he said, ¡°Then let Yelu Luan finish the marriage first, and then send him to do hardbor.¡±
¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± Yuan Minggang cupped his fists and obediently epted the orders, before he calmly nced at Gu Zezhi, thinking that Gu Zezhi seemed to have enmity towards the Third Princess and Princess Yingluo.
Yuan Minggang quickly withdrew, leaving only the emperor and Gu Zezhi once again in the imperial study. They continued their conversation on Minzhou, not mentioning Gu Jing, and Yelu Luan again.
¡°Your Majesty, Minzhou¡¯s military strength iscking. The main force of the Xishan Camp was to protect the safety of the capital as their top priority so it is not a long-term n to transfer the troop from garrisoning Minzhou. After stabilizing Minzhou, farmers can be recruited locally in Minzhou and Wuzhou to form a new army¡¡±
The emperor narrowed his eyes thoughtfully and said, ¡°Tell me more.''¡±
As the two talked intently, the servants surrounding them were cautious, afraid of making extra noise when serving tea and pouring water.
Half an hourter, Gu Zezhi came out of the imperial study. After he left the pce, he went directly to the Qin mansion.
¡°Third Brother Gu,¡± Qin Zeyu who was inside the mansion happily came out to wee him, ¡°You¡¯re here to see my sister, right? I¡¯ve asked someone to call her.¡±
As he said this, Qin Zeyu couldn¡¯t help butment to himself that he must entertain his future brother-inw well, make him feel at home, and give his sister some extra points.
Gu Zezhi also did note empty-handed and gave Qin Zeyu a dagger.
Qin Zeyu immediately received it and couldn¡¯t wait to draw out the dagger. The silver de was carved with beautiful patterns and glistened with cold light. Qin Zeyu plucked a strand of hair and gently blow the hair, letting it pass through the dagger¡¯s de and immediately it split into half.
¡°Brother-inw, this cut off a hair strand!¡± Qin Zeyu was so happy that he directly called Gu Zezhi brother-inw.
Gu Zezhi was very pleased after hearing Qin Zeyu call him ¡°brother-inw¡±. He said with a smile stered on his lips, ¡°Do not hurt yourself.¡±
¡°Yes!¡± Qin Zeyu nodded his head repeatedly as he yed with the dagger, unable to let go of the dagger but still remembered to lead Gu Zezhi to Jiusi Hall in the front yard to sit while waiting for Qin Jiu.
***
Chapter 328
Chapter 328
Qin Jiu soon came with Du Ruo, and seeing the naughty child was having a good time ying with the dagger she immediately guessed that it was Gu Zezhi who gave him the new gift.
¡°Xiao Jiu, I brought you the drawings.¡± Gu Zezhi personallyid the drawings on therge redcquered carved table by the window and beckoned Qin Jiu to look at them.
Qin Jiu took one look at the drawing and knew what it was.
This was the drawing of Chenju¡¯s Mansion.
In early April, she and Gu Zezhi went to see the mansion together, Gu Zezhi asked her to make some suggestions, so she said a bunch of random things and said whatevere to mind, to be honest, even she could not remember what she had actually said that day, so she did not expect Gu Zezhi to actually remember it and even had the blueprint of the mansion.
Looking at the drawing in front of her, the corners of her lips could not help but curl up, like a delicate flower slowly blooming in the spring breeze.
Gu Zezhi looked at her with a smile and asked, ¡°What else should I change?¡±
Qin Jiu: ¡°¡¡±
Gu Zezhi coaxed her and said, ¡°You can repair it as you like. The emperor has conferred us with not new but also not old mansion, that needs repair. Livingfortably is the most important thing.¡±
¡°Since we have to change it, we might as well change it all at once, don¡¯t you think?¡±
¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Qin Jiu felt this was reasonable and nodded her head vigorously!
Meanwhile, the corner of Du Ruo¡¯s eyes were twitching as she listened at the side, feeling like she was being fed a mouthful of candy.
What ¡°not new but not old¡±, he sounded like the mansion could be picked up from anywhere!
The emperor chooses the mansion of the former Marquis Yongding for Chenjun¡¯s official residence. Not only the location was good but the mansion was big enough that so many nobles were eyeing it, but the emperor instead rewarded this to Gu Zezhi after conferring him as Chenjun.
Qin Jiu, who had her back facing Du Ruo, didn¡¯t see her subtle expression at all, and just carefully reviewed the drawing again, moving her slender fingers around the drawing and saying everything she wanted, ¡°Brother, how about adding a flower gallery here in the garden?¡±
¡°And next to the plum grove by theke, I want to build a warm pavilion. In the future, it will definitely be good to enjoy the plum here in winter.¡±
¡°By the way, how about creating a path here? This way, the distance from the Neiyi Gate to the garden is much closer¡¡±
Qin Jiu couldn¡¯t stop talking with excitement with her little face flushed and her eyes brightly lit up.
Gu Zezhi mostly listens and agrees with whatever she says.
He kept on staring at Qin Xin with a smile on his face as he enjoyed watching Qin Jiu in high spirits, like the morning light breaking through the night, even more dazzling than the glow of the sky.
As the two spoke, Qin Zening just returned and was walking under the eaves¡¯ when he heard his sister affectionately calling Gu Zezhi ¡°Brother¡±, in a delicate voice.
Immediately after he returned to the mansion, he heard that Gu Zezhi wasing so he rushed over thinking that he should keep an eye on Gu Zezhi, and keep him from abducting his sister earlier!
Ai, he just recently found and got his sister back, why did she get engaged so soon! It shouldn¡¯t be toote to stay for another eight to ten years.
As for Qin Zeyu¡
Qin Zening nced sharply at Qin Zeyu, who was still ying with the dagger, he immediately guessed who gave him this toy, and felt that he had to be stricter with his younger brother.
This boy was easily bought by a small favor from others, maybe he¡¯ll even count the money after he was sold!
¡°¡¡± Qin Zeyu suddenly felt a tingle on his scalp, and bells of rm rang inside his head, and when he looked up, he met his eldest brother¡¯s fierce gaze.
He hasn¡¯t gotten into any trouble recently ah, and Master Yue also praised him for learning fast and working hard.
Qin Zeyu searched in his mind how and where he had offended his eldest brother while trying to divert Qin Zening¡¯s attention. ¡°Big brother, third sister and¡¡± he tried hard to swallow back the words brother-inw, ¡°and Third Brother Gu is discussing how to repair their mansion!¡±
Qin Zening lifted his robe and entered the main hall, only to notice that Qin Jiu and Gu Zezhi were looking at a drawing ced on the table. On the surface, he looked serious but inwardly he thought that Gu Zezhi was pretty good, caring for his sister and making sure to get his sister involved in repairs, and asking her opinions. This only means that he wanted his sister to get used to living in the mansion when she gets married in the future.
But¡
Seeing these two, touching each other heads and shoulders against each other, Qin Zening felt unhappy again. Feeling sour, Qin Zening could only stare at Qin Zeyu again, thinking that his younger brother was really stupid.
Qin Zeyu who was strangely red at by his eldest brother again, feeling even more aggrieved: What¡¯s wrong with his eldest brother? Why does he have a thunderstorm-like temper in summer, couldn¡¯t he just say what he wants.
At this time, both Qin Jiu and Gu Zezhi looked at Qin Zening and greeted him.
¡°Third Master Gu,¡± Qin Zening folded his hand to greet Gu Zezhi back with a lukewarm attitude but making it impossible to find fault in his actions.
He was about to invite Gu Zezhi to sit down when he heard Gu Zezhi ask, ¡°A¡¯Ning, how is your leg injury?¡±
Qin Zening didn¡¯t want Gu Zezhi¡¯s favor, so he said lightly, ¡°It¡¯s been more than a month and everything is fine.¡± Meaning, it would be toote for Gu Zezhi to show his courtesy, moreover, he was different from that little boy over there, that wimpy brat who was easy to coax!
Gu Zezhi added, ¡°I¡¯m going to Minzhou in ten days. Can you move your legs?¡±
Qin Zening: ¡°???¡±
Qin Zening vaguely guessed something, and immediately his eyes slightly lit up. Could it be that¡
Gu Zezhi said with a smile, ¡°If you can move your legs freely, I will ask the emperor for an order to take you to Minzhou with me.¡±
The bandits in Minzhou became a scourge, not only robbing merchant ships at sea, but also flocking ashore, burning, killing, and looting, causing great damage to the coastal areas.
Qin Zening was also aware of this, but over the years the imperial court had not been able to free up personnel to punish those bandits.
So hearing Gu Zezhi¡¯s offer made Qin Zening almost jump up, with burning gaze he hurriedly said, ¡°Go, go, of course, I¡¯ll go!¡±
The unhappiness he felt just now has long been swept away, as his blood started boiling with enthusiasm, and couldn¡¯t even wait to leave.
Qin Zeyu¡¯s eyes also lit up when he heard this and looked at Qin Zening with envy. He also wants to go to Minzhou to kill sea bandits!
***
Chapter 329
Chapter 329
Meanwhile, Qin Jiu suddenly felt a shiver after hearing that Gu Zezhi and her eldest brother were both going to Minzhou?
Although she already knew that her eldest brother wanted to join the army and that Gu Zezhi was leading the troops on the western border, but on the battlefield, weapons and swords has no eyes! What¡¯s more, Minzhou was a naval battleground¡
¡°Xiao Jiu.¡± Gu Zezhi¡¯s gentle voice sounded again, ¡°There are many Western goods in Minzhou. What do you want? I¡¯ll bring them back to you.¡±
But knowing that neither Gu Zezhi nor her eldest brother was willing to livefortably in this three-acrend in the capital, riding horses, walking down the streets, drinking, and listening to theaters, Qin Jiu calmed down soon after.
She couldn¡¯t just stop them from building a career just because she was worried.
With a smile on her face, she lively replied, ¡°I¡¯ll make a list for youter.¡± Qin Jiu then thought to herself that since there were only ten days left before the expedition, she had to think quickly about what to prepare for them.
Gu Zezhi looked at her as his smile deepened.
The excited Qin Zening affectionately hooked his right arm over Gu Zezhi¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Third Brother Gu, it¡¯s my treat today. Let¡¯s go out and have a good meal!¡±
Overjoyed, Qin Zeyu was the first to agree. ¡°Go, go!¡±
He has been confined to the mansion for several days, either practicing martial arts or studying with his master every day. He has also read a lot, since both his eldest brother and third sister have said that the martial arts exam requires a thorough examination.
Qin Jiu also knew that the naughty kid had been bored after being confined for several days, so she put away the drawings, seeing this Gu Zezhi casually said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. You can take care of the drawingster in the evening.¡±
Qin Jiu softly hummed.
So, the family went out happily.
Du Rui who was following behind couldn¡¯t help but be extremely impressed at Gu Zezhi. Clearly her young miss wanted to return the drawings to Gu Zezhi but was instead fooled into keeping it, and with this, Gu Zezhi would have another reason to see her young miss again tomorrow.
On the way, Qin Zening, who was in a good mood, became very affectionate with Gu Zezhi. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the Yunbin Restaurant to eat, it¡¯s on the next street. Their wine is brewed by the boss himself, which is a masterpiece.¡±
¡°Also, the Beijing cuisine in that restaurant is quite authentic. Later, you must try their eight signature dishes!¡±
¡°¡.¡±
The whole family walked over and did take a carriage, when they reached the street they saw a group of soldiers from the Five Cities Army and Horse Divisioning in a mighty force, the person in charge was their acquaintance.
¡°Zening, going for a drink with your younger brother and sister?¡± Pei Qi pulled the reins and stopped a few steps away. The brown horse he was riding on snorted heavily from its nostrils and trampled on its iron hooves, looking excited.
After greeting them, Pei Qi hurriedly leaves, ¡°If I hadn¡¯t been in a hurry, I would definitely have a drink with you.''¡±
Qin Zening raised his eyebrows and said, ¡°So busy?¡±
¡°Busy!¡± Pei Qi said with a wink from the corner of his eye and said without hesitation, ¡°The second prince let Yelu Luan stab him.¡±
Qin Zening guessed that something had happened, but was still greatly surprised. With raised eyebrows, he asked. ¡°No one was killed?¡±
He was good at grasping the key point, if the second prince or Yelu Luan¡¯s life was put in danger Pei Qi would not have said it like this.
Pei Qi flicked the whip in his hand as he said, ¡°The gate of the second prince¡¯s residence is now surrounded by a lot of people who wanted to watch the fun, so we were dispatched to contain these people.¡±
Pei Qi felt that these busybodies were stupid, Yelu Luan was no longer there and the second prince was already carried into his mansion. There was nothing outside the mansion right now except a few pools of blood and the dagger that Yelu Luan had used to perpetrate the crime. However, even with this, it still attracted many idle people and surrounded the entire street making it difficult for people from other mansions to pass the street, so they were sent someone to Five Cities Army and Horse Division to file aint.
¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡± Pei Qi patted his horse¡¯s belly and rode off. Everyone behind him also rode up and quickly disappeared at the intersection ahead.
Qin Zening and Qin Zeyu looked at each other, thetter couldn¡¯t help but mutter to himself, ¡°Why did Yelu Luan stab the second prince?¡±
As Gu Zezhi continued walking, he casually said, ¡°Yelu Luan felt betrayed by the second prince.¡±
From Gu Zezhi¡¯s words, Qin Zening immediately realized that Gu Zezhi also knew this matter, and was itching to know the story behind it. ¡°Do you know?¡±
Qin Jiu also liked to listen to gossip and looked at Gu Zezhi with shining eyes.
Qin Zeyu urgently urged, ¡°Brother-inw, tell us quickly.¡± Once again, he identally called him brother-inw.
Gu Zezhi briefly and concisely talked about the misunderstanding between Yelu Luan and Gu Jing, all the way to Yuan Minggang and the Imperial Physician¡¯s report.
Qin Jiu who was listening with great interest casually asked, ¡°Where did he get hurt?¡±
Gu Zezhi replied briefly, ¡°Thigh.¡±
Qin Zening said in disappointment, ¡°Thigh ah. Looks like a minor injury.¡±
Gu Zezhi smiled but did not say anything.
Qin Jiu looked at Gu Zezhi¡¯s sharp and angr side profile, and stared at the faint smile on his lips, always feeling as if there was something else in his smile.
Pulling his sleeve quietly, Qin Jiu blinked her eyes and silently gestured for him to continue talking, as if telling him not to keep the listeners in suspense.
Gu Zezhi silently chuckled, and the smile couldn¡¯t stop overflowing from his eyes.
Knowing Qin Jiu¡¯s impatience, he smiled and said, ¡°With Gu Jing¡¯s temperament, if he gets hurt, nine times out of ten, he will use the injury to win the emperor¡¯s favor, at least let the emperor pity him, after all, Gu Jing is an imperial prince, blood is thicker than water, and the emperor is not a cold-hearted and hard-hearted person.¡±
¡°However, he said he was okay and wouldn¡¯t even let the imperial physician see him¡¡±
Gu Zezhi¡¯s pupils were as transparent as a mirror, with a clear sharpness.
Qin Jiu: ¡°???¡±
Qin Jiu didn¡¯t understand for a moment and blinked suspiciously. Gu Zezhi¡¯s words seem like he said something but at the same time, he didn¡¯t.
Touching her chin, Qin Jiu lowered her gaze and pondered as her long eyshes slightly trembled.
Meanwhile, Qin Zeyu scratched his head and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°So, is he seriously injured, or is it just light?¡±
Gu Zezhi just smiled in response, thinking: I¡¯m afraid this injury can¡¯t be described as ¡°serious¡± or ¡°light.
***
Chapter 330
Chapter 330
Qin Zeyu looked at Gu Zezhi curiously and looked as if a cat¡¯s w was scratching him. ¡°Third Brother Gu, tell us quickly ah!¡±
It was not only Qin Zeyu who wanted to know how badly he was injured but so Qin Xin.
She only saw a lot of blood flowing from the wound on Gu Jing¡¯s thigh, which almost soaked his pants, turning his face pale with pain and almost looking like he would pass out at any moment.
After the physician from the Hui Chun Hall arrived, she went out for a while and when she wanted to go back again, she was stopped by the servants outside.
Not only was she not able to enter, but so was Qin Zhun.
Later, after the physician came out, Qin Xin asked the physician about Gu Jing¡¯s injuries, but the physician simply said that he had suffered some skin injuries and had lost too much blood, which required him to rest of for a period of time. However, Qin Xin felt that this was not the case at all, after all, if it was just skin injury, why did Gu Jing not let her in, nor did Qin Zhun.
Qin Xin stayed until almost dusk before returning to the Marquis¡¯ residence with Qin Zhun in a distracted state.
Compared to her, Qin Zhun felt a little more rxed thinking that the emperor had specially sent the imperial physician over and even issued an order to ¡°severely punish¡± Yelu Luan. He felt that the emperor did not really dislike the second prince, after all, there were father and son. As the saying goes, a rift that has not disappeared overnight was a very small rift.
There was still hope for the second prince!
With this in thought, Qin Zhun felt relieved and his whole body lightened up as he muttered to himself, ¡°The second prince really shouldn¡¯t have let the imperial physician go back to the pce like this, he could at least let the imperial physician personally check his injury so that the imperial physician could go back and report to the emperor, surely after hearing the report the emperor would feel sorry for him.¡±
¡°Ai, they are really father and son, why should the second prince be angry with the emperor? Arm can¡¯t twist the thigh*.¡±
(*the weal cannot match the strong, mostlyparison of power and strength)
Qin Xin casually agreed a few times but inwardly she felt something was really not quite right but she couldn¡¯t point out what it was.
The two of them got off the carriage at the side gate. Qin Xin¡¯s maidservant, Shuxiang, was waiting there anxiously, looking at Qin Xin as if she wanted to say something. Seeing this, Qin Xin could immediately tell at a nce that the other party had something urgent to report.
Qin Xin¡¯s heart sank, and was about to leave, but she was called by Qin Zhun again.
Qin Zhun saw that something was wrong with Qin Xin¡¯s expression, and thought that she was frightened by the second prince¡¯s injury, and felt that their family¡¯s young miss was timid and repeatedly reminded her, ¡°Xin, you should go to the Second Prince¡¯s Mansion again tomorrow and if it¡¯s inconvenient for you to go alone, you can ask the servant to cook some tonic soup and send them over. There is also a hundred-year-old ginseng in the mansion, as well as high-quality fleece-flower root and Angelica. I will have someone open the warehouse and send it to youter.¡±
¡°It is difficult to send charcoal in snow*, the second prince will remember your kindness!¡±
(*refers to the warmth and coldness of human feelings and fickleness of the world, the richer and more powerful, the more ttery)
Qin Zhun talk a few more words, to which Qin Xin responded absentmindedly and patiently listening to his teachings. Only after half a cup of tea had passed did Qin Zhun leave contentedly.
¡°Young Miss.¡± Shuxiang was sweating profusely, and as soon as she saw Qin Zhun walking away, she hurriedly stepped forward and whispered something into Qin Xin¡¯s ear.
Qin Xin: ¡°!!!¡±
Qin Xin¡¯s pupils sharply contracted, reading her young miss expression, Shuxiang immediately stop the coachman who was about to leave.
The master and servant hurriedly got on the carriage again and ordered the coachman to go to a small inn in the west of the city.
When the carriage arrived at its destination, the sun had already set halfway. Qin Xin asked the coachman and Shuxiang to wait outside the inn before she went up to the second floor of the inn by herself.
Arriving at the end of the corridor in front of a room, Qin Xin took a deep breath and raised her hand to knock on the door.
¡°Knock, knock, knock.¡±
After knocking three times, the slightly mottled door was immediately opened from the inside, and a kind-looking woman in her early thirties poked her head out. The woman looked at Qin Xin, and her eyes slightly widened as she stuttered, ¡°El¡ eldest girl.¡±
Zhao Aman looked at the girl outside the door in disbelief, she was wearing a blue cloak, her jet-ck hair was simply tied into a braid with ckce, and wearing a few silver studded ga beads. She was beautiful and radiant.
Was this her own daughter?!
Zhao Aman looked at Qin Xin as if she was touching the face of her daughter but dared not recognized her. This fair and beautiful as a jade young miss was full of nobility, no different from the richdies she saw when she was a nanny in the Qin family.
Li Jinzhu also walked over and looked at Qin Xin excitedly, his eyes slightly red, and said eagerly, ¡°Hurry up, Young miss,e in and talk.¡±
Only then did Zhao Aman react and hurriedly invited Qin Xin to enter the door, then carefully looked at the corridor before closing the door again.
Qin Xin looked at the familiar figures of Zhao Aman and Li Jinzhu, her eyes turning red.
In her previous life, her parents and younger brother were exiled to Lingnan with her, and suffered a lot there. Her parents died even before reaching forty¡
After being reborn, she swore to give her parents the best life, so that they could remain wealthy and idle for their entire lives. However, Qin Jiu used her parents of murder and became wanted criminals causing them harm.
Qin Xin stared deeply at Zhao Aman¡¯s weathered face, feeling heartbroken, a thinyer of mist floated in her eyes and choked, ¡°Mom, it¡¯s me.¡±
She threw herself into Zhao Aman¡¯s embrace like a swallow returning to her nest, and the mother and daughter hugged each other and cried bitterly.
¡°Eldest girl.¡± After a while, Zhao Aman let go of Qin Xin, the tears on her face hadn¡¯t been wiped off, and a pair of rough palms carelessly caressed Qin Xin¡¯s delicate face.
Her big girl looks really good, her skin was fair, and her fingers were soft, so soft that she was afraid her rough hands would scratch her.
Her decision back then was right! Zhao Aman said to herself, her daughter was indeed a phoenix among people, so she shouldn¡¯t live a life of hardship in a deste vige.
***
Chapter 331
Chapter 331
¡°Eldest girl, how are you doing now?¡± Zhao Aman asked with an expectant face, her voice slightly trembling.
These days of fleeing and hiding as fugitives outside were not easy, and now she could only count on her daughter.
Upon hearing the words, Qin Xin¡¯s eyes once again covered in a mist of tears as she bit her lips with her white teeth, Zhao Aman seeing this felt her heart hurt, and was feeling ufortable.
Zhao Aman cautiously asked, ¡°Eldest girl, did the third child reallye back?¡±
Originally, when she saw that the eldest was still living in the Marquis¡¯s Mansion, she felt fortunate, thinking that the third child was just a fourteen-year-old girl, and seeing how chaotic the outside was, she might have been kidnapped or died on the road.
The tears that Qin Xin managed to restrain with difficulty suddenly flowed down like pearls that had broken thread, choking she said, ¡°She, she did not onlye back but she also destroyed everything I¡¯ve been working hard on¡¡±
What?! Zhao Amman and Li Jinzhu face each other.
¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Zhao Aman said anxiously, ¡°Don¡¯t cry, eldest girl, quickly tell mother, what did that stupid girl do?¡±
Qin Xin said with a tearful tone, ¡°I was originally appointed as the Second Prince¡¯s Consort by the imperial decree, and the Empress Dowager also likes me, treating me like a real granddaughter and always inviting me into the pce to talk with her¡¡±
At that time, she was still the most dazzling pearl in the capital, and all the nobledies respected her.
At that time, her opportunity was boundless, and her honor seemed to be still in front of her eyes as if it was within reach¡
But now!
Everything was gone.
Everything in the past has passed away like flowers in a mirror and the moon reflected in theke.
Except for Yingluo, those nobledies¡¯ disdain being with her, they allughed at her for being a lowly concubine.
Qin Xin tightly clenched her fist and squeezed out a voice from between her teeth and said, ¡°But now, I have nothing¡ nothing.¡± And all of this was caused by Qin Jiu!
Zhao Aman was stunned and stammered, ¡°¡¡ you, what did you say, you¡¯re going to be the second prince¡¯s imperial consort?¡±
Her breath almost didn¡¯te back.
Prince! That¡¯s the son of the emperor, and the empress dowager¡ These nobles were not something that ordinary people like them could even see, and she wouldn¡¯t even dare to think about it but her daughter almost became the second prince¡¯s consort?
That¡¯s just a step up to the sky, her daughter may be a consort or even an empress in the future!
¡°So, what about now?¡± She asked with a trembling voice.
Qin Xin¡¯s voice became cold as she repeated expressionlessly, ¡°There¡¯s nothing.¡±
The Empress Dowager was extremely disgusted with her now, and although the Second Prince still likes her, his love was like she was some pet, and refuses to fight for her.
¡°How can it be? How could this¡ happen¡¡± Zhao Aman said incoherently.
Qin Xin did not even want to mention these humiliating things at all and just said to them directly. ¡°Mother, I told you guys long ago not to keep this stupid girl! Why didn¡¯t you guys listen?!¡±
If Qin Jiu hadn¡¯t returned, how would she have ended up in this situation? She would have still been the future imperial consort and a noble daughter in the capital!
When Zhao Aman heard this, her heart ached even more, she regretted andined. ¡°I, I also did not expect it ah!¡±
The thought of her daughter almost bing the imperial consort, and her almost bing the imperial consort¡¯s mother, but now everything has gone down the drain, Zhao Aman¡¯s heart aches as if there was an invisible knife stabbing her in the heart.
She sobbed and patted her thighs, gnashing her teeth and scolding, ¡°I have worked hard to raise her, pooping and urinating. If it weren¡¯t for me, she would have died fourteen years ago!¡±
¡°The lowly, stupid girl, is so heartless,ing here to harm you.¡±
She should have strangled her early on!
Zhao Aman felt so regretful that her intestines turned green.
Just a few months after her daughter entered the marquis, she brought a letter asking them to destroy that stupid girl¡¯s birthmark.
At that time, she felt that her daughter was really attentive, realizing that indeed that little girl¡¯s birthmark was a hidden danger, and it was risky to keep it. Therefore, she burned that little girl¡¯s birthmark with charcoal, thinking that no one would know the truth again.
Later, her daughter wrote again, urging the couple that they had better not leave a scourge behind.
Their daughter spoke vaguely in the letter, but Zhao Amman understood what her daughter meant. If her daughter wanted her to kill that little girl to prevent future harm, it would be murder. It¡¯s not like burning it just like birthmarks, so Zhao Aman still didn¡¯t dare to take action in the end.
She was hoping that the little girl would fall ill and die, since there were several times when the little girl had a high fever for several days and was so sick that she almost died, yet managed to survive.
And because she was still alive, Zhao Aman had no choice but to continue to raise her, not thinking that after raising this stupid girl she would bite them back!
The more Zhao Aman thought about it, the angrier and resentful she became. She said in a sharp voice. ¡°I just raised a white-eyed wolf!¡±
¡°Heaven is really blind, why doesn¡¯t she just die, she¡¯s really a disaster thatsts forever!¡±
Zhao Amman was both angry and resentful, thinking that not only did that little girl not think of their kindness in bringing her up, but she instead harmed their family like this. Moreover, it wasn¡¯t enough to harm them, she also harmed her daughter!
¡°What¡¯s the use of saying this now?¡± Qin Xin¡¯s head was throbbing from Zhao Amman¡¯s sharp voice. After these years of living a pampered life in the capital, she had never heard anyone talk in a shrill voice like this.
Qin Xin interrupted Zhao Aman and asked, ¡°Father, Mother, I heard that little girl say that you two killed someone? What is this all about?¡±
***
Chapter 332
Chapter 332
Qin Xin interrupted Zhao Aman and asked, ¡°Father, Mother, I heard that little girl say that you two killed someone? What is this all about?¡±
When ites to this topic, Zhao Aman¡¯s face turned pale instantly.
She nced at her husband, her lips trembling a little as if she didn¡¯t want to recall it, and said, ¡°You, you can ask your father.¡±
Qin Xin furrowed her brows and urged, ¡°Father, tell me.¡±
Li Jinzhu¡¯s eyes flickered, hesitating to say something, but after being urged by Qin Xin again did he gritted his teeth and said, ¡°It wasn¡¯t our fault, it¡¯s all because of that old woman ah¡¡±
¡°That day, that stupid girl said she would go to the county government to file aint, so we went after her, but she wasn¡¯t there so we hurriedly went back. But as soon as we returned, we found that the stupid girl had stolen our savings and run away. We were about to chase her, but that old woman came to us insisting that we let the stupid girl go on purpose, that we deliberately extort the bride price from the Xu family. She also said that she was going to report to the authorities and sue us for fake marriage.¡±
¡°Your younger brother is still studying in the county school. If the master of the Xu family really thinks that we cheated on the marriage, he will drive your younger brother out of the county school. If that happens your younger brother¡¯s future will be ruined.¡±
¡°Your mother tried to hold her back and told her not to go, but in the end, she identally pushed her down. With this push, she actually died! Ai, how could there be such a person who died just by falling down!¡±
Zhao Aman nodded at the side and added. ¡°I really didn¡¯t use any force, I just pushed her gently and she died!¡±
She felt that she was so unlucky as if getting something stuck between her teeth.
She really just pushed her gently ah, but she instead became a fugitive and had been jumping from one ce to another!
The couple really had no choice but toe to the capital to look for their daughter, who would have thought that their daughter was also harmed by this stupid girl.
¡°That disaster star, white-eyed wolf, ck-hearted and ruthless girl!¡±
Zhao Aman cursed non-stopped when she was interrupted by Qin Xin again, ¡°Mother, what did you just say about fake marriage?¡±
¡°It¡¯s that stupid girl¡¯s fault!¡± Zhao Aman said angrily, ¡°I kind-heartedly found a marriage for her. It was the county magistrate¡¯s brother-inw¡¯s family, what a respectable marriage. She thought he was a fool, so she ran away from the marriage!¡±
Qin Xin felt her heart skip a beat and her eyes lit up, she confirmed. ¡°Qin Jiu, I mean the second child really get engaged?¡±
¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Zhao Aman nodded confidently and said, ¡°The Xu family has given a dowry, and our two families have even exchanged Geng Tie1. It¡¯s all because that stupid girl is shameless and ran away on her own, otherwise, she would have passed the gate2 by now.¡±
(1¨C eight character post exchange between a man and woman, contains name, date birth, ce of origin, three generations of ancestors, etc. 2¨C married.)
Qin Xin: ¡°¡¡±
Qin Xin¡¯s gaze flickered for a moment and then pursued, ¡°Mother, did you have the bride price letter?¡±
¡°Yes! Of course, there is!¡± Zhao Aman said with conviction, ¡°They are all kept at home.¡±
¡°Mother, listen to me.¡± Qin Xin took Zhao Aman¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Second child was given a marriage by the emperor to a Chenjun not long ago.¡±
¡°Chenjun?! ¡°Zhao Aman¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief.
To her, both the imperial prince and Chenjun seemed to be heavenly figures.
Her lips trembled and said, ¡°So, that stupid girl is going to be a princess?¡±
¡°After the second child came to the capital, she changes her name to Qin Jiu but no matter what her name is, she has already been engaged.¡± The corners of Qin Xin¡¯s mouth curled up in a faint smile as she continued, ¡°Both families also established a bride-price letter, but she entered into two marriages!¡±
What would happen if Gu Zezhi knew that Qin Jiu had been engaged to be married and even had made a marriage contract with someone?
Thinking of this, Qin Xin as if intoxicated felt ecstatic.
Ever since Qin Jiu returned to the capital, she has been opposing her every time even though she has never provoked her, but now, she wants to take revenge on her and gain an advantage for herself.
She was put in this position by Qin Jiu¡
An unusual light shone in Qin Xin¡¯s eyes, as she could not wait to see the desperate and helpless look of Qin Jiu.
¡°Mother! ¡°Qin Xin¡¯s heart pounded as she said quickly,¡± You¡¯re going back to your hometown tomorrow¡¡±
¡°No! I won¡¯t go back!¡± Zhao Aman shook her head. ¡°If your father and I go back, we will definitely be caught by the officials. I won¡¯t go back!¡±
¡°You listen to me first.¡± Qin Xin interrupted her, ¡°You and father will go back and bring the man from the Xu family who is betrothed to Qin Jiu to the capital. You can tell the Xu family that Qin Jiu¡¯s aunt is the empress, and if they marry Qin Jiu back, then their family can soar to great heights.¡±
Zhao Aman said hesitantly. ¡°Will the second child be willing? Will she exchange being a princess and marry that idiot from the Xu family? She is not that stupid!¡±
Qin Xin said unquestionably, ¡°The bride-price letter has been made, so it is not up to the second child to refuse.¡±
Of course, she knew that Qin Jiu would not agree, but as long as the Xu familyes to the capital, it would be enough to tarnish Qin Jiu, after all, the imperial family would never allow her to enter two marriages.¡±
When the timees, she would like to see if Gu Zezhi still wants her.
If Gu Zezhi still wanted her, then Qin Jiu, who had promised two marriages to the families, would naturally not be qualified to be a county princess, and would most likely also be demoted to a concubine.
Or if Gu Zezhi does not want her, then it would be even simpler, Qin Jiu could just marry that fool from the Xu family, anyway, this was also her fate. Even if she could break off the marriage with the fool with the backing of the empress, she would have to see if anyone else in the capital would want her!
Just thinking of this scene, Qin Xin felt that she couldugh out loud even in her dreams.
***
Chapter 333
Chapter 333
Qin Xin couldn¡¯t wait to hold Zhao Aman¡¯s hand and coaxed, ¡°The county governor of our county hasn¡¯t been promoted for almost ten years, right?¡±
¡°Mother, if you tell him that Qin Jiu is the empress¡¯ niece, see if the magistrate is not tempted and if he is, then the Xu family will naturallye to the capital with you.¡±
Although their daughter said this confidently, both Zhao Aman and Li Jinzhu felt fearful about going back.
If they get arrested by the officers as soon as they returned, they would be imprisoned and beheaded ah!
Qin Xin could see Zhao Aman¡¯s hesitation so she continued to persuade.
¡°Mom, if you¡¯re afraid, don¡¯t show up on your own. Spend some money, hire someone, and hand the letter to the Xu family and the county magistrate, they will naturally know what to do.¡±
¡°Mother, Qin Jiu has caused our family so much misery, are you willing to watch her enjoy glory and prosperity from on high?¡±
¡°Besides, if Qin Jiu stays in the capital, if she does be the county princess, she will step on me when she sees me, also, will she let you and I have a good life?¡±
Qin Xin¡¯sst sentence spoke to Zhao Aman¡¯s heart, as her daughter said, that stupid and heartless girl hated their family now and as long as she gained power their family would never have a good life!
Only by stepping that stupid girl into the mud could their eldest daughter seed, and the couple could clear the murder. They don¡¯t have to hide just like mice in the sewer!
Just thinking about it, made Zhao Aman¡¯s heart sullen. Her daughter could have been an imperial princess!
Zhao Aman and Li Jinzhu exchanged a look, and both husband and wife saw the same determination in each other¡¯s eyes.
Finally, Zhao Aman gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll go back to Jiangyu County!¡±
Qin Xin¡¯s eyes brightened, and the corners of her mouth also curled up as she took out from her sleeve pocket a banknote and a purse stuffing them into Zhao Aman, ¡°Father, mother, here are five hundred taels of silver notes, and some coins, you take it.¡±
¡°This journey, you guys be careful. I will send someone to send you back to Jiangyu County.¡±
¡°It¡¯s gettingte, so I¡¯ll go back first.¡±
Qin Xin looked out the sky from the window and hurriedly left.
Although Zhao Aman and Ji Linzhu were reluctant to part with their daughter, the couple knew that they mustn¡¯t be seen together, so they could only watch from the second floor through the window as Qin Xin get into the carriage.
When Qin Xin returned to the marquis again, it was already half past five o¡¯clock, the setting sun had almostpletely set, and the sky was gray and cloudy.
As soon as she returned to her courtyard, she saw Zhao momo waiting in the hall.
¡°Young Miss,¡± Zhao momo came over greeted Qin Xin, and said coldly. ¡°This ve servant is here to deliver a message from the Madam. Madam said that since the young miss came back toote, you should copy the ¡°Women¡¯s Commandments¡± one hundred times, and is not allowed to go out until you have finished copying it.¡±
Qin Xin slowly caresses her dress, and a cold smile spread out at the corner of her mouth. She was in a good mood today and was toozy to bother with such unruly ves as Zhao momo, she was not annoyed at all.
She knows that Madam Su has been temperamental recently because of Qin Zening and Su Xiyang¡¯s matter. She was not able to pleased both sides, the Su family resents her, and now the marquis was treating her coldly, in addition, they lost a lot of money. To put it bluntly, she was just a frustrated woman who could only lose her temper.
If Madam Su goes too far, she would just go and find the marquis, anyway, all she needs now was to win over the marquis and the old madam.
Qin Xin disdained her but, on the surface, she was very polite to Zhao momo, pretending to be a good girl, and agreed. ¡°Please, trouble momo to go back and tell mother that I will reflect on myself in my courtyard.¡±
Zhao momo shook the handkerchief in her hand and walked away proudly.
After Zhao momo left, her other maidservant, Baoqin, came over, holding a zither, and said in a lowered voice, ¡°Young Miss, just now His Highness the Second Prince had someone deliver a letter.¡±
The maidservant took out an envelope from her sleeve pocket and presented it to Qin Xin.
Qin Xin couldn¡¯t wait to receive the letter and was overjoyed, she said to herself: Gu Jing still has her in his heart, no matter who his main consort would be in the future, she would certainly firmly upy that unique position in his heart.
As long as she could give birth to the eldest royal grandson, she could definitely reverse the situation¡
After Qin Xin entered the inner room, only did she open the letter. Inside, there were already two octagonalnterns lighting up the room, illuminating it as bright as daylight.
Qin Xin eagerly looked at the letter, and the first thing that caught her eye was the four words at the beginning of the letter. ¡®Qing Qing, my love¡¯.
Qin Xin¡¯s felt sweet and continued to read eagerly.
In this letter, Gu Jing described his deep affection for her, saying that the time he didn¡¯t see her felt like three autumns, he also said he wanted to marry her sooner so that they could be together forever and not live in two different ces¡
Qin Xin sweetly read this letter twice, and the corners of her mouth remained raised. Fortunately, she went to the Second Prince¡¯s Mansion today and supported him in face of adversity.
Seeing Qin Xin¡¯s reaction, Shuxiang knew she was in a good mood, and wanted to please her more, she said. ¡°Young Miss, His Highness the Second Prince really has a deep love for you, you just came back from the Second Prince¡¯s residence, and His Highness is already sending you a letter.¡±
Baoqin came over with a cup of hot tea and said with a smile ster on her face. ¡°The young miss and his highness the second prince have a very special rtionship.¡±
A faint blush appeared on Qin Xin¡¯s cheeks like a charming spring in April.
***
Chapter 334
Chapter 334
She was about to marry Gu Jing, even if she was only a concubine now, as long as Gu Jing has her in his heart, and as long as she could be helpful to Gu Jing, she believes and was convinced that she would be uprighted.
Moreover, Qin Jiu was about to lose her reputation, and the fate of the two of them would finally go on their separate ways.
Qin Xin¡¯s lips curled a little higher, and was about to pick up the light blue porcin tea cup when she heard Shuxiang exim, ¡°Young Miss!¡±
Qin Xin looked towards Shuxiang in confusion, Shuxiang raised her hand and pointed to the light blue porcin tea cup and said, ¡°This tea cup is cracked.¡±
Sure enough, there was a half-inch-long crack on the side of the light blue porcin tea cup.
Qin Xin stared at the crack and slightly frowned, feeling a little ufortable. This was too unlucky!
The sky outside hadpletely darkened, and the evening breeze blew into the room through the window, swaying the candles in thenterns non-stop.
Not only Qin Xin¡¯s room but so was the Marquis¡¯s house and the entire capital city was lit withnterns. As the night gradually deepened, the starrynterns gradually went out, and the capital was shrouded in a thick darkness.
One night passed quickly, and by the morning of the next day, the news of the second prince Gu Jing being stabbed by Yelu Luan had spread throughout the court.
At the morning court, Lord Chengen was the first to stand up and impassionedly present to the emperor.
¡°Your Majesty, the second prince of the Northern Yan, Yelu Luan, is really defiant and dares to injure the imperial son on Daqi¡¯s territory, he must be severely punished in order to uplift Daqi¡¯s national prestige!¡±
¡°His Highness the second prince provoked Yelu Luan because of the matter of peace talks between the two countries and was hated by him. Thinking that His Highness the second prince also has great contributions for Daqi, Your Majesty, with this meritorious service it is not fair that only Gu Zezhi and Yu Fuyun was rewarded.¡±
Hearing his words, many courtiers in the court nodded slightly, feeling that what Lord Chengen said was not without reason.
The emperor¡¯s eyes slightly flickered and remembered yesterday¡¯s reply from the imperial physician. It turned out that this was what Gu Jing wanted.
The emperor said indifferently. ¡°Since Lord Chengen is so worried about the second prince¡¯s condition, why don¡¯t you ¡®help¡¯ me to take care of the second prince until he recovers, as for your errand, leave it off for the time being.¡±
¡°¡¡±
Lord Chengen was shocked and angry, he wanted to say something but, in the end, he wisely said nothing, instead, he winked at the other courtiers calmly as he retreated after receiving the order.
Obviously, the emperor was still dissatisfied with the second prince. Even the second¡¯s prince injury this time did not calm the emperor at all, if they continue to speak for the second prince now, it would only have the opposite effect and make the emperor even more annoyed.
Most courtiers felt that the emperor was not in a good mood, so the morning court ended quickly this day.
The next few days, people visited the second prince one after another, but Gu Jing didn¡¯t see any of them, he only wrote in a pitiful tone that he was wounded, and there was no one in the mansion to serve him so he wanted to marry Qin Xin as soon as possible.
For the emperor, taking a concubine was a trivial matter so the emperor agreed directly.
With the emperor¡¯s approval, everything became easier, so the second prince¡¯s mansion and the Qin family soon set an auspicious date, on the tenth day of the fifth month.
Madam Su asked someone to deliver the invitation to the Qin family, it was for Qin Jiu.
Du Ruo said, ¡°Young Miss, the marquis invites you on that day.¡±
Du Ruo disdainfully said to herself: This Marquis doesn¡¯t understand etiquette at all, Qin Xin was going to be someone¡¯s concubine, just riding on a simple sedan chair and quietly entering the back gate, but they insist on sending invitations to make everyone know. She really doesn¡¯t know what they were thinking, do they think that this was something that would bring honor to the Marquis?
Qin Jiu: ¡°?¡±
Qin Jiu wasn¡¯t paying attention to what Du Ruo had said and just stared nkly at ¡°The tenth day of the fifth month¡± written in red, stupefied.
Too soon ah!
She originally thought that the hero and heroine would still experience adversity, at least the hero should give the heroine a title other than a side concubine, and carry her into the main gate to show how sincere the hero¡¯s feelings were for the heroine, but it turns out that the hero just casually really carried the heroine as a concubine into his house?
Could it be¡ª¡ª
That the love between the two of them doesn¡¯t really care about their status and they just wanted to stay together forever, withoutint or regret?
The thought of this send shivers and goose bumps all over Qin Jiu¡¯s body.
***
Chapter 335
Chapter 335
Qin Xin was nominally the first daughter of the Qin family, although she was going into a marriage as a concubine, but ording to tradition when she marries, it was very reasonable to ask Qin Jiu as her sister to be her attendant*. However, Qin Jiu has been busy recently, so as soon as she received the invitation, she just basically ignored it.
(the literal English trantion was makeup, but change it to attendant, which means point to the bride to present property gift, basically like a bridesmaid)
Early in the morning, Qin Jiu went to visit the Huangjue Temple and requested two amulets which she put inside an embroidered pouch she made, one blue and one purple. After being transmigrated inside a book, Qin Jiu just couldn¡¯t say anything about ¡°feudal superstition¡±, but she still believes that regardless sincerity should be able to work, whether there were gods or buddhas, there was always no harm in carrying an amulet.
In addition to the amulet, Qin Jiu also prepared some dry foods such as dried meat, dried fruit, fried noodles, and sesame cakes for long-term preservation, as well as sour plums to prevent seasickness. She also went to the pharmacy to buy somemonly used drugs, and so on.
Qin Jiu has been busy for several days, dividing everything into two parts, one for Qin Zening and the other for Gu Zezhi.
¡°Young Miss, Chenjun is here.¡± Du Ruo came in and reported.
Qin Jiu was still a little unustomed to this title and was momentarily dazed before reacting that the Chenjun Du Ruo was referring to was Gu Zezhi.
Qin Jiu picked up the bag with the purple purse and went to the manor¡¯s gate, where Gu Zezhi was waiting for her, as soon as they met, Qin Jiu shoved the bag in her hand to him, ¡°I prepared it for you, take it.¡±
Gu Zezhi also did not ask what it was, smiled, and took it.
Qin Jiu then took Gu Zezhi¡¯s hand and walked out, saying. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you, there is a Zuixiaolou Restaurant on the nearby Changhua Street where they served a particrly good sweet and sour fish, much better than that what Yunbin Restaurant had.¡±
¡°You listened to me, all right!¡±
¡°It is as you say.¡± Gu Zezhi nodded seriously with a light smile lingering on his lips and his gaze was as hot as the summer sun, ¡°I¡¯ll listen to our Xiao Jiu, she¡¯ll never go wrong!¡±
The words ¡°our Xiao Jiu¡± were said in a deeply moving voice as if a feather had scratched her ear, it felt itchy and soft, stirring Qin Jiu¡¯s heart.
She felt that she was reaping the benefits she worked hard on as her small chin was raised high and smiling like lcs blooming on the branches in April.
This good mood has maintained until they arrived at Zuixiaolou Restaurant.
After sitting down in the private room, Qin Jiu couldn¡¯t wait to open the bag and took out the things she prepared, and exined what it should be used for while Gu Zezhi patiently listened.
In no time, these things filled a table.
Thest thing she took out of the bag was the purple purse with the delicate bamboo leaf pattern embroidered on it. She loosened the drawstring of the purse and showed him the amulet inside, ¡°This is the amulet I asked for you at the Huangjue Temple.¡±
Gu Zezhi looked at her, and his beautiful phoenix eyes softened as the corner of his slightly raised mouth was like the bright winding moon in the night sky.
He got up and walked over to her and said, ¡°Put it on for me?¡±
Since Qin Jiu was sitting at this time, her eye level was the same as his waist. Around his thin waist was a ck brocade embroidered with dark patterns, he also wore a suet-white jade pendant carved with several clumps of bamboo.
She gave a ¡°hmmm¡± and carefully tie the purse to Gu Zezhi next to the jade pendant.
Gu Zezhi looked down at her, the girl¡¯s long and thick eyshes outlined a light shadow in her eyes, while her skin was as white as jade, soft and exquisite, looking like a fragile white porcin doll,pared to her who was with him a year ago, they look like two different people.
As the old saying goes, girls really need to be pampered.
The corner of Gu Zezhi¡¯s lips hooked, remembering his first encounter with the little girl¡¯s disheveled and quirky look, making the smile in his eyes rippled.
He knows that his little girl not only hides her ws but also bites people!
Qin Jiu quickly put on the purse for him and motioned him to take a step back to let her see if it was put on properly, however, he didn¡¯t do as he was told and instead, he slightly leaned forward and wrapped his arms around her slender shoulders.
The faint scent of bamboo wafted through her nose, carrying a warm breath that enveloped her.
Qin Jiu subconsciously raised her head when suddenly her vision darkened as his right hand firmly covered her eyes.
She wanted to ask him what he was doing by covering her eyes, but in the next moment, a warm and soft touch her forehead, making her swallow all the unspoken words.
Thump, thump, thump!
Qin Jiu felt her heart pounding wildly, this warm and soft touch, she knew it was him who had kissed her.
That feeling was both new and inexplicably embarrassing to her, causing her ears to burned slightly.
His lips only stayed on her forehead for a moment before retreating, and then her vision brightened up again.
Qin Jiu blinked, still a little dazed. Gu Zezhi at this time had already retreated and sat down back in his seat, taking a sip of tea from the white porcin teacup.
Waking up from her trance, Qin Jiu¡¯s eyes first fell on his beautiful thin lips making the roots of her ears even hotter, and when her eyes moved down, they fell on his right hand holding the teacup. His slender and fair fingers with distinct joints looked like jade.
This brought back memories at the time she first saw Gu Zezhi at the inn in Yaoqing County, it was also his right hand that she first saw.
At that time, these hand were both beautiful and fair, but for her, she only felt fear.
But now¡
Extending her hand across the table, she grabbed his hand andpare her right hand with his, and when the heel of the palm was at the same level, she could clearly see that his fingers were much longer than hers.
Her fingertips gently brushed the thin calluses on his palm and said in a somewhat coquettish tone. ¡°I heard that the Shoushan stone* in Minzhou is a masterpiece, can you bring me a few, please?¡±
(monly used in carving and seal cutting)
¡°Okay, what do you want to carve?¡±
¡°Brother, could it be that you know how to carve a seal?¡±
¡°En, what would you like to engrave?¡±
As Gu Zezhi spoke, he intently gazed at her, his obsidian ck eyes were shining brightly as if they were filled with summer starlight.
At this moment, his mood was surprisingly peaceful, joyful, and steadfast.
It feels good to know there¡¯s someone waiting for him toe home!
***
Chapter 336
Chapter 336
The spring breeze at the end of April was soft and gentle, this season was also full of flowers, so when the windes, the air was warm with the fragrance of flowers, lingering on the tip of his nose, warming up his heart.
¡°I should be back in a few months.¡± Gu Zezhi suddenly turned his words around and raised his hand to rub her head, ¡°You have to be obedient in the capital.¡± Be obedient and wait for him toe back.
¡°Am I not obedient? ¡°Qin Jiu pouted, bulging her cheeks.
Gu Zezhi silently chuckled as his obsidian dark phoenix eyes bes alluring yet gentle. ¡°Obedient, you¡¯re the best!¡±
Qin Jiu couldn¡¯t hold back anymore and immediately broke into a ¡°puchi¡± andugh; herughter was as crisp as the mountain stream that floated out through the window.
The spring breeze outside was blowing gently, fanning the branches of delicate peach blossoms outside the window, and leaving a few fallen flowers on the windowsill.
On the fourth day of the fifth month when the weather was getting warmer and warmer, Gu Zezhi and Qin Zening set off to Minzhou.
With only Qin Zeyu, this naughty child alone, Qin Jiu suddenly felt that the mansion was too quiet.
Feeling bored, Qin Jiu went to watch his naughty brother practice martial arts and read books, which scared Qin Zeyu. Fearing that his sister would not let him practice martial arts, he strives hard, and his improvements were very rapid that even his master had a new level of respect for him.
However, Qin Jiu on the other hand, deeply feels that this naughty child was either stupid or does not like to study and work hard!
She simply watched this naughty child as he practices, anyways, he at least followed her advice on reading books for his learning so the rest of her time she couldn¡¯t help but think of Gu Zezhi. Thinking about where he and Qin Zening were right now, were they still on the road or at sea, and if they were, did they get seasick or if they were unustomed¡she never knew that she could miss someone so much.
What baffled her was, when he left, she didn¡¯t feel particrly reluctant, as if she knew he would alwayse back.
With all these things inside her head, she gradually forgot about Qin Xin¡¯s marriage until Cui momo came on the tenth day of the fifth month.
¡°Third Young Miss,¡± Cui momo bowed to Qin Jiu while she looked at her from up and down, and was relieved to see that she looked well. ¡°Today is Second Miss¡¯ wedding, and Old Madam Qin wants you and the fifth young master to go back.¡±
Only then did Qin Jiu remember about it, but she didn¡¯t want to go.
Qin Jiu didn¡¯t hide it from Cui momo and said frankly, ¡°Cui momo, Qin Xin wants us siblings to go back to the marquis to give her face.¡±
Cui momo immediately understand what she meant by this.
Qin Xin was the second prince¡¯s concubine but no matter how noble the second prince¡¯s status was, a concubine would always be a concubine. It was impossible to go to Qin Xin¡¯s wedding and act as a handkerchiefs turnover* and then congratte her. She was even more unwilling to associate with a concubine, after all, no noblewoman could afford to lose face.
(*refers to female friends with close rtionships and deep friendships. Raw is ÊÖÅÁ½» you can try to search and learn more about this, since the exnation is long)
Hence, Qin Xin was destined to have a cold ceremony and was fated to be forgotten by those noblewomen.
Qin Jiu was the future Princess of Chenjun, if she goes to the Marquis¡¯s mansion then Qin Xin would be able to save some face to some extent and after being carried into the Second Prince¡¯s mansion, it could also make those servants look up at Qin Xin.
This young miss of theirs was really good at calcting! Cui momo thought to herself and said to Qin Jiu seriously. ¡°Young Miss, you are right not to go.¡±
Qin Jiu added, ¡°Cui momo, please go back and tell grandmother that Qin Xin and I have never gotten along well, and in case I can¡¯t hold myself back from arguing with her, I¡¯ll be spoiling her big day, and it won¡¯t be good.¡±
Cui momo understood this, so she went back and reported every word to Old Madam Qin, ¡°The third young miss is also worried that if something really happens, this will just anger the second miss on his wedding day.¡±
Old Madam Qin sighed as she said, ¡°Ai, it¡¯s also because I didn¡¯t think things thoroughly.¡±
She originally thought that since they were sisters, and now that Qin Xin was leaving, it was only natural for Qin Jiu toe back for the ceremony and forgot for a moment that the two were not on good terms.
In the past, when the eldest house and the marquis¡¯s house hadn¡¯t separated, whenever these two sisters met, Qin Xin would be sullen for a while and shed tears of guilt. And since today was an important day for Qin Xin indeed, it would be not good to see her cry.
¡°Cui momo,¡± Old Madam Qin ordered, ¡°you go and tell Xin¡¯er in person that Jiu¡¯er will note.¡±
Cui momo suppressed the corners of her lips that were about to curl up and followed the order.
On the way, the servants performed their duties and the whole marquis mansion looked the same as usual, except for a few big rednterns hung in Qin Xin¡¯s courtyard, and a few ¡°happiness¡± letters were posted.
But in her courtyard, it was deserted, and only two zongrenfu* were sent by the imperial n to inspect Qin Xin¡¯s ¡°dowry¡± and all those that did notply with the regtions were taken out of the box.
(*someone who manages the affairs of the royal n)
ording to the rules, a woman¡¯s dowry should be delivered to her husband¡¯s house the day before she gets married but since Qin Xin was just a concubine, of course, there was no such thing as a dowry, so all her belongings were carried into the Second Prince¡¯s mansion with her in a sedan chair.
Qin Xin who was wearing a moon-white dress was sitting dignifiedly in front of the dressing table in her boudoir when she heard what Cui momo said, and waspletely stupefied.
She had known that Madam Su had sent an invitation to Qin Jiu, and she also knew that the invitation disappears with no hope of returning.
She had also long guessed that Qin Jiu has no intention ofing, so she had a hard time coaxing Old Madam Qin to send someone to call Qin Jiu, but didn¡¯t expect that Qin Jiu would not even give Old Madam Qin any face.
¡°Cui momo,¡± Qin Xin bit her lower lip, her eyes looked foggy and hazy as she daintily and timidly said, ¡°I was thinking, I¡¯m about to get married, we sisters can meet before I leave, and share a smile to wipe away all grievance andter we can reconnect, but I didn¡¯t expect¡¡±
She let out a long sigh and then said, ¡°I¡¯ve made grandmother worry.¡±
Cui momo skimmed her lips in disapprovingly.
***
Chapter 337
Chapter 337
The second miss¡¯s sentence was full of hidden meanings but her hints was very obvious, the third young miss didn¡¯t give Old Madam a face and wanted to use Cui momo to tell Old Madam Qin the second miss¡¯s grievances.
¡°Third young miss said that she wille to pay respect to Old Madam in a few days, so I won¡¯t bother second miss anymore.¡±
Cui momo put on a fake smile and continued, ¡°Second Miss should wipe your tears, Old Madam said that it¡¯s not good to cry on this happy day, it¡¯s unlucky.¡±
With that said, Cui momo casually gives her blessing before she left without looking at Qin Xin.
Even a lowly servant dares to humiliate her! Qin Xin tightly clenched her handkerchief; her face was very ugly.
¡°Miss,¡± Shuxiang hurriedly came in from outside and said, ¡°Momo said that the auspicious time ising.¡±
Qin Xin sat nkly at the deserted boudoir, with no bridesmaid, no phoenix crown cape, not to mention the red veil. And the second prince would note to wee her, his bride, what was waiting for her was only a small sedan chair that would be quietly carried into the second prince¡¯s mansion.
This was very different from the grand wedding she had imagined.
The two zongrenfu* sent by the imperial family had eyes almost growing on top of her head. She had originally intended to have Qin Jiu give her face and suppress the two zongrenfu¡¯s arrogance but she didn¡¯t expect Qin Jiu to be this disrespectful!
(*someone who manages the affairs of the royal family)
The more Qin Xin thought about it, the angrier she became, making the white handkerchief in her hand twist into a ball.
¡°Miss, you¡¯d better change into your clothes first.¡± Shuxiang looked at her carefully and advised.
Being a concubine, certainly, there was no such thing as a red wedding dress, instead ced on the hanger was a set of pink dress embroidered withrge peony flowers.
Originally, Qin Xin prepared a set of silver-red wedding dresses for herself, the material was from the Baoxiu Shop in the south of Jiangnan, this was rare as there were no more than a hundred pieces per year produced, and worth more than one hundred taels of silver. She made this wedding dress with her own two hands, she was the one who also embroidered it, stitch by stitch, and when she tried it on, it was beautiful and dazzling.
However, after seeing it, one of the zongrenfu immediately said that it was not possible, saying that silver red was too close to red wedding dresses. Qin Xin, as a concubine, couldn¡¯t wear it and had no choice but to change it.
Of course, she refused to agree but who would have thought that after the two zongrenfu said ¡®no¡¯ they wanted to leave just like that. So, without saying a word, Madam Su cut her silver-red dress and rummaged through boxes and cabs, and found a pink dress. Only then did the two zongrenfu were satisfied.
Qin Xin was now looking at this outdated pink dress, and wishes to tear it apart.
But no matter what, Qin Xin did not want to miss the auspicious time, so she reluctantly changed into this pink dress with the help of her maidservants, and then let them do her makeup.
With her skin like snow, lips like vermilion, and her dress more beautiful than usual, Qin Xin looked stunning but her eyes were dull like a flower that has just bloomed and was about to wither in advance.
She then sat into a small pink sedan chair that would carry her out from the back of the Marquis mansion, on the way, no gongs and drums were beaten, and was just carried to the Second Prince¡¯s Mansion in such a deserted manner and entered through the back door.
ording to Daqi¡¯s rules, marry a wife during the day and get a concubine at night.
At this moment, the sky had already darkened asyers of dark and gloomy clouds were piled up. The gray sky seemed to indicate something, emitting an ominous aura.
¡°Rumble, Rumble¡¡±
The ear-splitting sound of thunder was far and near.
In a short while, bean-sized raindrops crackled down and poured like a curtain.
Meanwhile, in the Qin Mansion, Qin Jiu who was sitting by the window, stared nkly at the heavy rain outside, her eyes flickering.
She remembers in the novel; it took a whole chapter of ten thousand words to describe the marriage of the hero and the heroine. The second prince came to the Marquis¡¯s Mansion to wee his bride personally, ying gongs and drums, and themon people walked in the street celebrating with them. It could be said that it was the grandest wedding of the Qi Dynasty in nearly a hundred years.
But now, who could have imagined that the heroine was dreary carried into the second prince¡¯s mansion.
Qin Jiu casually tapped the ruler on her palm as the corner of her mouth curled up. En, she was happy when Qin Xin was unhappy!
At this time, on the other side, Qin Zeyu was standing in front of the table writing big characters with a look of bitterness and hatred on his face.
He finally finished writing a piece and was about to y tricks on his sister when he heard a loud sound from a ruler that entered his ears, and couldn¡¯t help but shivered.
He was afraid that the ruler would hit him, so he hurriedly stood with his head up and continued to struggle with the pen in his hand, not daring to cken off again.
Ai, he would rather stand two hours of horse stance, than to write ah!
Unfortunately for him, his sister was too fierce and would just beat him wantonly, especially after third brother Gu left, no one would definitelye to help him.
Qin Zeyu missed Gu Zezhi very much and wondered if he would write a letter to ask him when he would return back to the capital.
But the more he thought about it, the less optimistic he felt. The journey to Minzhou was long and it would take a lot of time to travel back and forth, which also means he would not be back until at least on the sixth or seventh month of the year. Ai, his hard days were going to be long!
***
Chapter 338
Chapter 338
Qin Jiu kept an eye on Qin Zeyu¡¯s lesson for a few days, and it was only after several days did the sibling returned to the Marquis mansion to pay their respect to Old Madam Qin.
Since moving out, the three siblings from the eldest house have been going back together every ten days to pay their respects to Old Madam Qin.
On weekdays, whoever has free time, they would go visit Old Madam Qin to spend time her, sometimes they apany her for lunch, and sometimes leave after a short talk. This was also what Empress Wei wanted, after all, Qin Zening and Qin Zeyu, these brothers would soon enter their official careers, and whether they want to be general or civil servants, unfilial behavior was the biggest offense, which was enough to make their career hopeless.
Qin Zhun was just an uncle from next door and it didn¡¯t really matter if they pay their respect to him or not, however, Old Madam Qin was their legitimate grandmother so they need to pay their respect and serve her.
Old Madam Qin was very happy to see Qin Jiu and Qin Zeyu, she immediately pulled Qin Zeyu and sighed ruefully as she said how he had grown taller and how he looked strong, she then also pulled Qin Jiu and said she looked good.
Distance creates beauty. Once these people were no longer in front of her, Old Madam Qin couldn¡¯t help but mutter every day feeling even more longing for her three grandchildren in the eldest house.
While talking, Old Madam Qin mentioned Qin Xin inadvertently, ¡°Xin¡¯er, that girl, may not have had a good time at the Second Prince¡¯s Mansion¡±
¡°How so?¡± Qin Jiu asked curiously.
¡°When she came back here two days ago herplexion was terrible.¡± Old Madam Qin sighed as she continued with a frown, ¡°But no matter how much I asked her, she only said that she was doing well and that His Highness the Second Prince treated her well, ai, if she was really well, how could she lose her joy just after getting married, it¡¯s only been a few days and she has lost a lot of weight.¡±
Old Madam Qin felt that Qin Xin must have suffered some kind of grievance, frowning deeply she said worriedly, ¡°Normally, a newly married couple should be intimate, and there is no one else in the second prince¡¯s mansion ah.¡±
Old Madam Qin was already at the age where she had seen countless brides, and there were not many brides who were not radiant and charming.
¡°But I can also see that she seems reluctant to mention the second prince, and sometimes when she mentioned him, she looked like she was about to cry.¡±
When Qin Xin mentioned the second prince before, she was obviously beaming and had endless words to say, so the more Old Madam Xin thought about it, the more worried she became. She muttered, ¡°I also saw pinch marks on her right wrist, she said she had identally pinched herself¡¡±
Hearing this, Qin Jiu realized that something was wrong and blinked.
In the novel, wasn¡¯t the rtionship between the hero and the heroine very good? Qin Xin has just married, so there should be no such thing as seven itchy years, besides, as Old Madam Qin said, the second prince hasn¡¯t married his consort yet, so no one was really making trouble between them.
Seeing that Qin Jiu was silent, Old Madam suddenly remembered that Qin Jiu and Qin Xin were not in a good rtionship so she stopped talking further.
Qin Zeyu, who was only twelve years old, was really not interested in topics such as newlyweds and intimacy so he just silently yed with the dagger that Gu Zezhi had given him, asionally throwing it from his left hand to his right hand.
The dagger was shining brightly making Old Madam Qin startled, afraid that Qin Zeyu might identally cut his hand.
Old Madam in couldn¡¯t help but soothe, ¡°Yu¡¯er, I had the kitchen make the hibiscus cake you like to eat today, eat a little, don¡¯t y with dagger¡¡±
With his sister around, Qin Zeyu didn¡¯t dare to be naughty at all and obediently put the dagger away, wore it back on the side of his waist, and then ate his snacks.
Seeing that the dagger returned to its sheath, Old Madam Qin calmed down, but inevitably remembered Gu Jing being stabbed by Yelu Luan, she softly muttered. ¡°Perhaps because the second prince was wounded, he felt unhappy and took it out on Xin¡¯er?¡±
When Old Madam Qin said this, Qin Jiu also remembered Gu Jing¡¯s injury.
She felt that Gu Zezhi must have guessed whether Gu Jing was seriously injured or not, but he had to keep it a secret, it was fine and all if he didn¡¯t want to tell Qin Zeyu because of his big mouth but he wouldn¡¯t even tell her, it was so annoying!!
Qin Jiu stared at Qin Zeyu across from her, feeling itchy to do something, whilst Qin Zeyu, who was eating hibiscus cakes, blinked innocently. What¡¯s wrong with his sister?!
No matter how curious Qin Jiu was, it was no use. After Gu Jing was injured, he faded out of the court and remained locked up in the Second Prince¡¯s mansion, and never even invited anyone when he married Qin Xin, but even so, there were always rumors about him in the capital.
It was said that the second prince held his new concubine at the top of his heart and followed her in everything.
It was also said that the second prince¡¯s concubine was beautiful and charming that he was bewildered and awakened his carnal side;
And it was also said that the second prince¡¯s energy was so vigorous that he hangs out with his concubine courtyard day and night.
For some unknown reason, these rumors spread among themon people and spread in such an uproar, one by one, that even Qin Jiu sent Du Ruo out to buy a box of snacks so she could hear someone talk about it.
Du Ruo also knew that these rumors shouldn¡¯t be said to smear the ears of her young miss, but because the second prince¡¯s concubine was clearly referring to Qin Xin, Du Ruo was worried that these rumors about Qin Xin would instead damage her young miss reputation.
Upon hearing these rumors, Qin Jiu was obviously dumbfounded that her jaw dropped, ¡°This¡ this¡ this¡¡±
This gossip was too explosive!
Qin Jiu was so excited, and it felt like she had seen hot searches about celebrity couples on Weibo before.
***
Chapter 339
Chapter 339
Qin Jiu¡¯s eyes sparkled as she urged. ¡°Is there anything else?¡±
Feeling that she was missing a te of melon seeds to snack on as she listens to these juicy rumors, Qin Jiu ordered a maidservant to get her a te of melon seeds, pine nuts and some more nuts.
Seeing Qin Jiu listening happily, Du Ruo secretly sighed: Although her young miss was already at that age, but she was still after all, a child.
On the other hand, Du Ruo was also inwardly disdainful, there were many noble ns and imperial ns in the capital but she hasn¡¯t heard any of them spreading rumors like this nor making an uproar about such things, after all, it¡¯s not like they were seen going to Hualouzi Pavilion to pay for a girl. So, could it be that this Qin Xin was making such a fuss because she was afraid that the second prince would marry a consort!?
Concurrently, Qin Jiu quickly nibbled on the melon seeds given by the maidservant.
¡°Kachak, crack¡¡±
As the melon seeds peel piled up more and more on the ruyi small square table Qin Jiu suddenly pped her hands as if she remembered something. Thest time she returned to the Marquis¡¯s Mansion, Old Madam Qin also said that Qin Xin looked very unhappy.
ording to this rumor, this shouldn¡¯t be the case!
So, where did it go wrong?
Qin Jiu ate the melon seed with relish, hoping that the melon seeds would give her some more inspiration.
Du Ruo peeled the pine nuts as she cast a meaningful nce at Qin Jiu, and just like this, the white-jade-like pine nuts fell one by one on the white porcin te.
And unknowingly, Qin Jiu ate a te of melon seeds and pine nuts but still didn¡¯te up with anything.
So, she sent another maidservant to ask around again when someone came to report that someone from the pce hade.
The one who came was Xiao Kouzi from Fengluan Pce, she was ordered by Empress Wei to invite Qin Jiu to enter the pce.
Qin Jiu was dressedfortably at home, without any jewelry or essories so she had to change quickly and hurriedly followed Xiao Kouzi into the pce.
¡°Xiao Jiu.¡± Empress Wei affectionately pulled Qin Jiu to sit down beside her and casually plucked a petal that had fall down on Qin Jiu¡¯s hair. ¡°Young Miss Fang¡ is the daughter of Princess Yongle, so I invited you here in the pce today to meet her. In the future, Young Miss Fang will be raised here in the pce, and since you two are not much different in age, you can hang out together during the weekdays.¡±
Empress Wei was the person who knows the emperor the best and at the moment, she knew the emperor was feeling guilty towards his eldest sister. So, having his eldest sister¡¯s daughter, his niece, here in the pce was something he wanted to do, so that he could put every effort to make up for his dead sister, and since husband and wife were one, Empress Wei thought the same.
Qin Jiu obediently replied, ¡°Empress aunt, I will oftene to the pce to y with her in the future.¡±
Empress Wei rubbed the top of Qin Jiu¡¯s hair, feeling that her niece was very caring and considerate, she then added. ¡°Miss Fang¡¯s name is Hanjun, and she is the only daughter of Princess Yongle. However, her life in Yuzhou has not been satisfactory. She only brought two carts of luggage to the capital this time, and only had about ten servants with her, even wearing some old clothes fromst year.¡±
Empress Wei has never seen a nobleman treat his own daughter so unfairly, and because of this Empress Wei disdains Dongping very much in her heart, regardless of past grudges or grievances, Fang Hanjun was still his own daughter!
Surging with emotions, Empress Wei couldn¡¯t help but rail more to Qin Jiu.
¡°Princess Yongle is really unfortunate, ording to thews of Daqi, the son-inw of an imperial family cannot take concubines, but Dongping relies on being far away from the capital and having the support of Wang Yu, getting and doting on his concubines, and neglecting his wife.¡±
¡°Princess Yongle is of course very angry and couldn¡¯t bear this humiliation but before thete emperor passed away, he issued an order not to allow Princess Yongle to divorce, nor to return to the capital.¡±
¡°Ai, Princess Yongle doesn¡¯t want to cause trouble for the emperor so she has been living in Yuzhou all these years. She wanted to live in a separate mansion with Dongping but her husband doesn¡¯t want her to be happy and disagreed.¡±
As she said these, Empress Wei seemed to remember some past events and sighed with regret, ¡°The eldest princess was such a proud person in the past, she was the eldest daughter of thete emperor, and was once loved by thete emperor the most¡¡±
But no matter how much he loves this daughter, thete emperor still couldn¡¯t resist Concubine Fang Shu¡¯s pillow talk, disregarded Princess Yongle¡¯s wishes, and married her to Dongping.
As Qin Jiu listened attentively, she felt a little sympathy for the eldest princess whom she had never met. Thete emperor was definitely a scumbag father!
Qin Jiu said, ¡°In the future, Young Miss Fang will be favored by the Empress Dowager and the Emperor, so it can be considered a good turn for the better.¡±
Empress Wei¡¯s expression became more subtle as she said, ¡°Empress Dowager heard some rumors, and mentioned to the emperor yesterday that once Hanjun¡¯s mourning period is over, why not marry her to Gu Jing as his consort, saying that they are cousins.¡±
The empress knows that the emperor would not want Fang Hanjun to marry Gu Jing, and she also knows that the emperor didn¡¯t want to argue with Empress Dowager and even if Empress Dowager would definitelypromise in the end, the emperor would not be happy.
Thinking of the abashed expression when the emperor talked about Empress Dowager Liust night, Empress Wei couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for the emperor being in a difficult position.
Empress Dowager Liu was Fang Hanjun¡¯s maternal grandmother, so of course, she loves her granddaughter but good intention could also lead to bad things.
Empress Wei said with aplicated expression. ¡°When thete emperor favored Concubine Fang Shu, the empress dowager was then the empress, she was stepped on by Concubine Fang Shu and was humiliated frequently. And in order to protect Princess Yongle and the emperor, the empress dowager suffered a lot, she once kneeled outside the imperial study whole day and night to intercede for the emperor causing her to have a high fever for several days, and stayed sick for a long time.¡±
¡°So, the emperor has always felt sorry for the empress dowager who suffered for so many years. After the emperor ascended the throne, he told people in the pce that he wanted the empress dowager to live a carefree life and follow everything the empress dowager wants.¡±
Perhaps because the emperor couldn¡¯t do anything about Princess Yongle, he almost doubled his filial piety to Empress Dowager Liu for Princess Yongle¡¯s sake.
Remembering those past events and the passing of Yongle, Empress Wei was also feeling heavy, even the air inside the hall became slightly gloomy.
To put it bluntly, all those sins weremitted by theter emperor!
¡°¡.¡± Qin Jiu finally understood.
***
Chapter 340
Chapter 340
The emperor was undoubtedly a filial son, but sincest year¡¯s incident with Yunguang, Qin Jiu had a vague feeling that the emperor¡¯s filial piety towards Empress Dowager Liu was indeed extraordinary.
Now hearing the past events from Empress Wei¡¯s mouth, Qin Jiu suddenly realized: No wonder the emperor followed Empress Dowager Liu will as long as no major affairs were involved.
Qin Jiu thought for a while and suggested with a smile, ¡°Empress Aunt, why don¡¯t you tell Empress Dowager that Dongping has so many concubines, and because of this Miss Fang watched her mother suffer. So after hearing what she said, you felt sorry for her.¡±
Of course, when the actor said these words, it was necessary to hold a handkerchief and wipe the ¡°tears¡± from the corner of her eyes.
Imagining herself doing it, a weird smile blossomed on Qin Jiu¡¯s lips.
Empress Wei: ¡°¡¡±
Youbai, Xiao Kouzi, and the other pce maids on the side almost couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter, and had a hard time trying to suppress themselves.
Anyway, she was right that Miss Fang truly faced a room full of concubines from a young age, empress dowager should feel sorry for her granddaughter after hearing this, and would think twice about whether she would marry her granddaughter, after all, a prince could have at least two concubines, among other things, the second prince already has his beloved concubine, Qin Xin.
¡°You¡¯re still the clever one!¡± Empress Weiughed outright, making the originally gloomy atmosphere in the hall be lighter and lively in an instant.
Youbai took advantage of this gap and reced the tea for her two masters.
Feeling parched, Empress Wei gracefully picked up the teacup as the corner of her rosy lips curled up recalling the recent scandals about Gu Jing in the capital.
En, Empress Dowager Liu still needs to be informed of these happenings. Anyway, these dirty rumors have long been known to everyone, so if Empress Dowager Liu sends someone to ask, she would know that she didn¡¯t make it up.
Empress Dowager Liu may not necessarily feel that the second prince was wrong, but she would feel sorry for her granddaughter because of her daughter¡¯s early death. In this way, she could solve this matter with a thousand pounds of effort, without causing the emperor and Empress Dowager Liu to argue.
Just then, a pce maid could be heard greeting someone outside the room. ¡°Second Royal Highness Princess Fang.¡±
Immediately afterward, the curtains were lifted from the outside, and two young girls filed in one after the other.
Walking in front was the second princess of Xin¡¯an, walking behind was a maiden in an aqua-green clothes with a gentle temperament, goose egg face, willow eyebrows, and cherry-like mouth. The jewelry on her body and head were white jade and silver ornaments, making her look pure white with no w.
Obviously, she was Fang Hanjun.
Xin¡¯an and Fang Hanjun approached gracefully and first give their courtesy to Empress Wei elegantly.
Empress Wei smiled and introduced them with a smile. ¡°Hanjun, this is my niece, Xiao Jiu, who is vising me here today.¡±
¡°Xiao Jiu, this is the eldest daughter of Princess Yongle, Hanjun. She is two years older than you.¡±
Qin Jiu stood up and courtesies, ¡°Miss Fang.¡±
¡°Third Miss Qin.¡± Fang Hanjun also smiled and returned the courtesy with a smile, except that she gave Qin Jiu a courtesy for a senior.
¡°¡¡¡± Qin Jiu¡¯s expression became subtle at once.
She suddenly felt that it was not good for Gu Zezhi¡¯s seniority to be too high, she was only fourteen years old, so inexplicably it seemed like she was getting older¡
Empress Wei gave seats to both Xin¡¯an and Fang Hanjun, then said. ¡°Xiao Jiu, Hanjun is not familiar with ces in the capital. Just now, she mentioned that she wants to go to Huangjue Temple to fulfill her mother¡¯s wish. Why don¡¯t you take Hanjun to Huangjue Temple to offer incense in a few days and visit some other ces.¡±
Actually, Empress Wei was being somewhat selfish. She was thinking of her nephew, Qin Zening, he was not young anymore and was almost seventeen years old, even his sister was already engaged but his marriage was not yet settled.
Empress Wei could see that Fang Hanjun was intelligent and honest, she was about the same age as her niece, Qin Jiu, and was also a perfect match for Qin Zening in all aspects. Girls of this age could talk a lot when they were together, and Qin Jiu could take the opportunity to learn more about Hanjun and see if she was suitable for Qin Zening.
Anyway, Fang Hanjun was still mourning and since her father was still alive, she could only mourn for one year, and this one year was enough to see a person¡¯s temperament and decorum.
Qin Jiu waspletely unaware of Empress Wei¡¯s little scheme, and only took it literally as she wanted to apany Fang Hanjun to rx, and readily agreed. ¡°Empress Aunt, since I have a lot of free time, why don¡¯t I take Miss Fang to Huangjue Temple for incense tomorrow.¡±
Fang Hanjun bowed to Qin Jiu and thanked her, ¡°Then I¡¯ll trouble Third Miss Qin.¡±
¡°No trouble, no trouble.¡± Qin Jiu waved her hand.
Empress Wei knew at a nce that her niece didn¡¯t get what she had in mind but this only made the corner of her lips curled up slightly.
This girl, Xiao Jiu was incredibly clever, but sometimes she reallycks insight.
Xin¡¯an smiled and said, ¡°Xiao Jiu, I happened to copy some scriptures. Please take them to Huangjue Temple for me as an offering¡ª¡±
Before she could finish speaking, Xiao Kouzi suddenly hurried in and whispered to Empress Wei.
Empress Wei¡¯s expression slightly changed instantly, she then casually dismissed Xin¡¯an and Fang Hanjun, leaving only Qin Jiu.
Xin¡¯an and Fang Hanjun both retreated tactfully, vaguely guessing that what Xiao Kouzi had just reported might have something to do with Qin Jiu, and even several pce maids around them retreated.
Only then did Xiao Kouzi bow to Qin Jiu and said, ¡°Third Miss Qin, just now fifth master Qin sent someone to look for you, saying that there was someone making trouble at the entrance of the Qin Mansion.¡±
¡°The person who came imed his surname was Xu, and said he was engaged to you, Third Miss Qin.¡±
Empress Wei clenched the handkerchief in her hand as her dark eyes quietly changed incessantly.
***
Chapter 341
Chapter 341
After Empress Wei found out that Qin Jiu was her younger sister¡¯s biological daughter, Qin Zening hurriedly went to Jiangyu County to investigate everything thoroughly.
So not only did Empress Wei know how Li Jinzhu and his wife abused Qin Jiu but also knew that they were going to marry her to a foolish man, surnamed Xu!
At that time, Li Jinzhu and his wife fled from the country after killing someone, and the government issued a sea arrest document to catch them. The Xu family did not know about Qin Jiu¡¯s family background and only went to the Li family to propose marriage. And since they did not force the marriage, Empress Wei wasn¡¯t really angry with the Xu family and showed them kindness.
However, unexpectedly, her kindness left Qin Jiu with this hidden danger!
This world was inherently unfair to women, even if the world knows that Qin Jiu was not at fault, once such a thing breaks out, the person who would be criticized and gossiped by others was still Qin Jiu.
Empress Wei slightly narrowed her eyes, and a strange light shed at the bottom as she said, ¡°Xiao Jiu, this matter¡¡±
¡°Empress Aunt, I¡¯ll go back and take a look first.¡± Qin Jiu interrupted her with a smile, looking calm and collected, not worried at all, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be fine.¡±
How could Empress Wei feel at ease, she wished she could go to the emperor now and have him issue an order to arrest and punish all those unscrupulous people who dare to vite Qin Jiu¡¯s reputation and integrity!
¡°Auntie,¡± said Qin Jiu said calmly, ¡°since this matter has alreadye out, it is not good to suppress it by force, it will only make people talk about it.¡±
Empress Wei pursed her lips tightly, thinking her niece¡¯s words were indeed reasonable.
The more the things were hidden, the easier it was to attract criticism.
Qin Jiu smiled and said, ¡°With you here, if I¡¯m wrong, it will be the same as they wrong you too.¡±
With that, she even winked at Empress Wei, signaling that she was great!
This girl¡ Empress Wei sighed silently andpromised, but she wouldn¡¯t let Qin Jiu go back alone, so she instructed Xu momo to go out of the pce with Qin Jiu, and if there was anything wrong, she would immediatelye back and report to her.
Empress Wei specifically reminded Qin Jiu, ¡°Your elder brother and Pei Qi from the Five Cities Army and Horse Division are very close.¡±
It means that if Qin Jiu was unable to handle it, she could ask the Five Cities Army and Horse Division to arrest the person first, and after that, Empress Wei would ask the emperor for an order. Empress Wei was certain that the emperor would not care about such trivial matters.
Qin Jiu responded with a smile.
She immediately left the pce with Xu momo and returned to the Qin mansion.
As soon as the carriage turned into Huasheng Street, a sharp noise could be heard from a distance ahead.
¡°¡our family Jinpeng is engaged to the second girl of the Li family, now that Li Erya* has the glory and wealth, she wants to abandon her husband¡¯s family?¡±
(*second girl of the family)
¡°Everyone, youe and judge!¡±
¡°Our Xu family has a letter of the bride price, even if Li Erya has now changed her surname to Qin, she cannot deny it.¡±
¡°¡¡±
Xu momo frowned and advised, ¡°Third Miss Qin, I think it¡¯s better to lock these people in first!¡±
The Qin family¡¯s head has gone to war, and currently the Qin family now only has the Third Young Miss Qin and the fifth young master, there was no one with suitable status who coulde forward. It¡¯s not proper for a girl alone to go and argue with others on this kind of matter.
¡°No need.¡± Qin Jiu remained unflustered, and that calm look made Xu momo¡®s heart inexplicably ease down.
¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Qin Jiu instructed, and the carriage slowly moved forward again.
At this moment, Huansheng Street was crowded with many passersby watching the excitement, the coachman had to shout for them to make way, and it took a lot of effort to push through the crowd.
Qin Jiu lifted the curtain on one side of the carriage and at a nce, she saw a woman in blue clothes who was over forty years old and a square face young man around seventeen or eighteen years old standing in front of the gate of the Qin mansion. The square-faced young man held his right hand in his mouth, and drool came out from the corner of his mouth as he giggled silly, while the woman in blue folded both of her hands on her waist as she yelled ferociously.
Qin Zeyu was tightly clenching his fist as he furiously confronted the mother and son, suppressing his anger.
The woman in blue clothes patted the square face young man on the back, and pointed at the gate of the Qin mansion then urged, ¡°Jinpeng, hurry up and call your wife out!¡±
¡°Wife, wife!¡±
Xu Jinpeng yell following his mother¡¯s wishes while yelling and giggling, his neckline was already soaked with drool slipping from the corner of his mouth.
Qin Zeyu endured for a while and finally couldn¡¯t bear it anymore.
¡°Who is your wife!¡±
He roared and rushed over, punching Xu Jinpeng hard in the face.
Xu Jinpeng was confused and cried out with a ¡°wah¡±.
¡°My Jinpeng!¡± The woman in blue was startled, she shouted as she rushed forward to protect her son.
***
Chapter 342
Chapter 342
However, Qin Zeyu was faster than her, and casually pulled Xu Jinpeng to the side and threatened the woman in blue with a scowl, ¡°Madam Zhang, shout again, one more word from you, and I¡¯ll punch him!¡±
¡°You dare!¡±
As soon as Madam Zhang¡¯s words fell, Qin Zeyu punched Xu Jinpeng with another fist, then coldly snorted, ¡°See if I dare!¡±
Xu Jinpeng cried bitterly, and his square face was covered with tears and snot-paste ball.
Madam Zhang pped her thighs and cried, ¡°Heavens, how could they beat people without regarding thew ah.¡±
¡°It¡¯s your brother-inw¡¡±
Qin Zeyu unceremoniously punched the third time, this time, Madam Zhang did not dare to argue anymore, she shrank her neck, and showed timidity.
¡°A¡¯Yu.¡±
At this time, the carriage finally squeezed through the crowd and stopped in front of Qin Mansion¡¯s main gate, and boldly stepped down from the carriage.
¡°Sister, you don¡¯te down yet.¡± As soon as Qin Zeyu saw Qin Jiue back, he got anxious and hurriedly said, ¡°You go inside, go inside, it¡¯s enough to have me here.¡±
The reason why Qin Zeyu had someone go to the pce to report the news because he wanted Qin Jiu not toe back first, his sister didn¡¯t need the people to talk and watch her.
Upon hearing Qin Zeyu calling the girl sister, she looked over and was immediately stunned.
The girl in purple in front of her was dressed luxuriously, with fair skin and delicate facial features. Although she only has a pearl flower on her head, the golden stamen was distinct and she knew it was not ordinary at first nce.
The girl in purple walked straight towards this side, graceful and dignified.
If it weren¡¯t for the young girl¡¯s facial features that still had some traces of Li Erya from the past, Madam Zhang might not be able to recognize her at all.
Was this girl really Li Erya?! Madam Zhang couldn¡¯t help but feel a little bit shaken by the other party¡¯s noble aura.
Their Xu family was considered to be a well-known family in Jiangyu County, her sister-inw became the concubine to the county magistrate and gave birth to two sons, who were quite favored by the county magistrate.
In Jiangyu County, no matter where they go, people respect their Xu family, the only bad thing was that she only has one child, Jinpeng. And her husband had eight concubines, however, fortunately, the Xu family only has one male in this generation, and that was Jinpeng.
Although Jinpeng was a bit foolish, he could still marry, and as long as he and his daughter-inw have children and let their grandchildren inherit the family business in the future, all would be good. However, fortune tellers say that Jinpeng¡¯s fate was hard and he needs to find a character that could prosper him. And after looking around, they find the second daughter of the Li family. The fortune teller said that Li Erya¡¯s eight characters and Jinpeng were perfect matches!
Unexpectedly, Li Erya ran away before this marriage could be consummated!
At that time, they were both angry and annoyed, but there was nothing they could do. Li Erya ran away, and the Li family membersmitted murder and fled. Of course, this marriage was hopeless, and they could only continue to look for another girl with good character.
But who would have thought thatst month someone sent a letter to her husband, saying that Li Erya had gained immense wealth in the capital and was even taken back by a marquis family and was recognized as the family¡¯s young miss.
The biggest official Madam Zhang had ever seen in her life was the county magistrate, and to them, the county magistrate was like a person in the sky, so hearing Qin Jiu¡¯s family background, she was moved, and not only her but also her husband. Her husband went to see his sister, who was the magistrate¡¯s concubine, and made up his mind as soon as he came back that the whole family would go to the capital.
So even after knowing that Li Erya was now rich, and would not recognize this marriage, or even if Li Erya wanted to divorce, she had to give them some benefits to the Xu family.
Anyway, it¡¯s not their fault, and no matter how much trouble they make, they have nothing to lose.
Madam Zhang¡¯s thoughts were ecstatic, she eagerly shouted. ¡°Er..¡±
However, before she could call herpletely, Qin Jiu looked at Madam Zhang coldly, and that look carried an imposing aura.
Startled, Madam Zhang swallowed back her words and didn¡¯t say anything else.
Qin Jiu¡¯s mood was actually not as calm as she showed. When she saw Xu Jinpeng, the mother and son, her heart was beating violently and an indescribable wave of oppression and despair surged up in her heart like a wave of rage.
Qin Jiu knew that it was definitely not her own emotions, perhaps it was from the original owner.
In the novel, the original owner was just a female supporting cannon fodder, without directly describing the past experiences of the original owner from beginning to end. However, she remembers that before the original owner was expelled from the Marquis¡¯s Mansion, there was a plot where Qin Xin¡¯s admirer rightfully exposed that the original owner not only married someone but also was abused by the Xu family lord in the name of leaving an heir for his son after the death of her foolish husband.
This plot became thest straw that crushed the original owner making her almost on the brink of crumbling.
¡°Sister.¡± Qin Zeyu casually pushed Xu Jinpeng who was still crying as he called his father and mother, and quickly walked a step in front of Qin Jiu then stood protectively, ¡°You go back to the mansion first.¡±
Qin Jiu smiled and raised her hand to rub the top of his hair.
Qin Zeyu was almost ttered. His sister has never been so nice to him before!
Qin Jiu said again, ¡°A¡¯Yu, I told you that the purpose of letting you learn martial arts is not to fight.¡± Although she really enjoyed watching him throwing those punches.
Qin Jiu: ¡°Daqi is a society ruled byw!¡±
Was it?
Qin Jiu was actually not sure, but decided to ignore it and continued, ¡°If someonees to cause trouble, we can report it to the authorities!¡±
Qin Zeyu: ¡°!¡±
Looking at Madam Zhang, Qin Jiu said with a sneer, ¡°Madam, you said that you have the bride price letter with your son and mine? Then let¡¯s go to the authorities and have a good discussion.¡±
Her voice was clear and crisp, without any squirm or guilt in her expression, and the people watching the excitement couldn¡¯t help whispering.
The atmosphere suddenly underwent a subtle change.
It¡¯s the authorities again. Thinking of what happened after reporting to the authoritiesst time, Qin Zeyu¡¯s expression became very strange: was his sister addicted to reporting to the authorities?!
***
Chapter 343
Chapter 343
What?! Madam Zhang was dumbfounded: ¡°!!!¡±
The Xu family was not really a legitimate rtive of the county magistrate, in fact, they were justmon people who could also get afraid of officials, and the Zhang family was no exception, though she has to say, if she was still in Jiangyu County now, she might still have some confidence but this was the capital city!
¡°You¡. you really want to report to the authorities?¡± Madam Zhang¡¯s expression could not help but reveal a little anxiety.
Women all put importance on their reputation and integrity, so Madam Zhang was caught dumbfounded, after all, she originally thought that they could just make trouble here and attract attention, and surely Li Erya should be afraid and would wee her and her son into her mansion, and then they would naturally chat leisurely about the negotiation terms.
But how could Li Erya be so stubborn, even willing to go to the court and make everyone in the capitalugh at her?!
Qin Jiu seemed to see through Madam Zhang¡¯s mind and added righteously, ¡°Madam Zhang, it¡¯s not you who refuses to let go of this matter now, it¡¯s me.¡±
At this time, Qin Zeyu regained hisposure. Anyway, whatever his sister said was right, he just nodded frequently on the side.
At this time, Xu Jinpeng who had just been beaten ck and blue by Qin Zeyu¡¯s three punches pulled Madam Zhang¡¯s sleeve and said pitifully, ¡°Mother, my face hurts. Didn¡¯t you say that my wife is here? Where is my wife?¡±
Madam Zhang¡¯s expression turned ugly again as she said perfunctorily to her son, ¡°Don¡¯t make trouble, mother will buy you delicious foodter.¡±
Seeing this, the onlookers looked at each other, shaken up.
Originally, they felt that this mother and son had traveled a thousand miles to seek justice in the capital, which was truly pitiful, especially since Madam Zhang¡¯s son was clearly a fool, they inevitably had preconceived sympathy for the mother and son, thinking that it was Third Miss Qin who climbed the high branch and betrayed her promise, abandoning her fianc¨¦ in her hometown.
But now, looking at Third Miss Qin¡¯s clear conscience, and saying immediately that she would report this to the authorities, her attitude only shows how upright she was and she really didn¡¯t seem like a person with a guilty conscience.
So, as these passersby looked at this mother and son, they couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit suspicious, someone even said, ¡°Did these mother and son deliberatelye to cause trouble?¡±
Naturally, Madam Zhang heard these suspicions around her making her face burning with shame and anger, not to mention, annoyed but this matter hase to this point, so how could she just retreat like this!
Madam Zang took a deep breath and softened her tone a bit, ¡°Erya, let¡¯s talk it out properly, no need to call the authorities, okay?¡±
As soon as she said this, many onlookers looked at her from a look of suspicion to contempt.
¡°That¡¯s right!¡± an old woman with gray hair muttered. ¡°They¡¯re just here to cause trouble and deliberately want to ruin the girl¡¯s reputation!¡±
¡°Right, right. If what they said was really true, how could Third Miss Qin be so open on seeing the authorities!¡± another young married woman agreed in sympathy.
By this time, other spectators also express their opinions all at once.
¡°From what I can see, Madam Zhang¡¯s expression immediately changed after she heard ¡®report to the authorities¡¯. She looks guilty and afraid, not daring to go to report this to the authorities.¡±
¡°Truly a sinister heart!¡±
¡°I heard that these brothers and sister of the Qin family were kicked out from the main family not long ago, and now they have encountered such a vicious woman. How pitiful.¡±
¡°¡¡±
Madam Zhang just pretend not to hear these criticisms around her, and instead continued to persuade Qin Jiu. ¡°Erya, you should be ¡®reasonable¡¯! When we, the Xu family, and your parents decided on this marriage between you and our Jinpeng, all the formalities have been taken, the bride price been given, and all that is missing is a pnquin to carry you to the door.¡±
¡°You can¡¯t have no ¡®show¡¯ at all for what you owe our Xu family!¡±
Madam Zhang hinted at how Qin Jiu had to give their Xu family a little benefit, although their Xu family in Jiangyu County was doing good but it was different from the noble and powerful families in the capital, it was simply a world away. The riches and honor flowing from Erya¡¯s fingers now were enough for them!
Qin Jiu curled her lips into a half smile as she ordered, ¡°Someone, report to Jingzhao immediately.¡±
¡°Yes, Third Miss Qin.¡± The steward hurriedly answered, and had someone else hurry to prepare the horses.
Theplexion on Madam Zhang¡¯s face turned from green to pale after seeing that Qin Jiu didn¡¯t make any sense at all, her heart trembled. She raised her voice and said, ¡°Report, just report. Who¡¯s afraid of who, our Xu family has the bride price letter as well as Geng Tie!¡±
With her chin raised high and a confident look, she told herself that there was nothing to be afraid of!
Her husband told her to just make trouble, after all, it¡¯s not like it was their fault. The marriage between Jinpeng and Li Erya was done ording to rules, nor did they rob someone¡¯s daughter by force! No matter how much trouble they make, the crime was not on them.
If the trouble was loud enough, their Xu family would be able to achieve extraordinary wealth and prosperity, so this opportunity must not be missed since this would nevere again. If their Xu family wants to change their fate, this was the only time.
¡°Bride price letter?¡± Qin Jiu¡¯s eyebrows twitched and seemed to be affected.
Madam Zhang¡¯s eyes lit up, feeling that she had caught Qin Jiu¡¯s weakness, and emphasized, ¡°That¡¯s right, we have the bride price and a geng tie.¡±
This bride price and Geng Tie were genuine! Madam Zhang suddenly gained confidence.
Xu momo furrowed her brows anxiously, they were not afraid that the other party has the bride price letter, after all, this marriage was about the emphasis on ¡°the orders of parents and the words of matchmakers¡±. The Li couple was not qualified to make decisions for Qin Jiu¡¯s marriage.
But once this matter spreads, everyone in the capital would know that Qin Jiu was once promised a marriage.
Even if they know that this was true, but it was enough to make people chew the cud after tea and see the hrity.
***
Chapter 344
Chapter 344
When Qin Jiu was taken back to the capitalst year, the Marquis and the Empress adopt a consistent attitude towards the whole change as they publicly told everyone that Qin Jiu went missing on the way to exile fourteen years ago. And for more than a decade since she went missing, it was briefly mentioned that she was adopted by a couple, and no one knew what her past was like.
The people in the capital could guess that Empress Wei does not want people to talk about Qin Jiu¡¯s past, so no one mention it, but now that the Xu family has made a scene, it was conceivable that all kinds of rumors would only intensify, and it would surely get uglier.
Even if Gu Zezhi doesn¡¯t dislike Qin Jiu, no matter where Qin Jiu goes in the future, he would be suspicious.
In this life, her reputation would have ws.
Xu momo hesitated if she should intervene or not, so she quietly winked at Qin Zeyu, hoping that he could persuade Qin Jiu to enter the mansion and leave it to them here.
However, Qin Zeyu was staring fiercely at Madam Zhang, unaware of this secret signal.
At the same time, Qin Jiu looked at Madam Zhang and said, ¡°Oh? Then I need to ask for the bride price letter and Geng tie, whosest name was written, who are the parents, and what is the date of birth?¡±
Madam Zhang traveled a thousand miles to the capital, so, of course, she wouldn¡¯te empty-handed nor was she afraid of all these people watching her. She took out the bride price letter from her sleeve and read it aloud, ¡°Li Erya, father Li Jinzhu, mother Zhao Aman, birth date is Xinchou, eight characters is Jiawu, Gengchen, and Jimao.¡±
Seeing that Madam Zhang took out the bride price letter many onlookers around were swayed once again.
If this bride price was not made up, then the person who lied was Third Miss Qin!
The eyes of these gossipers looking at Qin Jiu were strange once again, some people even questioned, some were outraged, some were contemptuous, and some were waiting to watch the excitement.
¡°Xinchou, eight characters are Jiawu, Gengchen, and Jimao¡± Qin Jiu mumbled repeatedly and as if she thought of something, she stroked her hand and said, ¡°So you are talking about her!¡±
¡°Madam Zhang, you have the wrong person.¡± Qin Jiu looked squarely at Madam Zhang and pointed at the bride price in her hand, ¡°The Li Erya you are looking for is now in the second prince¡¯s residence.¡±
Madam Zhang: ¡°!¡±
The people around them all seemed to be choked by their necks,pletely silent, and once again startled by Qin Jiu¡¯s words.
What did Third Miss Qin just say?!
These people feel that the plot of today¡¯s y were simply full of twists and turns with so many climaxes causing their brains to overloaded.
Qin Jiu looked at Madam Zhang with a smile, her eyes were clear and bright.
Ten years ago, after Li Jinzhu and Zhao Aman sent Qin Xin to the Marquis Mansion, in order to prevent the secret from being discovered, the original owner has lived as Qin Xin, who was the legal daughter of the Li¡¯s, for the past ten years, all information about her, even the registration was under Qin Xin.
Therefore, Qin Jiu firmly believes that this bride price letter and Geng Tie must be consistent with the household registration.
Since Qin Xin was so ¡°interested¡± in the Xu family¡¯s mother and son, then this mother and son should be given back to Qin Xin.
After a brief surprise, Xu momo and Du Ruo also regained their senses.
Although they didn¡¯t know Qin Xin¡¯s legitimate birth date, it was different for Qin Jiu, they know which year, month, and day she was born. The birth date written on the bride price letter was two months older than Qin Jiu¡¯s, so this must be Qin Xin¡¯s correct birthdate.
Qin Jiu remained smiling as she repeated to Madam Zhang, ¡°Madam Zhang, the person on your bride price letter is now the second prince¡¯s concubine.¡±
Madam Zhang was still a little confused, and murmured suspiciously, ¡°I found the wrong person?¡±
With how convincing and unwavering Qin Jiu¡¯s words were, Madam Zhang felt a bit uncertain, not to mention, she also felt that the Qin Jiu in front of her didn¡¯t seem to be quite the Li Erya she had met in Jiangyu County.
From what she remembered, Li Erya was half-head shorter than the noble purpled-clothed girl in front of her, also Li Erya¡¯s skin was dark and yellow, she was also timid and no matter how her appearance or temperament changed, this one in front of her was apletely different person.
Madam Zhang¡¯s heart was filled with uncertainty.
The letter they received stated that Li Erya was now wealthy and recognized as the marquis young miss, moreover, she also obtained a great marriage. The letter also gave them Li Erya¡¯s address.
That¡¯s right, that letter clearly said it was here.
¡°Yes, you¡¯re looking for the wrong person.¡± Qin Jiu nodded with certainty and ¡®kindly¡¯ pointed Madam Zhang in the right direction, ¡°The second prince¡¯s residence is on Dasun Street, south of the city.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t make trouble in here, or else, don¡¯t me me for reporting it to the officials.¡± Qin Jiu casually stroked her sleeve.
Meanwhile, the servant quickly led the horse and handed them over to the steward. The chief steward immediately got on his horse, cupped his hand, and said, ¡°Third Miss Qin, I¡¯m going to Jiangzhao right now.¡±
¡°Wait!¡± Madam Zhang was frightened and hurriedly tried to call out to the Steward, and then put the bride price letter in front of Qin Jiu, ¡°Is this really not your birth date?¡±
Qin Jiu said calmly, ¡°I was born in the seventh month of the year, and I haven¡¯t reached my hairpin ceremony yet*.¡±
(*marriageable age, 15 years old)
Madam Zhang stared nkly at Qin Jiu¡¯s hairstyle then a thought woke her, suddenly everything became clearer and she finally understood.
That¡¯s right, Li Erya must have moved!
Didn¡¯t someone say just now that the brothers and sister of the Qin family were kicked out of the Marquis¡¯s house by their uncle not long ago? Perhaps they moved in after Li Erya moved out.
It was all because of the unclear writing in the letter which caused them to find the wrong person.
So, it turned out that the Li couple sent Li Erya to be a concubine at the Second Prince¡¯s residence, indeed, they really flew up to the branch to be a phoenix.
Just like the saying, porcin does not touch rotten tiles.
They were the rotten tiles, and Qin Xin was porcin, as long as they, the mother and son go to the second prince¡¯s residence to make a fuss, surely for his reputation, the second prince would not mind giving them little benefits to shut their mouths.
And maybe, he could give her husband an official position!
The more Madam Zhang thought about it, the more she couldn¡¯t wait and visit the second prince¡¯s residence. She immediately grabbed her foolish son, and said with a smile to Qin Jiu, ¡°Aiya, this girl, it¡¯s all because I was confused and actually got the wrong person!
***
Chapter 345
Chapter 345
¡°I¡¯m leaving now, I¡¯m leaving! Young Miss, no need to report to the authorities!¡±
Once Madam Zhang admitted her mistake, this farce finally settled down.
The onlookers, on the other hand, were still unsatisfied and continued whispering, reluctant to disperse.
¡°Aiyo, so it¡¯s the wrong person.¡± A middle-aged woman with a round figure flung her handkerchief and sighed, ¡°I told you, I heard that this girl from the Qin House is the future County Princess, such a high-ranking person, how could she be engaged to a fool!¡±
¡°Speaking of which, Third Miss Qin¡¯s temper is really good, if it were someone else, she would have beaten them away long ago.¡±
¡°Maybe they will even trick people into the house and give them a beating and kill them.¡±
The people talk more and more enthusiastically and praised Qin Jiu¡¯s demeanor, they even forgot that Xu Jinpeng was punched by Qin Zeyu three times.
A middle-aged woman spoke kindly to Madam Zhang and said, ¡°Madam Zhang, you are so presumptuous and disrespectful. Really¡ ai, fortunately, Third Miss Qin didn¡¯t pursue it! Now that you understand the matter, you should quickly go find your daughter-inw who has been engaged to your son.¡±
¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Several more people in the crowd chimed in.
Madam Zhang nodded repeatedly, ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. Fortunately, Third Miss Qin did not pursue the matter.¡±
When Xu Jinpeng heard ¡®daughter-inw¡¯, he got excited again and pulled Madam Zhang¡¯s sleeve, he said, ¡°Betrothal, daughter-inw! Mother, where is my wife?¡±
Madam Zhang grabbed her foolish son¡¯s hand as she said, ¡°Let¡¯s go, your mother will take you to find a wife!¡±
The Zhang¡¯s mother and son left, and so were those onlookers just now but some troublemakers simply followed Madam Zhang and her son to the second prince¡¯s residence.
In no time, the front door of the Qin mansion waspletely quiet, leaving only Qin Jiu and Qin Zeyu.
Xu momo stared at Qin Jiu in a daze, her eyes only filled with admiration.
Amazing!
Third Miss Qin¡¯s method of diverting disasters to the east was really too amazing!
Originally, Xu momo thought that Qin Jiu would really report them to the authorities, and if this happened, she would have left Third Miss Qin in the mansion, while she herself would go to the court and discuss with Madam Zhang, this street shrew. She was afraid that without them going to the court, the whole capital would gossip over this.
Scandal like this was not good for women no matter when, it would just make women suffer.
Unexpectedly, Third Miss Qin takes advantage of the situation and uses small force to ovee great force, so lightly and skillfully. Now, everyone knows that this foolish mother and son from the countryside had found the wrong person and the right one was someone else.
But Qin Xin and the second prince¡
Xu momo slightly frowned as she listened to Qin Jiu saying, ¡°Daguan, you should report to the officials.¡±
Xu momo, ¡°???¡±
Qin Jiu smilingly continued, ¡°After you go to Jingzhao, tell them that someone is making trouble in front of the second prince¡¯s residence¡.¡± she paused before meaningfully added, ¡°Be clever.¡±
Squinting her eyes, Qin Jiu leisurely entered the Qin mansion. Du Ruo looked at her young miss¡¯s smiling side profile and thought she was like a nine-tailed fox.
Xu momo took a step behind Qin Jiu and whispered, ¡°Is it really Qin Xin?¡±
Xu momo used a questioning tone but her expression was so resolute.
Qin Jiu nodded.
She was very certain of this and knew that someone had specifically gone to Jiangyu County to inform them and called them to the capital. She also knew what role Qin Xin yed in this.
Next, it¡¯s time for her to apany them and have fun.
Qin Jiu pursed her cherry lips as a gleam shed across her eyes, and did not say anymore.
Qin Zeyu, who was following behind, remained silent and looked at the slender figure of Qin Jiu ahead, his eyes flickered.
Their eldest brother never told him that their third sister was almost married to a fool. Thinking of the fool who would giggle and salivate just now, Qin Zeyu felt as if his heart had been crushed by a huge stone.
Although his third sister was always fierce, Qin Zeyu was not someone who doesn¡¯t know the severity of the situation just now. He also knows that his third sister was really good to him.
The scenes since Qin Jiu returned to the capital shed quickly before Qin Zeyu¡¯s eyes.
His third sister¡¯s kindness to him waspletely different from Qin Xin¡¯s.
At this very moment, Qin Zeyu¡¯s mood was very calm. He knew that his third sister would not just talk nonsense.
If she says it¡¯s Qin Xin, then it¡¯s Qin Xin.
Qin Zeyu stopped before the threshold and suddenly said, ¡°I want to go and have a look.¡±
Qin Jiu also paused when he heard Qin Zeyu, and turned her head towards him. Although Qin Zeyu was unclear, she understood what he meant and said, ¡°Go if you want to.¡±
Qin Zeyu: ¡°¡¡±
Qin Zeyu looked at Qin Jiu withplicated eyes. Wasn¡¯t she even worried that it might alert Qin Xin?
His gaze was too obvious, Qin Jiu took a step back, crossed the threshold, and raised her hand to pat his head. ¡°Go ahead,¡± she said
She tried to hold back her smile and swallowed the three words ¡°Pikachu¡±.
Qin Zeyu: ¡°???¡±
He always felt that his sister was thinking about something that he couldn¡¯t understand.
Since Qin Jiu allowed him to, Qin Zeyu went.
The Zhang mother and son went there on foot, and along the way, there were ¡°kind-hearted people¡± who showed them the way. Not a single stick of incenseter, this group of people arrived in front of the Second Prince¡¯s Residence in a grand manner.
Qin Zeyu went there on horseback, so he was only a cup of tea behind the Zhang mother and son. When he arrived, there were more people in front of the Second Prince¡¯s mansionpare to their Qin mansion before, it seems that the Zhang mother and son who were walking towards the second prince¡¯s residence attracted more onlookers.
At this moment, Madam Zhang was holding her silly son there crying and shouting.
¡°Li Erya,e out! I know you¡¯re in there!¡±
***
Chapter 346
Chapter 346
¡°Even if you change your surname to Qin now, you will still be Li Erya. You are my son¡¯s betrothed who has yet to passed the door, and these are clearly written in the bride price, I also have the Geng Tie. Don¡¯t try to renege on it!¡±
Madam Zhang had made a scene at the Qin Mansion before, and since this was her second time, she already has the experience. So, this time she howled louder than the first as she urged her son Xu Jinpeng to call his wife repeatedly.
The people who parade with her as they walked toward to the second prince¡¯s residence were watching with excitement, all of them had this bright glint in their eyes, after all, it hadn¡¯t been so ¡°lively¡± in the capital for a long time.
¡°Qin?¡± A middle-aged woman in the crowd muttered thoughtfully, and curiously asked a young woman next to her, ¡°Sister, is the Qin that woman and her foolish son mentioned, the same Qin that we know?¡±
¡°Who else could it be unless that one?¡± The young woman curled her lips mockingly at the middle-aged woman.
The people around them who heard this also smiled meaningfully.
The scandalous stories about the Second Prince and his newly appointed concubine spread widely in the capital, and even they had heard of them.
A man with a mustache touched his beard and spoke convincingly, ¡°I just mentioned it at the Qin Mansion, and I will again, this mother and son must have found the wrong person. They must be looking for the Second Prince¡¯s concubine. That amorousdy was said to have done the deed with the second prince before she was even carried through the door!¡±
¡°Think about it, the second prince has just left the pce and opened his own mansion, so why would he be so eager to carry someone in, there is only most likely one reason¡¡±
He didn¡¯t say anything further, but most of them understood his meaning. Obviously, the second prince wouldn¡¯t be able to hide the stomach from growing, so he couldn¡¯t wait for his concubine to be carried into his residence.
Meanwhile, when Qin Zeyu arrived, he saw the Zhang mother and son already making trouble so he didn¡¯t go any further and just watched from a distance.
The greatmotion outside the mansion naturally rmed the people inside, and the gatekeeper immediately sent a servant to report the matter to Gu Jing.
As the servant reported the ruckus outside, she didn¡¯t dare to look at her master¡¯s face at all. It would always be unbearable for any man to know that their woman was having entanglements with other men.
¡°¡¡¡± Gu Jing¡¯splexion was cloudy and vague, as his right hand tightly gripped the armrest of the chair.
Qin Xin on the side, also naturally heard the servant¡¯s report which widened her eyes in disbelief, and froze for a moment.
¡°!!!¡±
How did the Zhang mother and son find her?!
Qin Xin tightly clenched her handkerchief as her eyes flickered.
Since she entered the Second Prince¡¯s Mansion, others have watched her lead a luxurious life, but in fact, she knows to herself that she was like a canary confined in a bird cage, bound from freedom.
She could only be trapped in the second mansion without any eyes and ears outside, disabling her from all the information and happenings, so obviously this came as a shock to her when she heard that the Zhang mother and son arrived at the capital but why were theying for her, and even kept talking that she was betrothed to that fool!
Qin Xin looked at Gu Jing, whose face was as heavy as water, with a thumping sensation in her heart, she felt unusually panicked.
She subconsciously hid her hand on her sleeves as she bit her lower lip, she wanted to speak but didn¡¯t dare to say anything at the end.
Her silence in Gu Jing¡¯s eyes seems to be like pouring fuel on the fire, and this evil fire in his heart suddenly rushed straight to his brain, burning him out of his reason.
He grabbed the teacup in his hand and threw it at her fiercely, questioning, ¡°Have you ever been engaged to someone?¡±
The teacup brushed against Qin Xin¡¯s sleeve and hit the wall behind with a ¡°ng¡± sound, the cup shattered, and the hot tea inside sttered everywhere, sshing along the tea on Qin Xin¡¯s skirt and shoes.
¡°¡¡¡± Qin Xin shrank in fear, her pretty face was tragically white as she looked at Gu Jing in front of her, simply not recognizing this man. Was this still the second prince who used to be so considerate to her?
Gu Jing added: ¡°Speak!¡±
Qin Xin was startled, like a frightened little rabbit.
She bit her lower lip again and shook her head, saying, ¡°Your Highness, the one who is engaged to that fool is not me, but that Qin Jiu.¡±
Gu Jing: ¡°¡¡±
Qin Xin¡¯s hands, hidden in her sleeves, clenched into fists in fear. ¡°I really can¡¯t stand the fact that Chenjun has been ostracizing His Highness, so I want to teach them a lesson for the injustice he had done to Your Highness.¡±
¡°I heard that Qin Jiu was engaged to the Xu family in her hometown before, so I managed to call that fool and his mother to the capital and want them to go to the Qin mansion to make a scene. Qin Jiu is the future Princess of Chenjun, if she lost her face, then Gu Zezhi will be criticized by others.¡±
¡°Your Highness, I¡¯m doing this all for you.¡±
¡°I was thinking that if this scandal gets bigger, it can attract the attention of themon people and they will stop staring at you. Your Highness, this is also killing two birds with one stone.¡±
Qin Xin¡¯s hands hidden under her sleeves were clenched even tighter as her body also tenses up, and felt the scalded foot was burning and hurting more making her want to scream but dare not to.
Gu Jing: ¡°¡¡±
Gu Jing stared at Qin Xin silently, his eyes darkened like a vulture staring at its prey.
Qin Xin shrank back, feeling a bit scared.
Not only she was afraid but so were the servants who were around them, the servants who serve them closely knew that since the second prince was stabbed, he was like a different person.
A young maidservant carefully served another cup of tea to Gu Jing, then retreated again silently.
¡°Then how did this happen?! Why are this mother and son here?!¡± Gu Jing asked every word colder than the first as he stared at Qin Xin.
Qin Xin: ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±
Her voice gets softer and softer.
Qin Xin really doesn¡¯t know. She could only guess her parents had brought the wrong news to the Xu family.
With this in thought, Qin Xin looked at Gu Jing with a hint of fear and pleading in her eyes.
***
Chapter 347
Chapter 347
Gu Jing fell silent and just picked up the new teacup that was served, on the other hand, Qin Xin was so scared that her body slightly trembled, and did not dare to move.
After Gu Jing took a sip of hot tea, he put down the tea cup and ordered, ¡°Bring that mother and son in!¡±
¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± The young servant hastily carries out the order and quickly left the room.
The servant who left in a hurry also came back in a hurry, but this time, the servant¡¯s face was a little stiff as he bowed and said, ¡°Your Highness, the mother, and son refused toe in with this servant.¡± Too many people were watching outside, and the servant does not dare to force Madam Zhang and her son, so he could only return empty-handed.
Just as these words fell, the temperature in the room suddenly plummeted, as if it had suddenly entered cold autumn in early summer.
Qin Xin: ¡°¡¡±
Gu Jing¡¯splexion darkened again. He had originally intended to say that since this was a trouble Qin Xin had caused then let her solve it herself, however, when the words came to his lips, he hesitated.
Everyone in the capital knew that he held Qin Xin in the palm of his hand and if he just leaves it like this, letting Qin Xin go out alone, what would others think?!
Gu Jing quickly stood up and casually dusted off his robe as he said coldly, ¡°I¡¯ll go out and take a look, youe with me.¡±
The ¡°you¡± that he said obviously refers to Qin Xin.
Qin Xin didn¡¯t dare say no to Gu Jing and hurriedly followed, following the same footsteps as if she was Gu Jing¡¯s shadow.
Before they reached the gate, they could already hear a woman¡¯s sharp scream from afar. ¡°I have the bride price letter!¡±
¡°This country hasws, even the second prince can¡¯t just snatch other people¡¯s betrothed!¡±
As Qin Xin continued to follow Gu Jing to the gate, she immediately saw Madam Zhang waving the bride price letter brashly.
Madam Zhang also saw Gu Jing and Qin Xin, the man was dressed in an apricot yellow prince¡¯s robe, looking tall and handsome with an air of an extraordinary noble who look like he was out for a leisurely stroll in his courtyard.
But Madam Zhang didn¡¯t dare to look at Gu Jing too much, and instead, her gaze fell on Qin Xin who was behind him, and immediately her eyes lit up.
The youngdy was not only beautiful but she could also see her simrities to Zhao Aman, their eyebrows were the same especially the shape of the eyes and mouth, the only difference, Zhao Aman was a lot fatter than her so her facial features appear rounder. On the other hand, her daughter was fairer and the makeup she was wearing was making her look more delicate, also the clothes and jewelry on her body were not ordinary, even the county magistrate¡¯s wife was not as well dressed as her.
No wonder the letter says that Li Erya was now rich!
Madam Zhang¡¯s memory of Li Erya was already blurred, but now that she saw Qin Xin, she was convinced she found her.
Sure enough, she made a mistake earlier. This one in front of her was Li Erya, the Li Erya in the bride price and her daughter-inw, she finally found the right person this time.
Madam Zhang¡¯s face was filled with joy as she excitedly took a few steps closer to Qin Xin and yelled eagerly, ¡°Daughter-inw! Your mother-inw finally found you!¡±
Xu Jinpeng followed suit like a parrot, ¡°Wife! Wife!¡±
Qin Xin: ¡°!¡±
Qin Xin¡¯splexion ckened visibly to the naked eyes.
She didn¡¯t dare to look at Gu Jing¡¯s face at all, and coldly red at the vulgar Madam Zhang, questioning, ¡°How dare youe to the royal residence to cause trouble? What is your intention!¡±
¡°This is the Prince¡¯s Mansion, there¡¯s no one here you¡¯re looking for!¡±
Qin Xin repeatedly emphasized that Madam Zhang was in the Prince¡¯s Mansion and not the Qin Residence, as if telling her that she should go to the Qin residence to find Qin Jiu.
However, in Madam Zhang¡¯s ears, she only hears Qin Xin deliberately using the prince status to suppress, and scare her!
Though she has to say, Li Erya was right especially now that she has climbed to such high position as the second prince concubine so how could she admit being betrothed to her son! However, if Li Erya wants to drive her and son her son away with just these few words, she better not underestimate her, Madam Zhang.
¡°Daughter-inw, you are clearly the daughter-inw that I have set for our Jinpeng.¡± Madam Zhang cried and howled, ¡°Even if you turn into ashes, I will still recognize you.¡±
When Madam Zhang shouted this, the people watching the show were also in an uproar. This was what they want to confirm, the second prince concubine was the Miss Qin who was betrothed to the fool!
Madam Zhang then said without hesitation, ¡°Daughter-inw, I understand, it is the second prince who forcibly snatched women as concubines, right?¡±
¡°Daughter-inw, I know your temperament, you are pure and good-natured. You must not be the kind of person who sells one¡¯s soul for gain and forgets righteousness, if you have any difficulties just tell your mother-inw and this mother-inw will help you.¡±
Madam Zhang readily said each of these words with sincerity for her daughter-inw, while inwardly she was burning with desire.
The letter they received told them that Li Erya was adopted by the Marquis and had a good marriage in the capital, but she didn¡¯t expect it to be such a great marriage.
No wonder, no wonder Zhao Aman and her husband would rather kill and run away than have the marriage!
Ai, those two were not thinking right at all, why bother killing!
As the saying goes, people go to high ces, water flows to low ces*.
(people always climb up, rush to high ces, and yearn for a better life while the habit of water is to flow to low ces)
Li Erya has such good fortune, it was fate, and it was a blessing cultivated in her previous life. And their Xu family was not unreasonable people as long as they talk and give them enough benefits, they would of course not force Li Erya to marry into their family. Given the Xu family¡¯s status in Jiangyu County, if they spend a little money, they could always find another girl suitable for Jinpeng to be his wife.
Thinking back, Madam Zhang¡¯s face did not dare to show any weakness at all, afraid that Qin Xin wouldn¡¯t admit it. And as soon as she sat down on the ground, she cried, howled, and spat, ¡°Lang Lang Qiankun1, second prince seizes ¡õ ¡õ2, is there still justice in this world? Injustice!¡±
(1desribe the political rity and peace, 2raw is just ¡õ ¡õ)
Hearing Madam Zhang¡¯s shout of injustice, Gu Jing¡¯s face became increasingly ugly, and ordered the guards, ¡°Someone, beat them out.¡±
When Gu Jing left the pce to establish himself, the emperor did not give him guards so he bought young men andter let them act as bodyguards.
The guards immediately carried the order and pressed forward toward Madam Zhang coldly and aggressively.
Madam Zhang felt uneasy but, on the surface, she still looked like she was ready for anything like a dead pig not afraid of boiling water. Sitting on the ground, she howled once again, ¡°They¡¯re going to kill me, they are murdering people just to shut my mouth!¡±
¡°Everyone, see this, the noble prince is bullying usmoners!¡±
¡°Jinpeng, your mother is useless, I can¡¯t even keep your wife.¡±
Madam Zhang howled louder and louder making all the onlookers watch with interest, thinking that this y was too good of a show, even more exciting than those performed by the actors in the theater.
***
Chapter 348
Chapter 348
Several men in the crowd seize Qin Xin up and down with strange looked in their eyes, from her smooth, beautiful face to her slender neck all the way down but their eyes linger a little longer on her protruding breast and slender waist while also thinking about the various scandalous rumors of the second prince and her.
A short and fat man sighed with envy, ¡°The second prince¡¯s beloved concubine is indeed a peerless beauty. She is still young now, but in a few years, she will definitely be more charming. No wonder she can marry into two families.¡±
¡°Indeed!¡± Another man echoed, ¡°You also have to think about it, this majestic second prince has seen countless beautiful women, but if she catches the second prince¡¯s eye and treasures her, she is indeed an absolutely stunningly beautiful woman!¡±
The more these men talk the livelier the surrounding became, meanwhile, Qin Zeyu who was among the crowd, silently watched the scene as his eyes darkened.
If it weren¡¯t for his sister¡¯s quick response, she would be the one who would suffer in this dilemma now.
Whether he ordered the mother and son to be beaten away, or brought to talk to them into the mansion, it would still attract all kinds of spection from these passersby, and once these rumors spread, they would only be more and more outrageous.
And it would always be the woman who would suffer!
Concurrently, when Xu Jinpeng heard that his wife was going to die, he became anxious and shouted, ¡°Wife, I want wife!¡± He then madly rushed towards Qin Xin, trying to pull her sleeve, ¡°Wife,e home with me!¡±
Ever since Qin Xin was reborn, she had been living a life of luxury and wealth in the Marquis mansion and never encountered such a demeaning scene in her life, so seeing the fooling at her, herplexion contort as she shrieked in contempt and took several steps back.
Gu Jing hurriedly embraced Qin Xin¡¯s slender shoulders and soothed her with a soft voice, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid.¡±
Qin Xin¡¯s body slightly trembled, looking very pitiful.
Fearing that this fool would offend the Second Prince, the guards no longer paid attention to Madam Zhang and quickly grabbed Xu Jinpeng. One guard grabbed Xu Jinpeng¡¯s right arm while the other one grabbed his left arm, preventing him from going further.
The captain guard coldly said, ¡°This is the Second Prince Mansion, not a ce where you can act unruly and cause trouble! If you don¡¯t leave, don¡¯t me us for being impolite¡±
Seeing that her son was being restrained, Madam Zhang got anxious and immediately jump up from the ground and waived the bride price again, ¡°Whose causing trouble! I just want my daughter-inw back!¡±
¡°I have the bride price letter to prove it.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t care if my daughter-inw is spoiled*, anyway, we country people doesn¡¯t really care about that, after all, it¡¯s not easy to save some money for a daughter-inw, as long as the second prince returns the person to us.¡±
(*not virgin)
Feeling disgraced, Gu Jing¡¯s eyes were as cold as a bottomless pool but with so many people watching, he could only suppress his anger.
¡°Xin¡¯er, it¡¯s okay.¡± He spoke warmly and soothingly as he wrapped his arms around Qin Xin.
Qin Xin felt a paining from her shoulder and was even more frightened, her face was paler, looking even more delicate.
She could only brace herself as she denied Madam Zhang, ¡°The person on that bride price is not me!¡±
¡°Not you?¡± Madam Zhangughed mockingly and announced Qin Xin¡¯s birth date and eight characters again, ¡°Li Erya, Xinchou, eight characters is Jiawu, Gengchen, and Jimao.¡±
Qin Xin: ¡°!!!¡±
Others may not know whose eight characters those belong to, but Qin Xin herself knows these too well, causing her eyes to slightly shrank.
She and Qin Jiu were only two months apart when they were young, so they were raised as twins in the Li family, and each had their own household registration. Later, she was picked up by the Marquis¡¯ servants, and ignorantly the household registration her parents gave to her was Qin Jiu¡¯s!
Qin Xin, of course, could not admit it, biting the bullet, she said, ¡°This is not my eight characters!¡±
¡°Don¡¯t just take bride price and point it at me.¡±
Qin Xin raised her chin higher, and higher as she assured herself that no one could prove that these eight characters were hers.
¡°Captain Li, this is a prince¡¯s mansion, and it¡¯s not good to have just anyone make a scene here! Beat these two away!¡± Qin Xin pointed at Madam Zhang and her son in a condescending manner, and order the chief guard in a cold voice.
She inwardly felt both ashamed, angry, and resentful, feeling that the onlookers around were pointing at her making her wish to dig a hole in the ground and hide there. So, right now she just wants to get rid of the Xu mother and son quickly, and then make another long-term n this time.
The guards immediately dragged Xu Jinpeng to the street while thetter struggled and loudly called his mother, Madam Zhang, on the other hand, got really worried seeing how the scene unfold and hurriedly chased her son as she pulled the guards and shouted again, ¡°Murderer! Let go of my son right now! Let go of him!¡±
Amidst the uproar, a group of government officials ran towards the cause of themotion, it was the officials from Jingzhao who came.
The bantou* and government guards hurriedly came to bow to Gu Jing, the bantou said, ¡°Your Highness the Second Prince, someone went to Jingzhao to report to the magistrate just now, saying that there is amotion here. Lord Hu ordered us toe and take a look.¡±
(*leader of the servants in the yamen)
As soon as Madam Zhang saw the bantou, as if seeing a savior, she immediately shouted, ¡°Righteous official, we are not making any trouble. We are only here to take my son¡¯s wife.¡±
¡°The son of heavenmits the same crime as themon people, how can he deny it now, can a prince forcibly rob themon¡¯s people¡¯s wife?¡±
The bantou felt his head was going to explode, especially since this involves the second prince so they don¡¯t want to make this matter big, but this boorish country woman was simply seeking death, doesn¡¯t she want to live?
At this time, the government guards were not idle either, they began to drive the people watching the excitement away when a thirty-six- or thirty-seven-year-old man wearing a brocade robe suddenly squeezed out of the crowd and shouted, ¡°Excuse me, please excuse me!¡± with a look of anxiety.
¡°Jinpeng¡¯s mother, so you¡¯ve brought Jinpeng here.¡± Master Xu rushed towards Madam Zhang¡¯s side, and almost immediately the couple quietly exchange nces.
Madam Zhang put on an expression as if she has been caught while Master Xu put on a scolding face and deliberately reprimanded Madam Zhang, ¡°This is a private matter, what are you doing causing trouble, and have everyone know this? Don¡¯t you think it is not embarrassing enough?!¡±
He then cupped his fist at the bantou and politely said , ¡°Official, my surname is Xu and this is my wife and my son. Ai, I¡¯m sorry to have disturbed you and the second prince.¡± As he said this, he secretly stuffed a few notes* to the bantou with his sleeve, and continued, ¡°I believe this is only a small matter that we can talk about and there is no need to bother anyone. I think there must be some ¡°misunderstanding¡¯ that we can just clear up.¡±
(*money)
On the surface, it may look like he was saying this to the bantou but in fact this was said to Gu Jing.
Hearing Master Xu¡¯s meaningful words, Gu Jing¡¯s brows twitched.
So, this Xu family was only seeking some benefits.
***
Chapter 349
Chapter 349
Gu Jing also doesn¡¯t want to cause trouble, regardless of whether this matter was justifiable or not, in the end, it would be him who would lose face. If it reaches his emperor father¡¯s ears, he may be even more dissatisfied with him so why not spend a little money to eliminate this kind of disaster and settle the matter.
Gu Jing faintly said, ¡°Perhaps there is some ¡®misunderstanding¡¯.¡±
Master Xu and Madam Zhang were relieved when they heard these words.
Sure enough, how could a nobleman like the second prince expose his dirty linen outside and be seen as a joke.
The bantou didn¡¯t oppose with these either and in fact, was eager to settle this matter. To him, it doesn¡¯t matter what really happened, and doesn¡¯t really care whether Qin Xin was once betrothed to this fool, as long as this matter doesn¡¯t get too big.
Seeing that the people who were watching the excitement had almost dispersed, the bantou was about to call his subordinates to leave when another yamen came running, panting, he called out. ¡°Bantou, bantou!¡±
The yamen quickly ran to the bantou¡¯s side and whispered a few words into his ears.
The bantou¡¯splexion immediately changed, and his expression toward Qin Xin became extremely subtle. He ordered his subordinates, ¡°Bring the Xu family back to Jingzhao.¡±
¡°¡.¡±
¡°¡¡¡±
Both Master Xu and Madam Zhang were dumbfounded, not understanding how the bantou change his mind that quickly and became hostile.
The bantou bowed to Gu Jing in embarrassment and said, ¡°Your Highness, the second prince, I¡¯m afraid your family¡¯s Madam Qin will have to apany me to Jingzhao. Lord Hu said that a case requires Madam Qin to attend the court.¡±
Hearing this, Qin Xin was both rmed and ashamed. She was rmed because the bantou proposed to take her to Jingzhao, and ashamed because she was just a concubine now, even a mere bantou dared to call her Madam Qin.
Gu Jing¡¯s expression also slightly changed, and naturally he couldn¡¯t just let the bantou take Qin Xin away like this. He hugged Qin Xin¡¯s shoulders even tighter and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go with her.¡± Looking very affectionate.
Madam Zhang noisily argued, ¡°Why are you taking us to Jingzhao? We didn¡¯t break thew!¡±
¡°Let go of us!¡±
But no matter how Madam Zhang mored, the three of them couldn¡¯t resist a government official, so they were all brought to Jingzhao.
Inparison, Qin Xin¡¯s treatment was much better than that of the Xu¡¯s. She arrived in a carriage with Gu Jing, but the two never talked along the way.
Uneasiness invaded Qin Xin¡¯s mind as the road toward Jingzhao was enveloped in silence and her mood became more and more intense as if she was running in the dark forest and there was some unknown beast chasing her from behind that she could even hear the sound of the beast roaring in her ears.
She arrived at Jingzhao restless.
The public hall was shrouded in a solemn and civil atmosphere.
The capital magistrate sat on the high hall, with his yamen holding sticks on both sides, and a familiar man kneeling on the ground below, wearing heavy shackles on his hands and feet.
Qin Xin instantly recognized the man, it was her biological father, Li Jinzhu.
What the heck was going on here?
Qin Xin subconsciously wanted to call her dad but held back.
¡°Da¡¡± The terrified Li Jinzhu saw Qin Xining and wanted to call his daughter as if grabbing a piece of driftwood.
But Qin Xing secretly wink at him, so he had to stop and closed his mouth again, not daring to let out the word ¡°ya¡±.
The three members of the Xu family were allmoners, so they all knelt on the ground, however the foolish, Xu Jinpeng, didn¡¯t know what was going on and stupidly asked. ¡°Father, Mother, when are we going to bring my wife home?¡±
Master Xu felt uneasy, wishing he could sew his son¡¯s mouth, he scolded. ¡°Shut up.¡±
¡°Marquis, this way please.¡±
Outside the public hall, another unfamiliar male voice could be heard, Qin Xin looked back and saw that Qin Zhun seem to have also been invited by the magistrate.
By this time, there were already many people surrounding the Jingzhao public hall, after knowing that the magistrate opened the public hall they all rushed to watch the excitement and in a short time, they surrounded the gate tightly making it difficult for people to move.
It was the yamen¡¯s cold voice who reprimanded them that made these gossipers retreat to both sides and make way for Qin Zhun.
Qin Zhun¡¯splexion doesn¡¯t look good either, he has never been in a public court for the past thirty years of his life, it seems that this year was simply unlucky. In just a few months, it was the second time he has been to the court of Jingzhao.
Enduring the displeasure he felt, Qin Zhun curtsied to Gu Jing first, while Qin Xin acknowledge Qin Zhun as she calls him in a loud voice, ¡°Father.¡±
The magistrate didn¡¯t dare to put on any official authority in front of the second prince, so after some courtesies, he politely said, ¡°This official has received a case of a woman promising two marriages, so the relevant people were all called out here today.¡±
He first looked at Master Xu and asked, ¡°Mister Xu, has your son been engaged to a girl from the Li family?¡±
Master Xu was just an ordinarymoner, and when faced with people who have an oppressing presence, he long trembled in panic. He honestly nodded repeatedly, ¡°Yes, yes, Your Excellency, I¡ this poormoner still have a bride price letter and geng tie as evidence.¡±
Master Xu red at Madam Zhang as he urged, ¡°Hurry up and take out the bride price letter and geng tie.¡±
For Madam Zhang, the bride price letter and geng tie were like keys to their Xu family¡¯s wealth, so she has always kept them close to her and dare not let others keep them. Hearing her husband, she immediately presented it to the bantou.
The magistrate shifted his gaze to the left and asked Li Jinzhu with a dignified expression, ¡°Li Jinzhu, have you ever promised your only daughter to the Xu family?¡±
Li Jinzhu replied in a trembling voice, ¡°My lord, yes.¡±
The magistrate instructed his subordinates to bring out a household register and asked Li Jinzhu to confirm, ¡°Are the name and birth date on this register your daughter¡¯s?¡±
Li Jinzhu nodded, ¡°Yes, my lord.¡±
***
Chapter 350
Chapter 350
Watching this scene, Qin Xin¡¯s heart gradually sank, feeling as if she was soaking in the cold swamp, she wanted to speak, but couldn¡¯t make a sound.
The magistrate personallypared the household registration, geng tie, and the bride price letter, and confirmed that they were the same person.
Master Xu was afraid that his family would be ckmailed by the government so he said anxiously, ¡°Lord, this poormoner is a good citizen, ah, back then when we propose the marriage with the Li family, we followed the rules. This poormoner had a¡¡± he wanted to say that there was a matchmaker, however, it suddenly urred to him that the matchmaker was dead, so he changed his words and continued, ¡°The rtives and friends in my hometown are the witnesses.¡±
Madam Zhang on the side frequently nodded, after being scolded by the government official, she knew how to shut her mouth.
The magistrate asked Li Jinzhu again, ¡°Is Li Erya written on the household registration, geng tie, and bride price letter your only daughter?¡±
Li Jinzhu: ¡°Yes, my lord.¡±
Other than ¡°yes¡±, he could not say any other answer.
The magistrate continued, ¡°Li Jinzhu, then who is this Li Erya, your only daughter?¡±
¡°¡¡¡± Li Jinzhu shrank his neck and subconsciously turned his head to look at Qin Xin.
Meanwhile, Qin Xin¡¯s face was three times paler, as pale as the white wall.
While Qin Zhun¡¯s back was covered in a cold sweat as he hurriedly wanted to smooth things out, ¡°Lord Hu¡¡±
¡°Tak!¡±
The magistrate heavily knocked the gravel, interrupting Qin Zhun, ¡°Order in the court, no noise allowed in the public hall!¡±
Li Jinzhu was sent to Jingzhao by the Five Cities Army and Horse Division. Since hemitted the crime of murder and escape, ording to thew, he should be sent back to Jiangyu County for trial but Pei Qi stopped the magistrate and told him not to send him away in a hurry, and said this in a very meaningful way.
The magistrate wanted to ask why but Pei Qi kept silent and only gave him a household registration from Jiangyu County.
Not long after, someone came to report that someone was causing trouble in the second prince¡¯s mansion, saying that the second prince forcibly robbed the other man¡¯s wife so he instructed his bantou to go over there but not even a whileter Eunuch Zhou from the emperor¡¯s pce came and delivered the emperor¡¯s oral order¡
This case must be tried today and get a result, only then he could exin to the emperor.
The magistrate didn¡¯t even look at Qin Zhun and asked Li Jinzhu once again, ¡°Li Jinzhu, who is your only daughter Li Erya? Is she in the hall?¡±
Li Jinzhu: ¡°¡¡¡±
Li Jinzhu was both flustered and confused, he waspletely disoriented.
He and Zhao Aman were fugitives, fearing that they would be too conspicuous if they acted together, they often left separately. So today, they went on separate ways entering the capital, but who would have thought that he would be arrested by a soldier as soon as he entered the city gate.
Going back, Lin Jinzhu naturally couldn¡¯t bring out his biological daughter, and besides, this marriage was originally arranged for Erya, if Erya didn¡¯t run away, this series of events wouldn¡¯t happen at all!
The more Lin Jinzhu thought about this the more hatred he felt, with gritted teeth he said, ¡°Lord, my daughter is not in the public hall, my daughter was picked up by the Qin family, and is now living in the Qin mansion¡¡±
¡°Pak!¡±
The magistrate once again mmed the gravel.
¡°Li Jinzhu, it seems that you have no n to confess.¡± The magistrate directly ordered, ¡°Come on, men, beat him.¡±
The yamen rudely kicked Li Jinzhu, thetter screamed and fell to the ground. Then another two yamen holding fenghuo sticks* appeared near him.
(*with a length of one foot and two feet, and it is as thick as a handle)
Qin Xin almost blurted out calling her father again.
Even if she didn¡¯t grow up with her biological parents, Qin Xin still has familial love for them, also in her previous life, the family of four was exiled to Lingnan together and there they survived supporting each other.
Seeing that Li Jinzhu was about to suffer, her heart was anxious and afraid but she couldn¡¯t admit that she was Li Erya, so naturally she couldn¡¯t speak for Li Jinzhu.
Both Qin Zhun and Gu Jing knew that Qin Xin was Li Jinzhu¡¯s biological daughter, so once Li Jinzhu recognized her, the matter about the second prince robbing someone else¡¯s betrothed, and a woman promised to two marriages, they would be theughing stock of everyone in the capital.
So, Gu Jing faintly said. ¡°Lord Hu, you are the dignified magistrate of the capital, why aren¡¯t you solving cases of thieves and robbers, killing and stealing goods from themon people, and doing these trivial matters instead!¡±
As if his que, Qin Zhun once again tried to smooth things out, ¡°Lord Hu, may I dare ask who suing my daughter? This marquis sees that there is probably some kind of misunderstanding, right?¡± At the same time, he gave a wink to Master Xu, telling him to hurry up and deny their im quickly, the matter has be a big deal, and it was no longer beneficial to anyone.
However, Master Xu and Madam Zhang have long been stupefied and didn¡¯t notice Qin Zhun¡¯s wink at all as their gaze was only stered on Li Jinzhu who was lying on the ground, afraid that the next person to be punished would be them.
¡°Beat him!¡± The magistrate said again.
The yamen no longer hesitate after hearing the magistrate¡¯s determined voice and hit Li Jinzhu¡¯s buttocks directly with the fenghuo stick in their hands.
¡°Pak! Pak! Pak!¡±
The sticks came down like raindrops, one stick after another, and it was all a direct hit.
¡°Ouch! Aigoo!¡± Li Jinzhu cried out with a ghostly cry of misery.
After more than a dozen strokes, Li Jinzhu finally couldn¡¯t take it anymore and shouted, ¡°Your Excellency, I confess, confess!¡±
Li Jinzhu shivered in pain, looked up at Qin Xin, and called out in a dumb voice, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s her¡¡±
Qin Xin¡¯s body trembled violently.
Gu Jing¡¯s face was somber as if it was stained with ink, looking really gloomy.
The magistrate made a gesture to stop the beating, and the yamen then roughly pulled Li Jinzhu up from the ground and made him kneel down.
Li Jinzhu breathed heavily and shivered.
Magistrate: ¡°Speak.¡±
Li Jinzhu slowly raised his hand and pointed at Qin Xin, saying, ¡°She is the daughter of this poormoner, Li Erya.¡±
***
Chapter 351
Chapter 351
Qin Xin¡¯s shoulders trembled in shock.
While Gu Jing¡¯s eyes darkened even more as he immediately and coldly said, ¡°Such unruly people, how dare they point at someone¡¯s daughter, beat him to death.¡±
¡°¡¡± Qin Xin¡¯s eyes widened when she heard what Gu Jing said, and wanted to say no but at the moment she was in an extremely chaotic mood. She felt disappointed with her biological father, at the same time panicked at being exposed, and most of all fear, she was afraid of Gu Jing so much that her throat tightened and couldn¡¯t make a sound.
Li Jinzhu looked at Qin Xin as if a bucket of cold water had been poured on his head and his heart went cold, then a chill quickly spread to all his limbs and bones.
The couple gave their hearts and souls for this daughter, risking everything to rece her with Erya, just so that their daughter could have a bright future. They regard this daughter as the jewel in the palm of their hands, but now they were unexpectedly abandoned by their own daughter as if they were nothing.
Li Jinzhu pointed at Qin Xin with trembling hand visible to the naked eye as he shouted again, ¡°It¡¯s her, she¡¯s Daya, she is the only daughter of this poormoner.¡±
Outside the public hall, there was an uproar.
Themon people who were watching the show were pointing their fingers to me Qin Xin as they spiritedly discuss while others still didn¡¯t understand what was going on.
An old woman in gray asked the person beside her, ¡°Isn¡¯t the second prince¡¯s concubine a girl from the Marquis family? How did she be Li¡¯s?¡±
¡°Isn¡¯t that simple?¡± Immediately, someone analyzed it and said with a loud voice with justice in his tone, ¡°It must be because the marquis adopted a poor girl and gave her to the second prince as a concubine!¡±
¡°Who would have thought that this poor girl was already engaged previously by her former family.¡±
These people hearing this exnation either looked at Qin Xin with contempt or with astonishment¡
Meanwhile, Gu Jing¡¯splexion at this time was even uglier as he called out the magistrate by his name in a warning tone. ¡°Hu Mingke, you are letting this unruly person spread rumors, is this how you handle a case?!¡±
Magistrate Hu Mingke got the emperor¡¯s oral order, so naturally, he would not let Gu Jing smooth things over, he could only salute to Gu Jing politely and said, ¡°Your Highness, the second prince, this is the court of Jingzhao, this public hall belongs to the capital and I am its magistrate so I fairly should know how to judge a trial.¡±
Hu Mingke¡¯s attitude and expression were very firm making the onlookers think that this Lord Hu was really an upright official who was not afraid of power.
Gu Jing: ¡°!!!¡±
Gu Jing almost threw his sleeve and left, but he knew that if he really leaves Qin Xin here, the rumors about him and Qin Xin would only be even worse.
Gu Jing finally held back and stayed in the public hall.
Hu Mingke once again sounded the gavel and came to a conclusion. ¡°Qin Xin, whose real name is Li Erya, the daughter of Li Jinzhu. You are the person who is engaged to Xu Jinpeng that was in the bride price letter and geng tie, but you are now also the second prince¡¯s concubine. The woman who is promised to two families.¡±
Hearing the magistrate¡¯s verdict, the public got even livelier, and the eyes of those onlookers were all shining with different lights. If this story waspiled into a ybook, it would definitely be popr in the capital!
Wonderful, truly wonderful.
Those onlookers once again size up Qin Xin up and down as if they were looking at the reincarnation of Daji*, and some even spitefully said. ¡°Shameless, this woman is not afraid of going underground and being split in half by Lord Hades and divide her between two men?!¡±
(*the favorite consort of king Zhou of Shang, while in legends and fiction says she was a malevolent fox spirit who kills and impersonates the real Daji)
Hearing the scorns and the people¡¯s discussion as they pointed at them made Gu Jing¡¯s whole body stiff as a stone sculpture causing pain in his back and making him feel as if they were criticizing him.
His gaze was getting gloomier as if a tornado had started to roll up, trying to tear everything around him apart.
After giving his verdict, Hu Mingke began to announce the sentence, ¡°Li Erya who was promised two marriages is found guilty with solid evidence, and since the Xu family has the bride price, ording to thew Li Erya should belong to the Xu family.¡±
Master Xu: ¡°¡¡±
Madam Zhang: ¡°¡¡±
ording to Master Xu and Madam Zhang¡¯s original n, they just wanted to extort some benefits from the second prince, but now, it was inevitable that the situation has backfired and they may even have to suffer a loss. However, after a moment of reflection, the couple realized that they still got the lost daughter-inw, anyway, this daughter-inw¡¯s eight characters flourishes their son, and they already gave Li Jinzhu and Zhao Aman the betrothal gift back then, so it wasn¡¯t really a loss.
Master Xu¡¯s brain almost immediately calcted everything and his gazended on Qin Zhun again, thinking that he had just heard the yamen call him marquis, and Qin Xin call him father. So, this marquis was Qin Xin¡¯s new father in the capital!
This marquis was a high-ranking official, surely his son would benefit from being the marquis¡¯s son-inw. Although Qin Xin was already spoilt, there was really nothing he could do about it but let her make up for it, after all, woman, as long as they give birth to a son for the Xu family they could continue to burn their incense*.
(*generation)
¡°Thanking Magistrate Hu for giving justice to my Xu family!¡± Master Xu happily kowtowed heavily to Hu Mingke, while Madam Zhang pressed her foolish son to kowtow with him.
Qin Xin was already in a daze and couldn¡¯t believe that the magistrate had sentenced her as the fool¡¯s wife, was this magistrate crazy?!
Madam Zhang also immediately change her stand, tugging her son¡¯s sleeve with one hand, she pointed at Qin Xin with the other and said, ¡°Jinpeng, go and take your wife and our family of four will go back to our hometown in two days!¡±
Xu Jinpeng¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up, his eyes glowed as he looked at Qin Xin who was a few steps away, and only one word echoed repeatedly in his head: Wife.
¡°Wife!¡± Xu Jinpeng jump up from the ground and flew toward Qin Xin, and carelessly put his hand on Qin Xin¡¯s right shoulder, trying to bring her into his arms¡
Qin Xin whose face was already looking like it loses too much blood was terrified, and only felt a strong smell of sweat hit her nose making her shriek.
¡°Let go of me!¡± Qin Xin tried to break Xu Jinpeng¡¯s hand on her shoulder, but thetter, who had found his wife was not willing to let her go that easily and instead grabbed the clothes on her shoulder even tighter.
¡°Hiss!¡±
During the push and pull between the two, Xu Jinpeng ripped arge portion of Qin Xin¡¯s sleeve revealing her white jade shoulders, even the cor was ripped loose, vaguely revealing a section of delicate corbone¡
***
Chapter 352
Chapter 352
Some of the men outside the public hall looked dumbfounded, while some whistled frivolously.
Meanwhile, Gu Jing¡¯splexion was as dark as the bottom of the pot, thinking that he really lost all his face today.
He really couldn¡¯t stay any longer, flickering his sleeve coldly, he turned around and was about to leave.
¡°Your Highness!¡± Qin Xin agitatedly shouted to Gu Jing, still tugging at Xu Jinpeng with one hand.
She knew she couldn¡¯t let Gu Jing leave just like that, everyone in the capital knew that she was Gu Jing¡¯s concubine, if Gu Jing left now, she could only follow the Xu family.
How could she marry a fool!!!
But Gu Jing ignored her and strode out of the public hall.
Of course, Gu Jing couldn¡¯t really leave Qin Xin behind. Everyone knows that Qin Xin was his woman, and if he ¡°gave¡± his woman to a fool like this, how would the world think of him?!
But at this moment, if he continues to make trouble in the court with so many people watching, it would only make him feel more humiliated and make others look at him as a joke.
So, it would be better to wait until the trial was over and was thinking that after he withdraws, he¡¯ll have someone stop the Xu family and take Qin Xin back, anyway, the Xu family just wants benefits. At that time, the magistrate would no longer have the authority to meddle of other people¡¯s private affairs!
With these thoughts, Gu Jing felt that this was the best method and elerated his steps out of the court, but what he didn¡¯t think was, Qin Xin wasn¡¯t aware of his n.
Seeing that Gu Jing was about to leave, she panicked and in fear, an inexplicable force grew on her body as she continued to struggle to shake off Xu Jinpeng.
¡°Your Highness!¡± Qin Xin rushed out of the public hall in one breath, pulling Gu Jing¡¯s wrist, not even caring about her torn right sleeve.
¡°Your Highness, don¡¯t leave me behind.¡± Qin Xin raised her small face with delicate features, her eyes were like full autumn water, and used this to look at Gu Jing pitifully.
She doesn¡¯t want to marry a fool nor does she want to go back to being poor.
Having seen the flourishing and bustling of the capital, how could she be willing to return to the countryside of Jiangyu County? She had already paid so much and now that she was reborn, she wouldn¡¯t want another miserable life!
¡°Wife!¡± Xu Jinpeng from behind also ran outside of the public hall, wanting to pursue Qin Xin, but one of the second prince¡¯s guards was afraid that he would bump into Gu Jing so he quickly stopped him with a scabbard.
Undeterred, Xu Jinpeng grabbed the scabbard of his sword and shouted, ¡°Wife! Wife!¡±
Hearing the ear-piercing voice of the foolish man caused Gu Jing to feel more irritable and shrugged Qin Xin¡¯s hand away, giving her a sideways nce. He nned to leave Qin Xin here first for a moment so as to teach her a lesson.
¡°Your Highness.¡± Qin Xin pleaded again, her eyes turning red, and her fair face was as delicate and charming as the white pear blossoms in full bloom.
Gu Jing half lowered his eyes looking soft-hearted, after all, this was the woman he has always put at the top of his heart¡
Seeing that Gu Jing was still silent, Qin Xin¡¯s heart went as cold as ice. Through the gap in her right sleeve, a blue and purple bruise that looks like from a pinched could be seen.
That¡¯s right, Gu Jing was no longer the old Gu Jing who loved her deeply, she was the only one who naively thinks that nothing has changed.
He has changed, everything has already changed!
Qin Xin¡¯s eyes secretly flickered.
She gritted her teeth and made a decision in her mind as she said in a low voice, ¡°Your Highness if you don¡¯t save me, I will get scared, and I may identally say something I shouldn¡¯t¡¡±
Her words were vague yet meaningful.
Gu Jing¡¯s eyes sharply contract as if he had been stabbed and hisplexion paled, but those eyes were fierce and cold.
Qin Xin was so afraid that she had to use all of her strength to support her body.
People don¡¯t do it for themselves, heaven, and earth destroy it*, so she has no other choice, not to mention, there was no other way, moreover, she must not be taken back by that fool.
(*means a person does not cultivate himself, then it will be uneptable to heaven and earth)
At this moment, Qin Xin¡¯s heart was filled with a thousand times of resentment towards Li Jinzhu and Zhao Amman. Their work was sloppy and messy, why couldn¡¯t they report the death of their eldest daughter to the government?
If they hadn¡¯t let Qin Jiu take over her household registration and eight characters, she wouldn¡¯t be in this situation at all!
Qin Xin and Gu Jing looked at each other, two pairs of eyes interlocked, she then said to herself she had no way out.
Qin Xin said again, ¡°Your Highness, you know that I¡¯ve always been timid, let alone, a few strikes of a stick, even if I was pinched, I easily get scared¡¡±
Gu Jing¡¯s gaze became even more sinister, and his hatred surged.
He hated people threatening him the most.
The pity he felt for Qin Xinpletely disappeared, only hatred, and disgust remains in his heart. He abhorred her.
Qin Xin was even more afraid after seeing Gu Jing¡¯s eyes but on the other hand, she became calmer as if her soul had been pulled out of her body, and clearly added, ¡°Besides, your highness, you still ¡°need¡± me, don¡¯t you?¡±
She put more emphasis on the word ¡°need¡±.
She was valuable, and her existence could cover Gu Jing¡¯s secret that he doesn¡¯t want anyone to know.
Qin Xin: ¡°There is no one more obedient than me, and can reassure his highness more.¡±
Her voice sounded soft and gentle, but the meaning in her words was thorny. She was implying to Gu Jing that she knew all his secrets and if he didn¡¯t save her, she would tell everything she knew.
***
Chapter 353
Chapter 353
Gu Jing¡¯s eyes slightly widened as he looked at Qin Xin in disbelief, as if he was looking at a stranger.
He never thought that Qin Xin would say something like this to him.
For him, he always sees Qin Xin as someone who was always a smart, clever, gentle, and thoughtfuldy. She was different from those stereotypeddies in the capital because she has both the foresight of a man and a grace of a woman.
Thus, he treated her like a pearl and treasure her, cing her on the top of his heart, and when the Empress Dowager got angry at her, though he didn¡¯t dare to offend the Empress Dowager, he still helped her plead with the Empress dowager and stayed with her despite the empress dowager¡¯s disappointment.
Since her return, he has given her everything, followed her in everything, and given her the best of everything, but how did she repay him?
At that moment, Gu Jing suddenly understood.
He was sincere to Qin Xin but Qin Xin doesn¡¯t have him in his heart at all. Qin Xin only wants to marry him because he was the prince, and if she doesn¡¯t want him anymore, there were still the third and fourth princes¡
It was he who gave his heart to the wrong person, and it was also he who chose the wrong person.
Also¡
When they first met, was their first encounter really just a mere coincidence?
¡°Xin¡¯er.¡± Gu Jing¡¯s voice was gentle like water, after the extreme anger, he instead quickly calmed down and held Qin Xin¡¯s hand with his, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, I won¡¯t leave you behind.¡±
His words carry the same deep meaning that the two of them would be bound together forever.
Qin Xin felt chills, but she could only tightly hold Gu Jing¡¯s hand. She could only move forward, not retreat at all, and could never step back or a vast abyss awaits her.
Gu Jing signaled at his servant on the side, who immediately draped a cloak over Qin Xin, covering her torn sleeve.
Then, the two of them returned to the public hall side by side.
As they walked, Qin Xin didn¡¯t notice that Gu Jing¡¯s gaze at her was as cold as the twelfth lunar month and winterbined, there was no longer a trace of emotion in it.
Everyone in the public hall and outside the hall did not hear what Qin Xin and Gu Jing were talking about earlier, they only saw Qin Xin¡¯s ¡°piteous entreaty¡± to Gu Jing and then saw them go back side by side.
The expressions of the onlookers were even more enthusiastic, and all thought that the rumor about the second prince¡¯s deep affection for his concubine was genuine and that he couldn¡¯t even bear to leave her even after knowing she was promised to another marriage.
Gu Jing strode to the hall and argued with Hu Mingke, who was sitting behind the table, ¡°Qin Xin is my concubine, she was carried in by the zongrenfu*, and there is a certificate of concubinage.¡±
(*someone who manages the affairs of the royal family)
¡°Even if Qin Xin and the Xu family have the bride price they were not married yet and are only engaged.¡±
¡°The Xu family is not qualified to take Qin Xin, Lord Hu, out of emotion and reason, the two families should be ordered to break off this marriage contract.¡±
Currently, Gu Jing had mixed emotions, he felt aggrieved, resentment, unwillingness, shame, and anger intertwined, it was as if a furious dragon was roaring inside.
Although Qin Xin said that this marriage with the fool was for Qin Jiu, as far as the ending was concerned, people would only think that it was Qin Xin who had this marriage and would onlyugh at him for grabbing a wife from a fool. With such a reputation on his back, where would he put his face?
It was even less elegant topete for the best oiran in a flower house but to grab a wife from a fool, he could only be theughingstock of other people¡¯s gossip!
What made him even more upset was the threat from Qin Xin¡
Thinking of Qin Xin¡¯s words just now, Gu Jing felt as if he had been stabbed by thousands of needles in his heart. This pain reminded him over and over again that he had misjudged the person.
Meanwhile, for Hu Mingke, as long as the Xu¡¯s and the Li¡¯s agreed, it was legal to break the contract between Xu Jinpeng and Li Erya, so he looked to Master Xu and asked, ¡°What do you think, Mister Xu?¡±
Master Xu¡¯s eyes lit up while Madam Zhang hastily pulled his sleeve and gave him a wink, meaning, he should ask for an official position.
Of course, Master Xu understands what Madam Zhang means but the problem was that if he wants to be an official, he needs to talk to the second prince privately. This was the public hall and with so many eyes watching him how could he dare to ask for an official position?! What if the second prince didn¡¯t want to give it to him.
Master Xu¡¯s heart felt like it was torn with grief and could only settle for the next best thing, he said, ¡°Your Highness, the Xu family has given a lot of bride price for this marriage, we can¡¯t just lose our daughter-inw and fold our arms, right?¡±
He meant to ask for money.
¡°How much do you want?¡± Gu Jing asked stoically.
Master Xu thought for a moment andpared a number with his fingers, ¡°Ten thousand taels.¡±
This Xu family really dares to ask! Gu Jing¡¯s eyes turned three shades darker, but he didn¡¯t care to bargain with such unruly people in the public court and let themon people look at him as a joke.
Gu Jing took a deep breath and agreed.
The onlookers outside the public hall once again were in an uproar and mored, one after another, after all,mon people like them they couldn¡¯t earn ten thousand taels even after a few lifetimes. So, they didn¡¯t expect that the second prince would agree to this for a mere concubine, and without even saying a word.
Sensing the onlookers pointing at him, Gu Jing felt even more embarrassed, his body taut.
While, Qin Xin breathed a sigh of relief that she was finally able to get rid of the Xu family.
Master Xu wrings his hands, if he knew that he would pay that easily he should have asked for twenty taels but since he had already said the words, he didn¡¯t dare to go back on his price, after all, he was just amoner, and if an official wanted to kill his family, it was just a matter of lifting a finger.
Gu Jing¡¯s personal attendant hurried back to the mansion and brought a ten thousand taels of banknote.
***
Chapter 354
Chapter 354
When Gu Jing left the pce to establish himself the emperor did not give him any spending money, so these days, he was relying on Qin Zhun¡¯s ¡°filial piety¡± to maintain the mansion¡¯s expenses and these ten thousand taels of banknote was also from Qin Zhun ¡°filial piety¡±.
At this time, Gu Jing¡¯s personal servant gave the banknote to Master Xu.
After that, Hu Mingke changed the decision and returned the geng tie to Li Jinzhu, while the bride price letter was sent to Jiangyu County to be filed by the local government.
The marriage contract between Xu¡¯s and Li¡¯s was dissolved. Master Xu hid the banknotes and took his wife and son happily out of the public hall.
Master Xu and Madam Zhang felt that their trip to the capital was not in vain only the fool Xu Jinpeng still do not know what was happening and called out ¡°wife¡± at the top of his voice, so Madam Zhang to coax her son, took him into her arms and said, ¡°Jinpeng, let¡¯s go back home! And when we get back, your mother and father will give you a wife, someone who is innocent and still has her chastity, this kind of spoilt girl is not¡¡±
Madam Zhang babbled tofort her foolish son while feeling refreshed.
Whilst Gu Jing¡¯s face looked like it was sshed with ink, looking extremely ugly.
He brushed his sleeve and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±
Qin Xin huddled in her cloak and couldn¡¯t wait to get out of this ce.
She could naturally feel Gu Jing¡¯s anger, but now that she had ovee the biggest crisis, she must quickly pacify Gu Jing. Gu Jing still has feelings for her, as long as she speaks softly, she could definitely coax him back.
The onlookers, on the other hand, there were some who were still a little unsatisfied while others began to gradually disperse.
¡°Madam Qin, you can¡¯t leave yet!¡± Hu Mingke spoke up and called out to Qin Xin, ¡°There is another case here, and you are also a relevant person.¡±
Qin Xin slightly frowned.
Hu Mingke stated, ¡°Child abduction case.¡±
Those onlookers who were nning to leave immediately stopped and went into a frenzy once again, thinking that today¡¯s drama was really one y after another.
¡°¡¡¡± Gu Jing also wrinkled his brows.
Qin Xin subconsciously pulled Gu Jing in panic and anxiety, afraid that Gu Jing would leave her behind.
This action was done unintentionally but to Gu Jing, Qin Xin was threatening him again.
Gu Jing stood with his hands behind him and stayed. With him around, Qin Xin felt as if she had some support and leaned against him again.
Hu Mingke once again knocked the gavel and continued the trial. ¡°Li Jinzhu, since Li Erya is the eldest daughter of you and your wife, how did she end up with the Marquis, did the Marquis abduct your child?¡±
Qin Zhun: ¡°?¡±
Qin Xin: ¡°?¡±
Both Qin Zhun and Qin Xin thought that the magistrate was going to investigate the abduction of Qin Jiu by the Li¡¯s, but it seems that he was actually trying to question the marquis himself!
Hu Mingke naturally could see the shock on Qin Zhun¡¯s face and the others, but he still put on a dignified appearance.
He was given an oral order by the emperor to rectify the name of the girls in the Qin family and return them to their respective positions.
The emperor also asked him to interrogate the people involved as he wanted but he mustn¡¯t bring the third Miss into it.
Hu Mingke was a smart person, and he knew that the emperor doesn¡¯t want the third Miss Qin to be chewed by those people who only know how to talk badly!
Now, on one hand, he could only start with Qin Xing and the Marquis.
Qin Zhun turned paled with fright, and hurriedly said, ¡°Lord Hu, how could this marquis abduct Qin Xin!¡±
Hu Mingke stated again, ¡°ording to the household register, Li Erya, who changed her name to Qin Xin, is under the marquis and marquis¡¯ wife household registration and is your first daughter, but just now Li Jinzhu clearly said Qin Xin is the eldest daughter of the Li family.¡±
¡°Why would the eldest daughter of this Li family recognize the marquis as her father?!¡±
Following Hu Mingke¡¯s words, the onlookers started to make up big drama scripts in their heads;
Such as, in order to curry favor with the second prince, the marquis searched for women everywhere and did not hesitate to abduct Li Erya, who was already betrothed to someone else;
Or, Li Erya had an affair with the second prince for a long time, but since it was impossible to be with the second prince because of her humble status, so to be the second prince¡¯s concubine she entered the Marquis mansion.
Qin Zhun: ¡°!¡±
Qin Zhun¡¯s first instinct was, to tell the truth about the fake and real daughter but when the words came to his lips, Hu Mingke stated again, ¡°Marquis, if you don¡¯t give an exnation today, you will be defrauding the marriage at least, or deceiving the emperor at worst! Marquis, you must think carefully!¡±
Deceiving the emperor!! Qin Zhun¡¯s heart skipped a beat as he swallowed those words hesitantly, his eyes flickered.
Fourteen years ago, thete emperor ordered the Qin family to be exiled to Minzhou, but the Qin family vited the order and handed over the newly born Qin Jiu to the nanny, Zhao Aman. Strictly speaking, this was a rebellion against the order.
Even if the Qin family¡¯s injustice was cleared upter on, it does not mean that what the Qin family did was right, and frankly, it was a crime of deceiving the emperor.
Though the emperor and the empress know about it, it¡¯s not something that could be said in the open ah!
This information could be used against the Qin family.
At this time, Qin Zhun really resented his father and brother, if it wasn¡¯t for their selfishness, why would he be in this mess.
***
Chapter 355
Chapter 355
After weighing his pros and cons, Qin Zhun finally vaguely said, ¡°Lord Hu, Qin Xin is indeed not from the Qin family. It is only because she has a connection with my humble wife, so she officially put her under her name.¡±
Hu Mingke swept a nce at Li Jinzhu who was kneeling on the ground, and continued to ask Qin Zhun. ¡°Marquis, the Li¡¯s is now suing you for abducting their daughter, does Marquis admit it?¡±
Li Jinzhu wanted to say he wasn¡¯t suing the marquis but when Hu Mingke nced over from above, he trembled all over, only feeling severe pain in his hip and back. He was afraid of being beaten again, so he did not dare to speak and just let the magistrate say whatever he wants.
Qin Zhun angrily said, ¡°Nonsense!¡±
At this very moment, Qin Zhun almost wanted to separate his name from Qin Xin, if it wasn¡¯t for his reason keeping him from doing so. He had just seen with his own eyes how much Gu Jing doted on Qin Xin, he didn¡¯t hesitate to negotiate andpromise at all.
Right now, his family has already been tied to Gu Jing, so Qin Xin could only be a young miss from their Qin family.
¡°We adopted her! Adoption!¡± Qin Zhun bit the bullet and said, ¡°Because my humble wife adored Qin Xin when she first saw her when she was a child, so she was adopted from the Li family.¡±
Qin Xin looked at Li Jinzhu with a pleading face, who was not far away. After today, she has be theughingstock of the capital, if she was not Qin Xin, then even Gu Jing¡¯s concubinage documents wouldn¡¯t count anymore.
Li Jinzhu: ¡°¡¡±
Lin Jinzhu was disappointed with this daughter in front of him, but she was still his daughter after all. Besides, he couldn¡¯t just say that they swapped his daughter with the Qin family¡¯s real daughter.
Under the scorching eyes of everyone in the public hall, Li Jinzhu nodded, ¡°That¡¯s right, it was this poormoner and the child¡¯s mother who ¡°give her for adoption¡± to the Qin family.¡±
Hu Mingke¡¯s gaze fixed on Qin Zhun, unblinking, thinking of the emperor¡¯s oral order, and then said, ¡°Since the two families consider it to be an adoption, and there are rules for adoption, then an adoption document must be issued.¡±
Qin Xin¡¯s pupils shrank slightly as she tightly wrapped the cloak around her body.
She was originally recorded under Qin Zhun and Madam Su¡¯s household registration, and outsiders thought that the Qin family¡¯s blood flowed into her body. Even when Qin Jiu talked nonsense in front of those nobledies in Shenghua Pavilionst time, at least she could bite the bullet then and refuse to admit those usations, since to those nobledies andmon people she was still the young miss from the Qin family.
However, surely after today, everyone would know that she was just an adopted daughter of the Qin family¡ whose biological father and mother were murderers, moreover, she was betrothed to a fool¡
Whilst, Qin Zhun couldn¡¯t wait to respond, ¡°Lord Hu is right, it is time to issue adoption papers.¡±
To him, issuing an adaptation paper was just a trivial matter, he just wanted to finish this and get out of here as soon as possible.
Immediately, an official issued the adoption papers and handed them over to Qin Zhun and Li Jinzhu to sign, one of which was kept in Jingzhao for records.
The matter finally settled, and both Qin Zhun and Gu Jing breathed a sigh of relief.
Only Qin Xin¡¯splexion wasplicated, and her eyes darkly flickering.
She had thought that she had fallen into the dust when she turned from a royal consort to a lowly concubine, and even though she didn¡¯t want fate to mock her, it was as if there was an invincible hand constantly flung a hard p in her face and dragging her deeper into the mud¡
Qin Xin felt cold all over and looked panicked.
¡°Hu Mingke, can I take my ¡®person¡¯ away now?¡± Gu Jing impatiently asked Hu Mingke in front of him.
Hu Mingke smilingly arched his hand and said, ¡°Please help yourself, Your Highness.¡±
¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Gu Jing flung his sleeves away without a second thought, while Qin Xin could not be as resolved as he was, and could not help but look at Li Jinzhu, who was kneeling on the ground, after all, these were still the parents who gave birth to her and carried her on their back¡
Gu Jing looked at Qin Xin with a cold squint, while thetter pursed her cherry lips slightly and didn¡¯t dare to say anything as she silently lowered her head and followed Gu Jing away from the court of Jingzhao.
As she walked out of the public hall, she could still hear Hu Mingke questioning Li Jinzhu once again. ¡°Li Jinzhu, you killed and fled, will you confess or not?¡±
Outside the public hall, shops, and two story-buildings were full of people. Some of these onlookers continued to watch the magistrate¡¯s trial of the murder case with great interest, some were still discussing the case just now, and some were looking at Gu Jing and his concubine, pointing at Qin Xin and did not stop gossiping until the carriage was far away.
Qin Xin and Gu Jing left, while Qin Zeyu stayed for two more tea cups time before he went back to Qin¡¯s residence.
After returning to the house, Qin Zeyu first did was to see Qin Jiu and told his sister what happened outside the second prince¡¯s mansion and in the court, including the magistrate ruling. ¡°¡Li Jinzhu denied the murder, saying that Zhao Aman was the one who did it, finally Lord Hu put him in prison to await another trial.¡±
Qin Jiu was flipping a book while drinking fruit juice as she listened with her left ear and let it out on her right ear, while Du Ruo was making new fruit juice by hand and asked a young servant to fan Qin Jiu.
Seeing howfortable andid-back Qin Jiu was, Qin Zeyu was practically jealous of his sister.
¡°Sister, you¡¯re not worried at all, not afraid?¡± Qin Zeyu couldn¡¯t help but ask.
Qin Jiu perfunctorily raised her hand to pat Qin Zeyu¡¯s head, ¡°There is A¡¯yu.¡±
As if he was recharged, Qin Zeyu¡¯s spirits were lifted and felt that even though his sister was treating him fiercely, she still put high hopes for her younger brother.
Qin Zeyu straightened his back and suddenly felt that a mission was given to him. That¡¯s right, their eldest brother was not here, he was the only male in this mansion.
Seeing Qin Zeyu¡¯s reaction, Qin Jiu continued to drink her fruit juice as the corner of her lips curled upwards thinking this kid was really easy to coax. Well, she could even coax her golden thigh, coaxing this kid was simply easy.
Qin Zeyu patted his chest and said, ¡°Sister, don¡¯t worry, there¡¯s me. Whoever dares to bully you, I¡¯ll beat him!¡±
He waved his fist as he made his solemn vow, feeling that he had not beaten Xu Jinpeng enough, and should have kicked him a few more.
Qin Jiu burst outughing, seeing his sister¡¯s reaction, the naughty kid rolled up his sleeves dissatisfied, and said. ¡°Sister, don¡¯t underestimate me, I¡¯ve been following Master Yue for half a year and I¡¯ve made a lot of progress in my martial arts. I¡¯ll show you!¡±
***
Chapter 356
Chapter 356
Qin Jiu was afraid that he would drag her to the training ground in this hot weather so she quickly said, ¡°Believe, I believe you.¡± She then quickly winks at Du Ruo, which thetter understands, and immediately gave Qin Zeyu a fruit juice to drink.
Qin Zeyu took two sips of the fruit juice and said, ¡°Sister, I was wrong.¡±
There were some things that if he didn¡¯t see with his own two eyes, he would not believe, and he would never know how stupid he was.
Last year, when he learned that Qin Xin was not his biological sister, he only felt that Qin Xin was pitiful and innocent, believing that Qin Jiu was just an outsider, and never get himself to put on Qin Jiu¡¯s shoes.
Not even thinking that his biological sister was supposed to be the daughter of the noble marquis, she should be the one growing up under her family¡¯s care, rather than being abused, humiliated, and almost killed, not to mention married to a fool in the county.
He was simply oblivious. If Qin Jiu hadn¡¯t escaped¡ªif his sister had really been married to that fool, what kind of life she would be living now.
The Li family stole his sister¡¯s ten years of time, while Qin Xin was taught chess, calligraphy, and painting, and almost became a royal consort. All of this should have belonged to his sister¡although Qin Zeyu thinks that the second prince was not good enough to be with his sister.
Fortunately, his sister had good luck and met Third Brother Gu, whose eyes were blinded. Well, he could just treat his third brother a little better in the future¡ªQin Zeyu silently promised to himself.
Qin Jiu looked at Qin Zeyu with a questioning look on her face, and after a moment of confusion did she understand what he was talking about.
Pursing her lips, she smiled as she touched his head again, messing his hair.
Qin Zeyu, this brat, was good-natured but was deliberately raised as a naughty child from a young age, however, with her watching him in the future, at least he wouldn¡¯t make the same mistakes in the novel.
After being caressed by his sister three times in just half a day, Qin Zeyu couldn¡¯t help but protest, ¡°Sister, I¡¯m already thirteen, don¡¯t treat me like a child, okay?¡±
Qin Jiu responded perfunctorily, then called Du Ruo to add some fruit juice to her and Qin Zeyu.
Qin Zeyu was still talking, ¡°Next time if something happens, I will support you and I won¡¯t let you suffer.¡±
Qin Jiu apuded as she smiled, ¡°Our A¡¯yu has grown up.¡±
Of course, she did not suffer, the one who suffers was Qin Xin.
Qin Zening had entrusted the Five Cities Army and Horse Division Department to keep an eye on the Li family, so in the fourth month of the year, shortly after Li Jinzhu and Zhao Aman entered the capital, the people from Five Cities found them and dutifully watched them, that¡¯s when they saw Qin Xin meet the couple at the inn.
Pei Qi was curious and followed in. Small inns like this had thin walls and poor sound instion, so even though the Li¡¯s thought they were being quiet as they talked in whispers, what they didn¡¯t know was Pei Qi overheard their conversation.
Having known their n, Pei Qi told Qin Zening the truth, causing thetter to be furious and wanted to arrest them immediately but Qin Jiu thought that the ¡°marriage¡± with the Xu family was a hidden problem, so why not use this and pull out the poison at once¡
As Qin Zeyu was enjoying the fruit juice, he suddenly said, ¡°Sister, as I listened to the magistrate today, it seems that he has been ordered by the emperor in advance.¡±
Qin Jiuughed and couldn¡¯t help but rub Qin Zeyu¡¯s head again, ¡°Aiya, our A¡¯yu is getting smarter and smarter!¡±
Qin Zeyu: ¡°¡¡±
Should he be happy that his sisterplimented him, or should he be angry that his sister was beating around the bush and calling him stupid before!
Just like what Qin Zeyu noticed, the magistrate did get an oral order from the emperor, so after the trial, he immediately went to the pce to report to the emperor.
Hu Mingke did not know what had happened in front of the second prince¡¯s mansion, so he only endowed the process and results of his trial. ¡°¡The Marquis and Li Jinzhu agreed to adopt Qin Xin to the Qin family and recognized her as an adopted daughter.¡±
The oral order was to let Qin Xin back to her original ce, but if Qin Zhun was stubborn to keep her, then it was fine.
In the court earlier, Hu Mingke look helplessly at Qin Zhun¡¯s stupidity and was speechless.
Outside the window, the shadows of the trees swayed with the wind, casting a dappled light and shadow on the emperor¡¯s face.
The emperor slowly turned the jade ring on his right thumb as his gaze deepened under the dappled light and shadow.
This was hisst chance for Qin Zhun.
He remembered the kindness of thete marquis and did not want to take action against Qin Zhun, giving him this opportunity.
If Qin Zhun knows his bounds, he would break off his ¡°inw rtionship¡± with Gu Jing, then he, the emperor would ensure Qin Zhun¡¯s wealth, he could even choose to be idle and spend the rest of his life in peace, but unexpectedly, Qin Zhun insisted on fighting for the merit.
The emperor sighed and said in a low voice. ¡°Thete Marquis was an amazing person, my brother-inw was also like his father, with these people running the same blood as him, how could Qin Zhun have such a narrow mind¡¡±
Hu Mingke just lowered his head and did not answer as he also regretfully sighed in secret and said to himself: Yes, the old marquis was someone who was knowledgeable and wise but he raised such a stupid son.
Zhou Xin replied to the emperor, ¡°Your Majesty, the Qin family still has the eldest son of thete Qin as well as the fifth son. Thete marquis is not considered to have no sessors.¡±
The emperor smiled pleasantly and could not help but remember thest time Empress Wei muttered to him that Qin Zening was too reckless while Qin Zeyucks intelligence and neither of them was as good and smart as Qin Jiu.
Seeing the emperor¡¯s smile Hu Mingke breathed a sigh of relief.
He continued. ¡°The two families have signed the adoption papers, and His Highness the Second Prince has taken Qin Xin back.¡±
***
Chapter 357
Chapter 357
Seeing the emperor¡¯s smile Hu Mingke breathed a sigh of relief.
He continued. ¡°The two families have signed the adoption papers, and His Highness the Second Prince has taken Qin Xin back.¡±
The emperor indifferently asked, ¡°What about the Xu family?¡±
Hu Mingkee hurriedly replied, ¡°The three members of the Xu family have already left.¡±
Since the Xu family wasn¡¯t really personally connected with the two cases, Hu Mingke decided to let them go.
The emperor nodded his head, and waived his right hand, dismissing Hu Mingke.
¡°Your Highness, then I take my leave.¡± Hu Mingke bowed and saluted,pletely relieved.
Although he offended the second prince today, the emperor was obviously quite satisfied, and that¡¯s enough. He has been a magistrate for almost three years, and perhaps this time he would have a chance for a promotion.
With this thought running through his mind Hu Mingke suppressed his excitement and withdrew from the imperial study.
As soon as he left, Empress Wei came out of the green gauze closet in the back with raised brows, her expression wasplicated but the relief was even more evident on her face.
Empress Wei walked gracefully to the emperor and sat down beside him.
The emperorughed and said, ¡°Now you are relieved.¡±
¡°With Your Majesty around, what do I have to worry about.¡± Empress Wei smiled warmly.
She was indeed relieved.
At noon today, after learning that the Xu family had gone to the Qin residence to cause trouble, Empress Wei hurried to the imperial study to seek help from the emperor, and have him arrest these people but was instead stopped by the emperor.
The emperor told her.
¡°Rong Rong, this is an opportunity, an opportunity to rectify Xiao Jiu¡¯s name.¡±
¡°Although Xiao Jiu has been found, her experience in the past fourteen years is something that cannot be told to others¡¡±
At that moment, Empress Wei immediately understood.
Since Qin Jiu returned to the capitalst year, in order to prevent her from bing the subject of gossip, Empress has deliberately avoided discussing Qin Jiu¡¯s past in Jiangyu County.
The problem was, for Qin Jiu, what has happened may be gradually forgotten with time, but what happened has happened, and cannot be erased, and Jiangyu County was a hidden danger that could erupt at any time.
Just like now, suddenly a ¡°betrothed¡± Xu family appeared, and who knows if there would someone from Jiangyu county who would appear again and say something that should not be said, ruining Qin Jiu¡¯s reputation. So, if they want to avoid future troubles, they must start from the root.
The emperor took Empress Wei¡¯s fair-skinned hand and patted it as he said, ¡°This time, let¡¯s rectify Xiao Jiu¡¯s name, and if there is anything going on Jiangyu County or the Li family and Li Erya, the daughter of the Li family, they would know that it is Qin Xin and no one will associate Xiao Jiu again, then this matter be considered settled.¡±
That¡¯s right! Empress Wei slightly nodded as she pondered, feeling that the emperor had done a really beautiful job.
Xiao Jiu, this child has suffered too much, and after this suffering, it would really not be easy to maintain her innocence.
Empress Wei only hoped that after this incident, the child would have a smooth future.
At this time, Zhou Xin personally came over and served tea to Empress Wei, she picked up the teacup, but before it reached her lips, she thought of something else, she blurted out and asked. ¡°Your Majesty, you wouldn¡¯t have known that the Xu family woulde to the capital to cause trouble, would you?¡±
¡°How can it be.¡± The emperor hurriedly denied it with a calm expression on the surface but inwardly said: Yes, it was because he knew early, so he couldn¡¯t tell her ah.
Truth was, the emperor just also recently knows about this, it was Gu Zezhi who specifically entrusted the emperor before leaving, and he was also the one who proposed to use this incident to rectify Qin Jiu¡¯s name, which the emperor agreed and also felt that Qin Jiu and Qin Xin should go back to their respective ces, so he agreed and let Gu Zezhi go without worry.
But how could the emperor tell the empress about this, wouldn¡¯t it make her more worried?
The emperor tenderly looked at Empress Wei as his smile spread from the corner of his lips, and thought: I guess, even that Xiao Jiu didn¡¯t know that Zezhi had entrusted her to him. This also shows how Zezhi cared about Xiao Jiu.
This marriage was really the right decision!
With these thoughts, the emperor felt that he had the qualification to be a good matchmaker, so with a smile still stered on his lips, he coaxed the empress and said, ¡°I just received a report today and know that the Five Cities Army and Horse Division captured Li Jinzhu, and immediately thought this is a good opportunity, and simply followed my instinct to bring the Li family and Xu family together and settle this once and for all.¡±
When the emperor said this, Empress Wei believed it without any half-hearted suspicion, or simply said, she never thought that the emperor would lie to her.
Empress Wei slowly took two sips of tea, sorted things out in her mind, raised her eyebrows, and asked again, ¡°Your Majesty, what about the Xu family, are you just really letting them go like this?¡±
Li Jinzhu and Zhao Amanmitted murder, and although one of them escaped she was still in the capital, it would be much easier to catch her so Empress Wei put this aside first.
Different could be said for the Xu family, in her opinion, they were not innocent. The engagement at the beginning could be regarded as spending money to get their son a wife, which was not considered a crime but when they found out about Xiao Jiu¡¯s family background, they were obviously harboring bad intentions.
The emperor knowingly smiled and said, ¡°It would have been possible to ckmail the Xu family.¡± It¡¯s just that Gu Jing was too stupid, giving what the Xu family wants.
When Empress Wei heard this, she felt a little unhappy as if she had been fed a mouthful bad food.
Seeing that Empress Wei was not happy, the emperor immediately coaxed her, ¡°Rong Rong, I will order the local official to investigate the Xu¡¯s.¡±
With the Xu family¡¯s behavior, they must havemitted some crimes of various sizes in the local area, but sometimes people don¡¯t sue and officials don¡¯t investigate.
Hearing the emperor, Empress Wei cheered up and went to make a cup of tea for the emperor herself.
The couple wereughing and talking, just like most ordinary couples, the atmosphere was warm and happy.
Zhou Xin signaled everyone in the room with his eyes and quietly exited the imperial study.
Although the emperor said this, within half a month he got a report that the three members of the Xu family were killed by bandits in Jinzhou.
***
Chapter 358
Chapter 358
At the beginning of this year, because of the disaster in Huizhou, some stragglers went north to take refuge in Jinzhou. Jinzhou was already infested with bandits and those bandits absorbed part of the stragglers, causing them to grow in number, forming a considerable force in the local and upy the mountain, ruling it like a king.
Because the emperor issued a decree to investigate the Xu family, the local officials of Jinzhou immediately reported what happened to the Xu¡¯s.
To speak, the three members of the Xu family encountered bandits near Daqingshan in Jinzhou. Not only were their belongings taken away, but everyone was killed, leaving no survivors.
On the same day, the emperor issued a decree to suppress bandits in the morning court, which immediately drew another wave of opposition.
¡°Your Majesty, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s right.¡±
¡°The banditry in Minzhou has not yet been quelled, and the treasury is empty, we are financially overwhelmed.¡±
¡°Lord Li is right. This year due to the floods in Huizhou, not only did the tax revenue decreases, but the imperial court had to allocate money for disaster relief¡¡±
The ministers stood out one by one, their expressions impassioned and their voices resounding.
Previously, when the emperor issued a decree to pacify Minzhou, he did not inform the court in advance so many ministers didn¡¯t really have the chance to voice out their opinion, but now that they were on the topic, they all felt that the emperor was too anxious, otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have allowed sending troops knowing the treasury was empty.
The emperor of course knows that the treasury had no money, since the day he ascended the throne, the treasury of Daqi has not been abundant.
Although thete emperor was not considered a wise man, he was diligent and dedicated, it¡¯s just that in hister years, he became fatuous and extravagant. At that time, was against Daqi and disasters continued, but thete emperor turned a blind eye and emptied the national treasury, only to build pces and gardens for his enjoyment.
Ten years ago, when the emperor ascended the throne, what was left to him was a Daqi full of holes.
And over the years, this cave has been unevenly filled.
Therefore, when Gu Zezhi proposed to pacify Minzhou, even though he knew that the national treasury was tight, the emperor still agreed.
Once Minzhou was pacified, in the long run, maritime trade could be developed which could bring a lot of money for the treasury; more recently, over the years, the pirates in Minzhou have robbed a lot of wealth from the sea, and the imperial court could nationalize this wealth as a matter of course, and use it to fill the gaps in the national treasury and soon solve Daqi¡¯s urgent needs.
Standing at the front of the queue, Lord Chengen watched the scene calmly while his lips curled up and his expression rx, as if this had nothing to do with him.
With a slight wink from him, a few opposing ministers became more eager, and the more they said the more serious they became.
¡°Your Majesty, the war between Daqi and Northern Yan has finally ended peacefully, but these years, the Northern Border had countless deaths and injuries, and a hundred ruins that need to be rebuilt. And yet, Chenjun lead troops to pacify Minzhou, I am afraid will lose many of our troops this time, and the consumption of military supplies will be difficult to estimate.¡±
¡°Pacifying Jinzhou now is tantamount to tearing down the east wall to mend the west wall¡¡±
Hearing these ministers¡¯ frightening words that scare people, the emperor just sneered and interrupted, ¡°Can my Daqi even kill all the bandits or rather eliminate them?¡±
The emperor looked down at the ministers below from his high chair, taking their different expressions in his eyes.
Naturally, he didn¡¯t propose to put down the chaos in Jinzhou on impulse.
Most of the taxes in the previous season were used for town disasters, and part of the money in the treasury was allocated to Pingmin Prefecture this time, while the tax this summer has yet to be collected, so indeed, it was difficult to fight another bandit with limited soldiers, not to mention the food and other provisions.
The emperor¡¯s gaze became deeper, shing withplicated glints as he remembered what Gu Zezhi said before he left. ¡°Your majesty, the national treasury is empty, and things will get difficult, as there are many ces where money is needed, and if things get really urgent might as well get something without paying anything.¡±
The emperor turned the jade ring on his thumb and suddenly said. ¡°What all the ministers said are not without reason.¡±
The ministers were stunned, most of them did not expect the emperor to change his mind so easily.
While the corner of Lord Chengen¡¯s lips curled up even higher.
A minister was about to stand up and praise the emperor with a few words for his wisdom when he heard the emperor sigh and said, ¡°I originally intended the second prince to lead the troops¡ai.¡±
The smile on Lord Chengen¡¯s lips instantly froze and his pupils slightly shrank.
The emperor seemed to be talking to himself, but his voice was loud enough for the ministers in the hall to hear, and immediately a subtle change urred in the atmosphere.
Especially Lord Chengen, his emotions were surging while thinking, this was a great opportunity for the second prince.
Unable to hold back anymore, he immediately stood up from the queue and bowed to the emperor in front of him, ¡°Your Majesty, the second prince is brave and courageous, which he got from his father, he will be able to live up to the emperor¡¯s order and put an end to the chaos in Jinzhou.¡±
As soon as he said this, the ministers who had just opposed the suppression of bandits looked at each other with a hint of embarrassment on their faces.
The emperor faintly said, ¡°But the treasury has no money.¡±
Lord Chengen: ¡°¡¡¡±
The second prince displeased the emperor because of the previous peace talks with Northern Yan.
However, since the emperor wanted to let the second prince suppress the bandits in Jinzhou, it showed that the emperor still attached great importance to this son. So, if the second prince pacifies andpleted this task in Jinzhou, not only could he redeem himself, but also gain military power, and even win the praise of the ministers and the support of themon people.
The corner of the emperor¡¯s mouth slightly curled as he continued, ¡°Let¡¯s put this matter to rest for now.¡±
Lord Chengen quickly made a decision, and said to the emperor righteously, ¡°Your Majesty, the people of Jinzhou are suffering from banditry, putting the people into dire straits, so suppressing these bandits will surely help your people. As your subject, I should contribute to society, this minister is willing to collect this sum of money to suppress the bandits for the sake of themon people.¡± What he meant was that there was no need to use the money from the treasury, as he would pay for the second prince¡¯s expedition with his own money.
***
Chapter 359
Chapter 359
Those ministers who were previously opposed to suppressing the bandits immediately changed their attitudes, as many of them nodded their heads looking like ¡®Lord Chengen words were reasonable.¡¯
¡°I am also aware that the national treasury is empty, and the finances are overwhelmed¡Minzhou needs to be pacified, and the flood in Huizhou.¡± The emperor watched these ministers jumping up and down from his throne as he repeated the opposing words they said earlier.
Lord Chengen hurriedly said, ¡°Your Majesty, the court may have difficulties, but we cannot be deterred by this and disregard the safety of the people!¡±
As soon as Lord Chengen said this, the ministers behind immediately echoed.
¡°Your Majesty, what Lord Chengen said is very true. If we let the bandits in Jinzhou grow, the harm will only be greater.¡±
¡°For the sake of the people of Jinzhou, it is better to eliminate thesewless mountain bandits as soon as possible and return peace to Jinzhou!¡±
¡°¡¡±
These ministers chattered lively, with a look of concern on their faces as if they were not the ones who opposed the suppression of bandits earlier.
While some of the ministers were initially confused by how fast the direction of the wind changed, gradually, some of them quickly nced at the doorway and exchanged meaningful nces with each other, and continued to remain silent watching from the sidelines.
After some time, the emperor slowly stroked his beard and said in a deep voice. ¡°In that case, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of War will first calcte the amount of money needed to pacify Jinzhou, if you can raise enough money for the troop¡¯s sry and military supplies, then we¡¯ll fight.¡±
Lord Chengen was afraid the emperor would change his mind again, and couldn¡¯t wait to bow his head and said, ¡°The emperor is wise!!¡±
After this matter, the other ministers had no intention of discussing anything else, so the emperor immediately dismissed the court.
Walking out of the court, the emperor weed the rising sun with the corners of his lips curled up, his whole person simply feels refreshed as he muttered. ¡°¡empty glove white wolf*.¡±
(referring to deception methods used by scammers who go around cheating without making any investment.)
Gu Zezhi really couldmunicate with all things and could make the eyes break all illusions, what he said at that time still echoes clearly in his ears, ¡°Your majesty, you can push Gu Jing out, since someone wants the dragon throne then he needs to have a skill, and of course, pay the price.¡±
The emperor said with a sigh, ¡°Duan Wangye is blinded.¡±
With such an outstanding son as Gu Zezhi, Duan Wangye insisted on naming that, Gu Chenzhi as his heir.
Zhou Xin also knew that it was Gu Zezhi who gave the emperor the idea, smiling heplimented him, ¡°Duan Wangye is certainly not as good as the emperor¡¯s sharp eyes.¡±
The emperor walked forward in the direction of the sun with his hand behind his back, strolling in the garden.
He knew that Lord Chengen was roughly aiming for military power, to suppress the bandits they would only need to dispatch thirty thousand to fifty thousand troops. If Gu Jing could establish his prestige in the troop in just a few months, and they obediently follow him then this troop would be raised for nothing.
However, just thinking that the bandits in Jinzhou could be quell without paying a copper coin from the treasury¡ªthis deal was worth it!
Now, it depends on how much ¡°sincerity¡± Lord Chengen was willing to use to convince him to send troops to quell the chaos.
The emperor originally nned to go to the imperial study, but because he was in a good mood, he changed his mind and went to Fengluan Pce.
As for Lord Chengen, after retiring from the court, he immediately rushed to the Second Prince¡¯s residence to tell Gu Jing the good news.
¡°Father really said that?!¡±
This news brought by Lord Chengen made Gu Jing ecstatic.
He has been idle in his residence for a long time now, except for entering the pce on the first and fifteenth day of each month to pay respect to the empress, empress dowager, and concubine Liu, he has never seen his emperor father. He once thought that his emperor father hadpletely given up on him, though he knew that Lord Chengen had ns for him but he was still worried, panicked, and agitated¡until now, he finally saw hope again.
So, it wasn¡¯t like his emperor father had no father-son affection towards him.
Gu Jing cheered up, he looked at Lord Chengen and earnestly asked. ¡°Grandfather, what should I do now?¡±
Lord Chengen patted Gu Jing¡¯s shoulder andforted him, ¡°Your Highness, don¡¯t worry, as long as enough money is raised for military supplies and sry, this matter will be done.¡±
After the initial happiness, Gu Jing gradually calmed down, slightly frowned, and said hesitantly, ¡°Grandfather, do you think that Emperor Father was just trying to raise money?¡± And when there was enough money, his emperor father would leave him aside.
Lord Chengen was stunned and felt that Gu Jing was still narrow-minded after all. He then said seriously, ¡°Your Highness, you must remember this, an emperor never says anything that he didn¡¯t mean.¡± This not only rebuked him about the emperor but also telling Gu Jing that when he bes the emperor in the future, he must also know that an emperor doesn¡¯t give his words as a joke.
If the emperor goes back on his words, then where would the emperor¡¯s prestige be?!
After being rebuked by Lord Chengen, Gu Jing understood. He solemnly bowed to Lord Chengen and said, ¡°Thank you, Grandfather, for your guidance.¡±
Thinking that Gu Jing might have through disappointment during these days, Lord Chengen didn¡¯t mind his previous words to heart and just nodded his head as he said, ¡°Your Highness, you should prepare well during these days, as you will be going on a military expedition soon.¡±
Gu Jing regained hisposure and said brightly, ¡°Grandfather, don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t disappoint you.¡± Gu Jing was ambitious, for him Gu Zezhi and Yu Fuyun were nothing. He would let his emperor father know that he was also capable in both literature and martial arts, capable of governing the country and wielding martial arts.
Sipping his tea, Lord Chengen remembered something and asked with concern, ¡°Your Highness, this is a long way to Jinzhou, your injury¡¡± Lord Chengen was worried that Gu Jing¡¯s injury would not fully heal and would affect this expedition.
Gu Jing¡¯s face suddenly stiffened, with a hint of embarrassment and gloom in his eyes. His tone was awkward as he said, ¡°Grandfather, don¡¯t worry, this won¡¯t dy our expedition.¡±
***
Chapter 360
Chapter 360
Lord Chengen raised his eyebrows, vaguely feeling that Gu Jing seemed a little upset but didn¡¯t ask him further, he only thought that Gu Jing was acting like this because he was stabbed by Yelu Luan.
He pondered for a moment and sighed, ¡°The matter of the Qin family has already caused a lot of trouble¡ You¡¯d better restrain yourself, otherwise, how can the Empress Dowager agree to marry Hanjun to you.¡±
Originally, he had already convinced the empress dowager so he did not expect that only after two days, the empress dowager would say that Gu Jing already had a favored concubine and given Fang Hanjun¡¯s family history, she would not be a good match for Gu Jing.
Well, he has to say, this was all because of the Qin family¡¯s bad reputation. Ai, why did the second prince fall in love with this woman! Lord Chengen heavily sighed again.
Meanwhile, as soon as Lord Chengen mentioned Qin Xin, Gu Jing couldn¡¯t help but pursed his lips as he subconsciously exerted more force on the right hand holding the wine cup, and his body tenses up.
He was disgusted and hated Qin Xin, and was about to agree with Lord Chengen when he heard him say first, ¡°Your Highness, the Qin family has wealth, and this time, the money still needs to be raised by the Qin family. I asked Qin Zhunst month but he made excuses and was not as willing as before, you¡¯d better pacify the Qin family for now, and the rest will be discussed after your victory¡¡± Anyway, Fang Hanjun still has to observe mourning for her mother for a year, so they still have time to make Empress Dowager change her mind about the second prince.
Gu Jing: ¡°¡¡±
Gu Jing grasped the wine cup even harder, finally nodding his head in response.
Lord Chengen talks more before he left Gu Jing.
Gu Jing then has someone send Lord Chengen out before seating alone in the outer study and recalling what Lord Chengen had said, feeling happy, flustered, and aggrieved at the same time.
He drank wine, one cup after another until a young attendant came to report, ¡°Your Highness, Concubine Qin is asking to see you.¡±
Gu Jing instinctively wanted to say no, but when the words reached his lips, he remembered Lord Chengen¡¯s words and finally changed his words. ¡°Let her in.¡±
The young attendant soon led Qin Xin in, who wore lc-colored clothes embroidered with wisteria flowers, looking dainty and graceful.
¡°Your Highness.¡± Qin Xin gently saluted Gu Jing.
She took the initiative to pour Gu Jing wine and personally peeled lychee for him with gentle actions and had her cor a little loose as she faces Gu Jing. ¡°Your Highness, I chilled this lychee with well water. It¡¯s sweet and delicious, Your Highness try it.¡±
Since the interrogation at Jingzhao half a month ago, Qin Xin has never seen Gu Jing again, even aftering to see him every day, she only returns disappointed. Now that Gu Jing was finally willing to see her, Qin Xin finally breathes a sigh of relief.
She knew she had to coax Gu Jing back as soon as possible. Now everyone in the capital knows that her biological parents were murderers, and she was divorced by a fool. If even Gu Jing didn¡¯t want her, she wouldn¡¯t be able to return to the Marquis¡¯s Mansion, and she would have nowhere to go.
Gu Jing stared at the glistening white juicy lychee on her fingertips and finally ate them.
Ecstatic, Qin Xin hurriedly peeled the lychee for him again, Gu Jing wiped the corner of his mouth with a handkerchief and said, ¡°In a few days I¡¯m going on an expedition.¡±
Qin Xin stopped peeling the lychee, her eyebrows slightly moved, and immediately understood that the emperor must have ordered Gu Jing to go, her face was beaming with joy.
Smiling, Qin Xin tteringly said, ¡°Your Highness, this is the emperor thinking highly of you. Congrattion Your Highness.¡±
Gu Jing took a sip of the wine and sighed, ¡°The bandits in Jinzhou have now be a big problem, so emperor father intends to quell the chaos, but he already sent troops to pacify Minzhou too and the treasury is now empty. Not only we don¡¯t have soldiers but so was food, horses, armaments, and many more, all of these needed money. The Ministry of Finance can onlyment forck of funds, while the court is squabbling about this, so emperor father promises that as long as the money is raised, there will be an expedition.¡±
¡°I¡¯m just afraid that emperor father will change his mind again¡¡± Gu Jing faintly sighed as he looks at the wine in the cup with a worried look on his face.
Qin Xin was eager to please him, so seeing him troubled she hurriedly said, ¡°Your Highness, why don¡¯t I go back to the Marquis mansion and tell Father, surely he will definitely find a way to get money together, after all, he is loyal to Your Highness.¡±
A ray of light shed under Gu Jing¡¯s slightly drooping eyes that instantly disappeared, and when he raised his gaze again to look at Qin Xin, he looked gentle and deeply moved.
¡°Xin¡¯er,¡± Gu Jing put his arm around her slender shoulders and let Qin Xin¡¯s head rest on his shoulder, ¡°You¡¯re still thinking of me.¡±
His movements tenderly rubbed twice on Qin Xin¡¯s right upper arm, but his eyes were dark and cold.
¡°Don¡¯t worry, Your Highness.¡± Qin Xin breathed a sigh of relief, as she smiled coquettishly, and apanied Gu Jing to drink wine, the two were talking andughing as if everything was as it had always been.
Outside the window, at an unknown time, there was a strong wind, overcast clouds gathering, and a rainstorm suddenly pours.
The rainstorm came and went quickly, and when the rain stopped in the afternoon, Qin Xin went back to the Marquis mansion to see Qin Zhun.
Qin Zhun initially didn¡¯t want to get involved in this expedition, when he was approached by Lord Chengen, he wasn¡¯t just giving excuses, he really didn¡¯t have any money on him. He was embarrassed to tell Qin Xin that the expenses in the Marquis mansion now depended on pawns.
Whilst, Qin Xin only thought Qin Zhun was reluctant to part with his money and was unwilling to bet on the second prince, so she patientlyy out the facts and reasoned with him.
¡°Father, wealth and riches are found in danger*.¡±
(*to be sessful one has to pay more than ordinary people and even take more risks)
¡°Now is the time when the second prince needs help, and you also said it is better to send charcoal in snow*.¡±
(*provide help in hour¡¯s need.)
¡°If you want to earn the dragon¡¯s merit, you must let the second prince see your sincerity. Right now, this is a big deal, once the second prince has military merits, Lord Chengen can reasonably ask the emperor to appoint a crown prince.¡±
What Qin Xin¡¯s words were Qin Zhun¡¯s hidden desire, so he finally agreed. Also, if he don¡¯t agree, his previous investment would be tantamount to losing all his money, moreover, the bandits in Jinzhou were mere chaos, as long as the second prince could go out and pacify them, it would be nothing difficult then this would be a great victory!
***
Chapter 361
Chapter 361
Qin Zhun tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep all night until he finally made up his mind, so the next afternoon the Qin mansion, Qin Jiu weed a rare guest.
Regardless if they were separated from the family, Qin Zhun was still Qin Jiu and Qin Zeyu¡¯s biological uncle, and the siblings couldn¡¯t just turn down their elders, so they weed him in the main hall and served him good tea.
Although Qin Jiu more or less guessed why Qin Zhun visited, she was still stunned by the other party¡¯s attitude, he really looked like someone who came to visit for ulterior motives.
¡°Jiu¡¯er, I came to see you this time because I want to ask the turnover of 150,000 taels of silver.¡± Qin Zhun said to Qin Jiu straightforwardly, though he used the word ¡®turnover¡¯ but in fact, he was ¡®demanding¡¯.
Qin Jiu embarrassingly said, ¡°Second Uncle, I can¡¯t make a decision since Eldest Brother is not here.¡±
As soon as he opened his mouth, all he said was 150,000 teals, and his tone was really loud!
Qin Zhun already expected Qin Jiu would not agree so readily. So, he justly said. ¡°Jiu¡¯er, I also know that Ning¡¯er went to Minzhou, but water from afar quenches not fire*, and Jinzhou is also now in disorder because of the bandits, the imperial court wants to pacify Jinzhou but the treasury is empty, so as children of Daqi, shouldn¡¯t we do our part for the country.¡±
(*slow remedy does not address current emergency)
¡°Of course!¡± Qin Jiu nodded confidently, ¡°Second Uncle wants to do his best for the country, it¡¯s a righteous act, and as a niece I definitely support it and surely grandma will not object to it too.¡±
Qin Zhun earnestly added, ¡°Jiu¡¯er, your grandma is already old, so there is no need for her to worry about this matter.¡±
¡°Second uncle is right.¡± Qin Jiu said perfunctorily, and with a smile ordered a servant to change Qin Zhun¡¯s tea.
Seeing her avoiding the topic, Qin Zhun was a bit annoyed and said in a firm voice, ¡°Jiu¡¯er, I am your uncle, you can¡¯t just break the bones and connect the tendons*. I had a difficult time today, so I came to you asking for the turnover, but you are still afraid that I won¡¯t be able to make it?!¡±
(*blood rted)
Qin Jiu¡¯s body shrank, pinching her handkerchief, she pretended to cry. ¡°Sniff, sniff, uncle, what are you talking about, I also know your having a difficult time, but eldest brother is not here, and my other brother is still so young¡¡±
Qin Zeyu, who was still ¡®so young¡¯, almost choked on the tea and dared not drink it, and just silently looked at her sister.
¡°I am a girl, so how dare I call the shots¡ How about this, I see that the Magistrate, Lord Hu is wise and just, solving cases like some god. So, how about getting his advice for this?¡±
The girl in front of him was really not easy to persuade! Qin Zhun thought to himself. Seeing that Qin Jiu wanted to go to the court again, frightened, he hurriedly stopped her, ¡°Jiu¡¯er, this is a family matter, there is no reason to bother Lord Hu! If everyone bothered him with family matters, he wouldn¡¯t have enough time even if he had three heads and six arms!¡±
Qin Jiu blinked in confusion, ¡°Second Uncle, didn¡¯t you say that we are Daqi¡¯s children and that we should do our part for the country? Is this a country matter or a family matter?¡±
Qin Zhun: ¡°¡.¡±
Seeing his uncle being led by his sister, Qin Zeyu was overjoyed and couldn¡¯t help but hooked his lips upward.
Meanwhile, Qin Zhun¡¯splexion changes green and white as hemented to himself that this niece, he picked up from outside was a treacherous woman. Just like the saying, when a soldier meets a schr it¡¯s pointless to argue.
Helpless, Qin Zhun struggled to weigh the pros and cons for a while, and seeing that he really had no other choice, he finally kindly said. ¡°Jiu¡¯er, I know that you are looking for your family, and even if I¡¯m your uncle, you¡¯re still worried I¡¯ll cheat so how about your uncle write IOU, you should feel relieved right?¡± Qin Zhun felt like his heart was being cut by a knife as he said this.
Qin Jiu slowly sipped on her tea, reflected on the tea water were her eyes, clear and bright.
She knew Qin Zhun was not lying to her on the matter about the imperial court wanting to suppress the bandits in Jinzhou.
The question was, why did the court want Qin Zhun to pay for the suppression of bandits?
Or rather, why was Qin Zhun ¡°insisting¡± on paying? Was there any benefit to him?
Her gaze shes as Qin Jiu said, ¡°Of course, I believe in second uncle. I heard that the mountain bandits in Jinzhou are fierce and upy the mountains like kings, and even the court can¡¯t do anything about them¡¡±
¡°Jiu¡¯er, you can¡¯t say that outside.¡± Frowning, Qin Zhun said, ¡°A mere mountain bandit is nothing, but the treasury is empty, so the emperor could not send troops to fight them. We as subjects should naturally share the worries of the emperor.¡± Qin Zhun sounded righteous and upright.
Share the worries of the emperor? Qin Jiu recited these words meaningfully, but never a second did she thought that her second uncle who was only thinking about the dragon¡¯s merit had this awareness. Wait, dragon¡¯s merit!
An idea suddenly shes into her mind, could this matter have something to do with Gu Jing?!
If Qin Zhun was raising money for Gu Jing¡
The emperor, Gu Jing, and the money.
Qin Jiu put these three together and immediately understood: Gu Jing wanted to lead troops to suppress bandits in Jinzhou, but the national treasury did not have money, so he had to raise money on his own.
There was only one person in Daqi who could send Gu Jing to the army¡ª¡ª
The emperor!
In other words, the emperor was emptying the gloves white wolf*?!
(*referring to deception methods used by scammers who go around cheating without making an investment)
s, this uncle emperor was too cunning!
Qin Jiu inwardly admired him and knew that once this money was raised, it was most likely that money would not be reimbursed then this also means that the Qin family was just giving his money away to help Gu Jing achieve sess and fame.
However, one was willing to fight, and the other was willing to suffer, otherwise, why would Qin Zhun still want to spend money to buy a dragon¡¯s merit, funny thing was he wanted to use the eldest house¡¯s money in exchange. His abacus calction was really on point!
When the country was in trouble, one could pay for their own money but they would not be stupid enough to be someone else¡¯s money bag!
¡°Second uncle¡¯s great righteousness makes me ashamed.¡± Qin Jiu pursed her cherry lips and sighed, ¡°Ai, I want to help Second Uncle, but I really don¡¯t have the cash on hand.¡±
Qin Zhun: ¡°!!¡±
***
Chapter 362
Chapter 362
Qin Zhun was about to lose his cool and p the table, when the family split, the eldest house received 150,000 taels of cash. All he wanted was to borrow this, but Qin Jiu actually had the face to tell him she had no cash on her.
When Qin Jiu meaningfully sighed and said, ¡°Although we receive a little amount when the family separated, I didn¡¯t know before that it wasn¡¯t easy to manage a mansion, now I understand Second Aunt¡¯s difficulties. The mansion has many expenses, and every day we need to spend money.¡± Qin Jiu counted with her fingers with a troubled look evident on her face, ¡°I¡¯m getting married soon, and my eldest and younger brother still needs to find a wife, how can that money be enough.¡±
¡°¡¡¡± Qin Zhun felt that it was shameless for an unmarried girl like Qin Jiu to actually talk about marriage all the time, which noble girl in the capital was like her!
Qin Jiu, on the other hand, continued to ramble. ¡°Second Uncle wants to do his best for the country, which is a great public justice, so, of course, this niece can¡¯t stop it, but the family needs money too, and IOUs can¡¯t be used for food.¡±
Her words were close to saying that Qin Zhun was only generous to others.
His sister¡¯s mouth was absolutely the best, no, perfect. Qin Zeyu almost burst intoughter, luckily, he was able to hold his self after sheer strength and divert his attention. Peeling lychee for himself to eat, he thought: It¡¯s so sweet! It smells so good too!
Meanwhile, Qin Zhun gnashes as words came out through the gaps between his teeth. ¡°Jiu¡¯er, what are you talking about! If you are notfortable with IOU, second uncle will give you a portion of his estate as coteral, this should make you feel at ease, right?¡±
Qin Jiu shook her head and smiled, ¡°What is second uncle saying, coteral is unnecessary, we are, after all, a family.¡±
Qin Zhun was overjoyed when he heard this, thinking that Qin Jiu wouldn¡¯t be too shameless to take her second uncle¡¯s property as coteral.
Qin Zeyu who was watching this scene unfold, could see what Qin Zhun was thinking at a nce, and couldn¡¯t help but inwardly sigh: Second Uncle really underestimated his sister.
Sure enough¡ª
¡°The eldest house will buy it from second uncle so that you don¡¯t have to write an IOU.¡± Qin Jiu sounded like she was thinking after Qin Zhun¡¯s sake.
The corner of Qin Zhun¡¯s eye twitched, and was once again ready to flip the table as he thought to himself: This girl was too cunning, not a single thing she said was the truth, didn¡¯t she say she didn¡¯t have any cash on hand!
He has to say, if Qin Jiu hadn¡¯te back, the Marquis family wouldn¡¯t have split and his family wouldn¡¯t have fallen into this situation!
If they hadn¡¯t split the family, then the money and properties of the eldest house would still belong to him, and he could use it however he wants. But now, not only was the eldest house get 70% of the marquis¡¯s assets, but he also has to humble himself to borrow money from Qin Jiu.
Could it be that Qin Jiu was his enemy in his previous life, and she came here to defeat him in this life! Qin Zhun couldn¡¯t help but think as he secretly gritted his teeth even more.
Qin Zeyu watched Qin Zhun¡¯s face burst from blue to purple and then white, at the same time, he was afraid that his second uncle would get a stroke due to anger because of his sister. Now that he thinks of it, if he had a stroke, should he invite a physician toe over or send him back to the marquis in a hurry?
With this scenario running into his head, Qin Zeyu was lost in his thoughts.
It took a while before Qin Zhun calmed down and asked Qin Jiu, ¡°Then what do you want?¡±
Qin Jiu replied, ¡°The Qin family¡¯s threemercial buildings and fourmercial sea trade in Minzhou.¡±
What a lion¡¯s mouth! Qin Zhun almost angrilyughed at her, this wonderful niece of his was deliberately taking advantage of the fire to rob him.
Qin Jiu really has the face to open her mouth big! The Qin family¡¯smercial buildings in Minzhou and sea trade business, who does not know that these businesses were very profitable. Once the sea trade resumed, and the goods from the West were liquidated, it would naturally solve his current dilemma.
If not for the fact that Qin Zening was not here right now, and if not for the fact that Qin Zening has no ability to predict that he woulde to borrow money, Qin Zhun almost wonders if Qin Zening instigated Qin Jiu to do this.
¡°Just one hundred and fifty thousand taels formercial buildings andmercial sea trade in Minzhou?!¡± Qin Zhun finally couldn¡¯t bear it anymore and stood up as he ps the table.
The ¡®pped¡¯ was so loud that the teacup on the side table vibrated, and a few drops of tea sshed out.
Facing Qin Zhun¡¯s re, Qin Jiu just leisurely drink her tea, unaffected, as if seeing Mount Tai copses has nothing to do with her, her expression remained unchanged.
Seeing his sister¡¯sposure, Qin Zeyu felt that he mustn¡¯t embarrass his sister, so he quickly picked up his teacup and straightened his back.
Qin Zhun: ¡°¡¡±
Qin Zhun really wants to leave immediately but he was desperate, he needed to raise that money.
So, after hesitating for a while, he still suppressed his raging anger and tried to bargain with Qin Jiu, he said politely, ¡°Jiu¡¯er, the business in Minzhou is the fruit of your grandfather¡¯s hard work, and he always wants me to seed it, how about this, how about I give one of them to the eldest house?¡±
Sighing deeply, Qin Jiu said. ¡°Second Uncle, I¡¯m not pretending to be poor, I really don¡¯t have enough cash here. If someone else hade to borrow money, let alone 150,000, even 10,000 would not be possible.¡±
Her eyes were shining brightly as she said these words insincerely.
¡°Second uncle, why don¡¯t you go back and think about it again?¡± She kindly advised, ¡°Empress Aunt always taught me to act within my means and think twice before I act, I also think this is true.¡±
¡°¡¡¡± Qin Zhun felt that Qin Jiu was just too sinister.
Flicking his sleeve, Qin Zhun acted like he was about to leave but Qin Jiu didn¡¯t stop him, instead, he heard her say to Qin Zeyu, ¡°A¡¯yu, send our second uncle off.¡±
Qin Zeyu, who was originally watching the y, did not expect to be called all of a sudden and was momentarily stunned before he immediately stood up and courteously reached out his hand politely, ¡°Second uncle, I¡¯ll see you off.¡±
Just like Qin Jiu, Qin Zeyu has no intention of stopping Qin Zhun from going, only thinking that he couldn¡¯t shame his sister, and politely show his etiquette. Who made him the only man in the Qin mansion now!
Qin Zeyu suddenly felt that the responsibility on his shoulders was truly heavy, and admired himself at the same time.
Meanwhile, Qin Zhun¡¯s feet seemed to be in shackles, unable to move an inch.
***
Chapter 363
Chapter 363
Qin Zhun looked at Qin Zeyu, and then at Qin Jiu, before he helplesslypromised. ¡°Okay, I agree.¡±
Saying these wordsing from his mouth was so agonizing as if it cost him half his life.
If only he could raise the money without getting their help, he wouldn¡¯t have bitten the bullet ande here, how could he allow Qin Jiu to bully him so much!
The money that was allotted for the mansion was given to Gu Jing, including the filial piety he gave to help the second prince win over other ministers, the benefits he gave to Yelu Luan for the Turkic horsest time, and the ¡°housewarming gift¡± he gave to the second prince.
While the proceeds of the shops and farms were generally received only at the end of the year.
He could barely scrape together this time, but he could only scrape 100,000 taels, which was definitely not enough.
Beforeing here, Qin Zhun had already tried to collect old debts, but time was too tight and didn¡¯t get much back.
Of course, he had another option like borrowing money from rtives and friends, but the problem was that he couldn¡¯t bare to open his mouth and asked, apart from the fact that he was the marquis, more importantly, if he borrows money from outsiders and waits for the second prince to return victoriously in the future, who would get the credit?! Wouldn¡¯t it be unfair to let others get a share of the dragon¡¯s merit?!
Moreover, if it were to reach the ears of the Second Prince and find out that their Qin family has gone ¡°bankrupt¡± and went to borrow money, what would the Second Prince think?
So, after much deliberation, Qin Zhun remembered that the eldest house had money, and asking his family members for money would not count as a loan, so here he was. Unexpectedly, Qin Jiu had a lion¡¯s mouth, but he could only let her take the knife to his heart and cut it.
If themercial buildings and sea trade in Minzhou were sold to other people, even if the price was lowered, it would definitely be more than 150,000 taels! The sea trade route opened up the by Qin family alone was worth a fortune.
But if he sells it to someone else¡¯s family, then that would also mean that he would be selling his family¡¯s assets, and if word gets out to the n, it¡¯s enough to be criticized behind his back!
Compared to Qin Zhun¡¯s sullen face, Qin Jiu looked refreshed as she said with a smile, ¡°Then asking second uncle to bring the deed, let¡¯s sign it early and send it to the government for filing.¡±
As she said that, she deliberately paused again, ¡°However, I¡¯m not in a hurry, after all, second uncle said this is grandfather¡¯s heart and soul, why don¡¯t second uncle go back and think about it again for one night.¡±
Qin Zeyu who was neither standing nor sitting, thought: Was second uncle going or not?
Qin Zhun felt this heart dripping with blood as if arge chunk of flesh had been ruthlessly gouged out.
After all, sea trade was the most profitable industry of the Qin family.
The Qin family¡¯s property was umted by their ancestors, because of the rules that they could inherit seventy percent of the family¡¯s properties and assets, Qin Zhun didn¡¯t really lose much when the eldest house separated from the family.
Sea trade was the foundation established by thete Marquis; he builds it step by step from its foundation.
When the old Marquis was exiled to Minzhou for more than three years, he saw the potential of Minzhou¡¯s sea trade. So, after the current emperor ascended the throne, he strongly advised him to lift the sea ban and develop sea trade to fill the national treasury.
Under the promotion of thete Marquis, many merchants from the capital and Jiangnan went to Minzhou to set up their businesses, among these people was also the Qin family. They were one of the people in the first caravan overseas, and in just a few years, the Qin family just by relying on sea trade they umted wealth, and was flourishing and thriving¡
After thete Marquis passed away, the property was naturally sent to his second son who inherited the family business.
Qin Zhun clenches and releases his fist over and over again.
Qin Jiu might have said that there was no need to hurry, but Qin Zhun was in a hurry, or rather, the second prince was in a hurry. The second prince was in a hurry to go out to make a contribution and to show his support and sincerity, he needs to send the money as soon as possible.
¡°It¡¯s not necessary. I have thought it through.¡± Qin Zhun resolutely said, and immediately called in the servant boy waiting outside the hall under the eaves, instructing him to go back to the house to get the deed paper and ount book.
On the same day, three uncles and nephews signed and pledge as witnesses to transfer the ownership of themercial buildings and sea trade, and sent these documents to the government for record. All formalities werepleted in just one hour.
After Qin Zhun received 150,000 taels of silver notes, not wanting to hear Qin Jiu say a word he immediately left with a darkplexion.
Qin Zeyu hurriedly sends the guest off but the other party only said ¡°forget it¡±. Hearing this from his uncle, Qin Zeyu also didn¡¯t bother to put on a warm face on other people¡¯s cold reception and just watched Qin Zhun leave quickly.
Meanwhile, Qin Jiu felt she had made a fortune, with squinting eyes sheughed as she looked at Qin Zhun¡¯s receding back outside the main hall, she then said with a smile, ¡°This was really a good deal!¡±
Even if Qin Jiu was still unfamiliar with the ancient business, she still knows that the sea trade could make a lot of money, moreover, she not only trusts herself, but she also trusts her golden thigh. Once her big brother and golden thigh pacify the Minzhou, then it would be a good time for the sea trade again.
Moreover, the Qin family¡¯s sea trade still has arge scale, with ships, people, shops, andmercial routes. She could just directly take over and just wait for Minzhou to settle, by then she would just count money every day.
And earn a fortune.
Qin Jiu was quite satisfied with ¡°sitting at home, counting money¡±.
Qin Zeyu who watched until the end, inwardly sighed: His sister was really ck-bellied, undoubtedly, and definitely ck-bellied.
However, it was so refreshing to watch his Second Uncle¡¯s defeated appearance.
His sister really hits the vital points directly! Powerfully and violently!
***
Chapter 364
Chapter 364
Earlier, Qin Zeyu actually did not understand some parts of the talk but since it was inconvenient to ask, he waited for the outsider to depart before directly asking, ¡°Third sister, why does second uncle need so much money? Is it really for the expedition?¡±
In Qin Zeyu¡¯s opinion, if the country was in trouble, and needs help to quell the chaos, he had no problem if the family contributes some money but it was not to the point of making wedding clothes for others and happily watching people getting married*.
(*so busy that one doesn¡¯t get any benefits, but instead contributes to other people¡¯s good deeds.)
Also, second uncle may sound so righteous, but in fact, he was just obviously selfish and wanted to ¡°use¡± their eldest house name grandly in the name of national righteousness.
¡°Aiyo, our A¡¯yu has really grown up!¡± Qin Jiuplimented with a smile and casually exined, ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s for the second prince.¡±
Qin Zeyu pensively touched his nose, ¡°Second uncle is so eager topete for the dragon¡¯s merit¡¡±
Suddenly, Qin Zeyu remembered what happened when the family separated, and as if a thunderbolt hit him, he finally understands something. ¡°Third sister, was second uncle been sending money to the second prince?¡±
Qin Jiu nodded as she ate cherries, ¡°If these things are left in second uncle¡¯s hands, sooner orter they will be scourged, so it¡¯s better for us to take them back.¡±
Picking up the ledger book, Qin Jiu was casually flipping , looking like a money fanatic as her eyes sparkled like ck gemstones.
¡°Third sister,¡± Qin Zeyu leaned over and looked at Qin Jiu with a salivating face, ¡°I heard that a new restaurant has opened on the west side of the capital, how about we go and have a nice meal today?¡±
¡°Go! It¡¯s on me!¡±
The Qin siblings went out to eat a big meal together, on the other hand, after Qin Zhun left the Qin mansion, he immediately went to the second prince¡¯s residence without stopping, sending the total of 250,000 taels of silver he had gathered, which of course was far from enough to eliminate the bandits. But Lord Chengen and his supporters were also diligently raising enough money.
And in just five days, Lord Chengen asked the emperor for an order at the morning court.
¡°Your Majesty, the people in Jinzhou are in turmoil and are not living well, and this caused the ministers and I to be rmed and anxious at this, so we went and do our part for the court. In the past few days, the ministers have generously donated money and raised 500,000 taels of silver.¡±
¡°I request Your Majesty¡¯s permission to send troops to pacify the bandits in Jinzhou and return peace and prosperity to our Daqi.¡±
Lord Chengen spoke with impassioned enthusiasm, like a virtuous minister for the county and the people. Then, waited for the emperor¡¯s reply with bated breath.
Meanwhile, the other ministers¡¯ expression varies, some looked at the emperor with burning gazes like Lord Chengen, while some felt that Lord Chengen and his supporters were really generous people, some calmly waited and others pondered what was the emperor thinking¡
At this time, the emperor looked really moved as he said, ¡°Since my ministers were worried about the country and the people, I am pleased. I allow it.¡±
Lord Chengen breathed a sigh of relief as soon as he hears the emperor¡¯s next words, ¡°Pass on my decree, appointing the second prince to supervise the troops, with Wang Lizhi leading 30,000 soldier of our military to Jinzhou, to suppress the bandits.¡±
It¡¯s done! The corners of Lord Chengen¡¯s mouth curled up. They were not surprised that the emperor sent Wang Lizhi to lead the troops, the second prince has never led an army before, so the emperor must have sent a military general as themander-in-chief. While having the second prince as the military supervisor was enough, after all, as long as Jinzhou was pacified, the credit would still belong to the second prince!
On that same day, when the official imperial decree came out, Qin Zeyu who was hanging out with his friends outside, immediately learned about it.
He also understood the reason why his second uncle was so anxious to get the money.
Qin Zeyu also concluded that his sister was the smartest, and profiting from someone¡¯s misfortune was beautifully done!
With the money in ce, everything was easy to handle and the Ministry of War was able to move quickly, so on the second day of the sixth month of the year, food and rations were delivered first, then three dayster, the thirty thousand soldiers from the military camp led by the second prince, Gu Jing, and Wang Lizhi departed to Jinzhou. The emperor ordered the Ministry of Rites to see off the army on his behalf.
This scene shocked the entire capital, themon people who saw these also went to see the army off, hoping to see what the rumored infatuated second prince looked like.
The bandits in Jinzhou had troubled the emperor for nearly a year, and now that the problem could be solved without spending a penny, he was obviously happy. And for several days, he chatted with the empress happily.
Within a few days, Empress Wei learned about ¡°ck eating ck*¡± from Qin Jiu who entered the pce to greet her and cheerfully ryed the story to the emperor.
(*seize the property obtained by others by the same improper means)
Emperor: ¡°¡¡±
After being momentarily surprised, the emperor sighed. ¡°It seems that thete Marquis¡¯s brilliance and wisdom were inherited by Xia Jiu.¡± Looking at Qin Zening and Qin Zeyu, these brothers, were both stupid and senseless.
Empress Wei felt happy when she thought about her little niece, however regretfully, she couldn¡¯t give birth to a little padded jacket like her.
Taking a sip of tea, the empress suddenly remembered something and said, ¡°Your Majesty, Xiao Jiu¡¯s hairpin day will be next month. It was a good thing that the family separated but now that it¡¯s like this, what should I do with Xiao Jiu¡¯s ceremony? Both Zening and Zezhi are still in Minzhou.¡±
She couldn¡¯t just take her niece to the pce and handle it herself, because if she really does, she may need an imperial envoy.
A whileter, on the same day at the Qin residence, a servant ushered in two momo from the pce brought by Xiao Kouzi herself, ¡°Third Miss Qin, the empress specially ordered Ming Li momo and He Miao momo to conduct youring of age ceremony.¡±
It was only then that Qin Jiu remembered she¡¯s turning fifteen soon. In ancient times, theing of age-ceremony also known as the hairpin day was the most important day besides wedding.
Li and He momo smilingly bowed to Qin Jiu, they both knew that Empress Wei favored and loved this niece, so they were all polite and smiling. The two of them said;
¡°Third Miss Qin should just rx, the main guest and the host of the ceremony will be arranged by Empress Wei, if third Miss Qin has any good friends, you can invite them to be yourpanion.¡±
¡°The empress said, after Third Miss Qin¡¯sing of age ceremony, the wedding date will also be put on the agenda.¡±
¡°That¡¯s why this servant and He momo were instructed by the empress to talk about the ceremony.¡±
¡°If there is anything you don¡¯t understand, just tell this servant. Don¡¯t be polite.¡±
***
Chapter 365
Chapter 365
The two momo¡¯s chatted on and on, so much that Qin Jiu felt a little dazed.
Wedding date?! She¡¯s only fifteen years old!
But now that she thinks about it, most of the ancientdies seemed to get married after theiring-of-age ceremony, so does this also mean, she would soon get married?
How could this be so unreal?!
Qin Jiu felt a little confused and almost couldn¡¯t help but pinched her thigh, she also couldn¡¯t register what the momos continued talking about.
When Qin Jiu came back to her senses, the two momo already measured her size.
After the momo¡¯s exined the ceremony to Qin Jiu, she realizes that she had to change into three clothes, four in total. The style of these dresses had been decided by Empress Wei and on the day of theing age ceremony, Qin Jiu would have two momo who would help her. In short, she didn¡¯t need to do anything, she only needs to memorize the process for theing age of ceremony and set some etiquette standards.
Thus, Qin Jiu would have all the time she wants.
And since she has all the time, the unlucky Qin Zeyu would have his sister watching him every day until he felt dizzy reading those books, and while in a daze, he saw himself in the future proficient in both literature and martial arts, making him the country¡¯s pir!
After watching Qin Zeyu finished reciting an article again, she was about to let him go and rest when a servant came to report, ¡°Third Miss, fifth master, master has sent a letter from Minzhou.¡±
Hearing this, the siblings were overjoyed.
The servant presents the letter to Qin Jiu, and under Qin Zeyu¡¯s scorching gaze, Qin Jiu couldn¡¯t wait to open the letter. The envelope was very thick because it also has Gu Zezhi¡¯s letter in addition to Qin Zening¡¯s letter to his family.
Immediately, Qin Jiu¡¯s eyes lit up, and handed Qin Zening¡¯s letter to Qin Zeyu, holding Gu Zezhi¡¯s letter to read herself with a faint smile on her lips.
Seeing how happy his sister was, Qin Zeyu thought that Qin Zening had written a letter to each of them, so he stretched his neck towards her, ¡°Third sister, what did big brother say to you? Making you smile so happily, let¡¯s change!¡±
Qin Zeyu felt that the letter in Qin Jiu¡¯s hand has an even funnier story so he shoved the letter in his hand in Qin Jiu¡¯s hand, and tries to snatch the letter in her hand.
But of course, Qin Jiu wouldn¡¯t let Qin Zeyu do whatever he wants, and flicked his head, ¡°Get lost!¡±
Qin Zeyu patted his head vigorously, while Du Ruo at the side looked amused and whispered, ¡°The letter is from third master.¡±
It turned out to be a letter from Third Brother Gu! Qin Zeyu suddenly realized that his sister was really difficult to serve, why couldn¡¯t she just simply tell him?
Qin Zeyu dutifully read Qin Zening¡¯s letter in his hand, then nces at Qin Jiu after ten lines, afraid that he would miss a word so he read slowly and silently.
Meanwhile, the letter Qin Jiu was reading was about Gu Zezhi arriving at Minzhou safely.
The letter narrates his journey and the things he had seen and heard along the way. At the end of the letter, he drew a few strokes of a man standing with his hand behind his back, looking intently at the red bean tree. The man¡¯s hair in the drawing was half tied with a few loose strands scattered as the wind blows, and his robe fluttered, looking like a clear and clean sky after a rain.
An ancient poem naturally appeared in Qin Jiu¡¯s mind, ¡°Red beans grow in the South¡±
And thest line of this poem was, ¡°This thing yearns me the most.¡±
Was the golden thigh telling her that he misses her very much?
So, this was a love letter?!
Suddenly Qin Jiu¡¯s heart was thumping a little faster and was feeling sweet as if she had eaten honey, then a smile bloomed on her face and her eyebrows curved, she couldn¡¯t help but stretched her finger out to trace the man on the paper.
When hees back, she must ask him to draw a picture of her too!
A momentter, after staring at the date on the letter and counting the days, she muttered. ¡°It¡¯s been about twenty days now, and I don¡¯t know how the battle is going.¡±
Meanwhile, Qin Zeyu finished reading Qin Zening¡¯s letter again and casually put the letter aside, and said, ¡°It¡¯s still unclear if eldest brother can make it to third sister¡¯sing age ceremony. I heard that the pirates in Minzhou are particrly cunning, they would immediately run away after robbing things ashore, and are elusive at sea¡¡±
¡°There¡¯s still one month¡¡± Qin Jiu counted the days again, ¡°I guess they wouldn¡¯t make it. Forget it, it¡¯s just a birthday, and we can celebrate it together next year.¡±
Qin Jiu doesn¡¯t really mind, after all, she was not really the traditional type of person, to her, theing-age ceremony was not a big deal. However, it was different for Qin Zeyu, he felt that his sister was too pitiful, knowing that neither their eldest brother nor third Brother Gu could be present on such a big day, ai, he has to find a way to support his sister!
Qin Zeyu secretly pondered, and looked at Qin Jiu, her sister said those things nonchntly but he could see she was slightly frowning, so he inwardlymented to himself: So, his sister really wanted them to be here, right?
On the other hand, Qin Jiu didn¡¯t notice her younger brother looking at her with pitiful eyes and was instead lost in her thought, thinking that she spends too much of her time rxing, too rxed that she forgot to invite Yun Jiao.
After carefully thinking about it, she sent someone to inform the house of Count Yun that she would be visiting Yun Jiao.
Apart from Yun Jiao, she doesn¡¯t have any particrly good friends in the capital.
After hearing Qin Jiu¡¯s purpose for visiting her, Yun Jiao readily agreed while feeling disbelief, ¡°You really want me to be yourpanion?¡±
Qin Jiu couldn¡¯t contain her smile as she nodded, ¡°Really.¡±
She smoothly took the invitation handed to her by Du Ruo and personally handed it to Yun Jiao, ¡°The invitation is the proof.¡±
Yun Jiao looked at therge red invitation beautifully sprinkled with gold in her hand and smiled, ¡°Then I will ept it.¡± Her eyes stered on the invitation, looking at it lovingly, ¡°Although my mother has already received an invitation from the Empress, this one is for me.¡±
She decided that she would take this invitation to Qin Jiu¡¯sing-of-age ceremony that day.
Qin Jiu: ¡°?¡±
This was when Qin Jiu realize that Empress Wei had already given the Yun family the invitation.
Seeing that Qin Jiu didn¡¯t seem to know, Yun Jiao said with a smile, ¡°Many people have received your invitation, moreover, they are all written by the Empress herself.¡± This alone, she could say that no princess has this kind of fortune!
Qin Jiu: ¡°¡¡±
Hearing this immediately warmed Qin Jiu¡¯s heart, Empress Wei was treating her really well.
***
Chapter 366
Chapter 366
Qin Jiu originally didn¡¯t really care much about theing-of-age ceremony but after hearing Yun Jiao, she became a little nervous and felt that she had to ask the two momos if there was anything else she needed to pay attention to.
At this time, Yun Jiao beamingly smiled at Qin Jiu as she offered her to a drink fruit juice. Qin Jiu took a sip, and instantly her eyes lit up.
¡°Is it delicious?¡± Yun Jiao proudly smiled, ¡°This is our cook¡¯s secret recipe, I especially had it chilled, now that the weather is hot, drinking this is especially refreshing.¡±
While drinking the sweet and sour fruit juice, Qin Jiu looked around the reception pavilion where she was, and praised. ¡°It¡¯s really cool here.¡± Even though there was no ice basin, it was refreshing as autumn.
Yun Jiao was even more pleased as she said, ¡°My father invited andscape specialist in Jiangnan to remodel the garden. The location of this pavilion is very particr, it is built next to the pond, where there is also bamboo grove, as well as flowers and trees, the rockery outside is blocking the sun, making this ce cool.¡±
As Yun Jiao said this, her expression slightly changed, and muttered to herself, ¡°I don¡¯t know how¡¯s dad now in the northern border¡¡±
She was silent for a moment, before raising her head and hurriedly said to Qin Jiu. ¡°Although there is little hardship, it¡¯s still better this way.¡±
¡°When the second prince was kicked out of the pce, father said he was d that our family expressed our wishes to the emperor early on. I don¡¯t know what those people were thinking, the emperor was obviously already very impatient with the second prince, so why did some people still insist on betting on him!¡±
Saying this, she could see her maidservant sweating coldly for her, and as if telling her how could she dare say this to Third Miss Qin!
Qin Jiu on the other hand, just took another sip of juice as she said calmly, ¡°Because of the benefits, someone said that double benefits can make people ignore thew to take desperate measures; triple benefits can make people unafraid ofmitting crimes and beheadings.¡±
Yun Jiao tilted her head thoughtfully and p her hands once, ¡°Like a bunch of gamblers!¡±
She felt that she had hit it off with Qin Jiu too much, she enjoyed talking to her, unlike others, who go around in circles and never say what they wanted to say which was very opposite of her, causing her to be scolded by her mother, saying that she was just too blunt and straightforward.
Yun Jiao pursed her lips before gulping down the whole ss of fruit juice. The maidservant hurriedly served her a new ss thinking: Young Miss really has fool¡¯s luck just like the madam, and as the madam said, young miss has a good eye for people, this was what we called natural intuition!
¡°Xiao Jiu.¡± Yun Jiao felt that since Qin Jiu had asked her to be herpanion, she was already her best friend, and called out affectionately, ¡°I¡¯m going to Huangjue Temple tomorrow to pray for my father¡¯s safety, do you want to go together?¡±
Yun Jiao also knew that Qin Jiu¡¯s eldest brother, Qin Zening, and Chenjun both went to war to pacify Minzhou right now.
Qin Jiu thought for a moment and felt that going was better than not, so she readily agreed.
Yun Jiao was even happier, and began to chatter again, ¡°Let me tell you, here is a Grand Master in Huanjue Temple who is very good at interpreting signs, but Master Jing Fang travels around all year, and only came here to visit three times a year at most. I heard from my mother that he came back a few days ago, we have to go quickly, if we goter, Master Jing Fang may have already left again¡¡±
Fearing that Qin Jiu would not believe her, Yun Jiao told her some anecdotes about Master Jing Fang, which made Qin Jiu listen with interest.
Qin Jiu also sees that Yun Jiao speaks straightforwardly and was friendly with her, so they not only went to Huangjie temple together, offered incense, and asked to interpret signs, but also went to dinner, and watched a y together the following day, they also went shopping¡
After spending time together, Qin Jiu couldn¡¯t help but feel that Yun Jiao was truly a young miss from a general¡¯s family, not only did she ride a horse well, but she also had exceptional physical strength. After strolling the street for a while, she was not out of breath nor was she tired. It was Qin Jiu who apologize and asked if they could stop at a tea house to sit and rest for a while.
Inside the shop, Yun Jiao couldn¡¯t stop herself and told Qin Jiu a lot of her little secrets, the two of them often went shopping and could always be seen together, which made Qin Jiu feel that she seemed to have a bosom friend in this world.
On the thirtieth day of the six month, when Yun Jiao came to visit Qin Jiu again to rmend some good books, the dress that Qin Jiu would be wearing on theing age ceremony also arrived.
The bright red dress looked gorgeous and exquisite, and the embroidery on it were sewn stich by stich by a master embroiderer. The silk material was bright and smooth, it was shining like pearls in the sunlight, it was incredibly beautiful.
After Qin Jiu tried on the dress, He momo immediately went back to the pce to report to Empress Wei. ¡°Your Majesty, the dress fits very well, Third Miss Qin is wearing it just right, but this servant sees that the waist needs some adjustment at least a half inch smaller, and the sleeves also need to be cut. Any further revisions will be minor, we will definitely fix them in three days.¡±
¡°Your Majesty really has a good eye, Third Miss Qin has a very fairplexion, so the bright red materials and embroidery on this dress suits her well¡¡±
¡°This servant also likes Third Miss Qin very much.¡±
He momo knew that the Empress cares for Third Miss Qin, so she sweetly said a few more words about Qin Jiu.
And just like she thought, the more Empress Wei listens, the happier she was. But inevitably sighed with a little regret. ¡°Unfortunately, this empress could not see¡with my own eyes¡¡±
Her status as an empress was something honorable and respectable, but it was also some kind of bondage. If she hadn¡¯t married the emperor back then, she would have been able to personally prepare Qin Jiu¡¯sing of age ceremony and would be able to observe the ceremony.
The emperor sharply shivered, feeling the empress¡¯ gaze towards him was filled with disgust.
As if sensing the crisis, the emperor hurriedly said, ¡°I will apany you out of the pce on Xiao Jiu¡¯sing age of ceremony.¡±
***
Chapter 367
Chapter 367
¡°Really?!¡± Empress Wei was delighted and immediately instructed Miao momo, ¡°Miao momo, don¡¯t tell Xiao Jiu about this, this empress and the emperor will give her a surprise.¡±
Miao momo quickly responded before retreating.
A joyful atmosphere bloomed inside the Fengluan Pce.
The pce maids nearby who were serving Empress Wei inwardly sighed, few of them looked at Empress Wei as an honorable person, but they all knew how difficult it had been for the empress for the past ten years, it was thanks to the emperor putting her into his heart always that she could bear these years.
Seeing Empress Wei happy, the corner of emperor¡¯s lips also curved up as the two of them continued talking about the gift they would give to Qin Jiu that day. The emperor ordered Zhou Xin to open the inner warehouse to pick out some jewelry over to choose.
Empress Wei saw that the emperor was not busy today, so she asked, ¡°Does the emperor want to stay and have dinner with me today? Zhen¡¯er will be leaving school soon, too.¡±
¡°I also have not apanied you and Zhen¡¯er in a meal for a few days now.¡± The emperor agreed, while speaking, a slight frown could be seen on his face, remembering why he left his imperial study and came to Fengluan Pce, he turned the topic, ¡°Wang Yu after being quiet for a while, had his son and daughter visit the capital, they should be arriving next month.¡±
Empress Wei slightly frowned. ¡°Are they visiting to pay their filial piety to Consort Fang?¡±
Before thete emperor passed away, he never forgets his beloved concubine and son. He made sure that nothing happens to them after he was gone, so he made the current emperor swear to heaven on his death bed that he would not mistreat Concubine Fang and her son, he even invited the imperial n and the cab of elders as witnesses, afraid that the emperor would not honor the promise.
Empress Wei was also present at that time, and she could see that thete emperor wanted Concubine Fang to go with Wang Yu, to his fiefdom, however because he already wasted his breath by exining everything earlier, so before thete emperor could finish this sentence, he breathed hisst breath.
At that time, Concubine Fang cried mournfully that she almost fainted, those who didn¡¯t know may think that she had a deep affection for thete emperor and wanted to be buried with him.
The emperor simply detained Concubine Fang in the capital, even after Wang Yu requested three times to take her to Yuzhou, the emperor just inly ignored him.
In recent years, the Wang Yu has asionally sent his children to visit Concubine Fang in the capital.
The emperor faintly said. ¡°He was afraid that I had treated the concubine poorly.¡±
Because of theter emperor¡¯s decree, the current emperor would naturally not treat her badly. Like the other concubines of thete emperor, Concubine Fang has lived in the pce on the outskirt of the capital after the death of theter emperor, and enjoyed her due share, he even went to her pce to greet her during Chinese New Years.
Wang Yu was an ambitious person, hoarding three hundred thousand troops in Yuzhou, in a way having Concubine Fang here in the capital was like having her as a hostage.
The emperor felt aplex emotion: ten years ago, when he first ascended to the throne, he thought of waiting for his reign to stabilize before dealing with the hidden danger like Wang Yu. However, ten yearster, Daqi was still unstable, once the external turmoil was resolved internal problem arose again¡
So, over the years, the emperor has not made a move against Wang Yu and Concubine Fang. First, he was concerned about thete emperor¡¯s imperial edict, and second, he doesn¡¯t really have the manpower and resources to fight Wang Yu. Wang Yu has an army of 300,000 soldiers, and if he hastily takes action, it would either split Daqi or give opportunities for those foreign barbarians to take advantage of them.
Right now, Daqi must fight steadily to return to its former glory.
With these thoughts running into his mind, the emperor picked up the teacup and slowly sip his tea.
While, Empress Wei didn¡¯t really care as she lightly said, ¡°Let theme.¡±
Anyway, Wang Yu¡¯s third son and the county princess couldn¡¯t make any waves.
Empress Wei quickly put this matter behind her in a blink of an eye, what she cares about now was her niece¡¯sing-of-age ceremony. She pulled the emperor, ¡°Your Majesty, what kind of clothes should this wife wear better on the day of my niece¡¯s hairpin ceremony? This wife made some new summer clothes, can you give me some advice?¡±
You Bai signaled everyone with her eyes and quickly summoned young pce maids to carry the empress¡¯s new summer clothes out of the closet. As the clothes were out for disy, Gu Zhen who was already out of school was also called by the empress to help her choose clothes and jewelry together.
The atmosphere in Fengluan Pce was warm as the family of three continued to talk andugh, making everyone¡¯s faces filled with bright smiles.
On the ninth day of the seventh month, Empress Wei got up early and waited for the emperor to leave the court, the couple then left the pce together and went to the Qin family.
The arrival of the empress and the emperor caused the entire Qin mansion to explode.
Old Madam Qin had arrived earlier, so she was able to wee them at the gate in person, and led the emperor and Empress Wei to the hall where theing-of-age ceremony would be held.
Qin Jiu and Yun Jiao stayed in the side hall, only to hear the moring sounding from the direction of the main hall, a young maidservant came to report happily, ¡°His Majesty the emperor, and empress are here!¡±
Aunt Empress and Uncle Emperor were here! Qin Jiu opened her eyes wide in surprise, and hurried out of the side hall with Yun Jiao.
A this time the other guests in the main hall saluted to the emperor, one after another. ¡°Greetings, Your Majesty.¡±
The emperor waved his hand with a smile and said affectionately, ¡°No need to be polite, today Xiao Jiu is the main character, don¡¯t let me steal her thunder.¡±
Everyone responded, but their expressions inevitably became a little more restrained and their thoughts wereplex.
The emperor may said there was no need to be polite, but Old Madam Qin did not dare to treat the emperor casually, and gave her position to the emperor and the empress.
Empress Wei looked at the pot leak on the side and reminded, ¡°The auspicious time is almost here, right?¡± Today was a good day for her niece, they mustn¡¯t dy the auspicious time.
Immediately after, others also took their seats, Qin Jiu also returned to the side hall.
At the first hour of the auspicious time, a solemn sound of silk and bamboo was heard in the hall, representing the official start of theing age ceremony.
Under the guidance of Miao momo, Qin Jiu and Yun Jiao walked towards the main hall, there, Old Madam Qin gave a brief speech and announced the beginning of the ceremony.
Followed after, Cui momo opened the bamboo curtain, and Qin Jiu who was dressed in an aqua-colored dress with a double bun on her head, walked into the hall amidst the burning eyes of everyone.
Qin Jiu strode gracefully to the front of the table, smiled sweetly at Empress Wei who was standing in the main guest position, and then bowed deeply to the people who were watching the ceremony today.
The guests were all smiling, but inwardly they were not as calm as they appeared to be.
***
Chapter 368
Chapter 368
They all thought and guessed that today¡¯s ceremony would be hosted by Old Madam Qin, and did not expect that the emperor and empress woulde in person today, let alone Empress Wei to be the guest of honor for Qin Jiu, and the second princess of Xinan as her other guest of honor.
This was truly a great honor!
Thising-of-age ceremony would be the talked of the town for years toe.
Qin Jiu sit into seiza position on a rattan mat facing west, and the ceremony was carried out in an orderly manner with the assistance of herpanion and maidservants.
Empress Wei looked at her niece with a smile on her face as she chanted the congrattory in a loud voice. ¡°On the auspicious day of the moon, we will begin to add the first Yuanfu. Abandon your young ambition and follow your virtue. The longevity of your life will be auspicious, and you will be blessed.¡±
Qin Jiu performed every step of theing age ceremony with great familiarity, and although she knew that this sentence came from the ¡°Etiquette ¨C Schr¡¯s Crown Ceremony¡±, which was a must say greeting at aing age ceremony, however, when she listened to Empress Wei¡¯s gentle recitation with her own ears, she couldn¡¯t help but feel warm inside.
She knew it was her aunt¡¯s deepest blessing to her.
Empress Wei picked up ab and gentlybed Qin Jiu¡¯s hair twice, she then picked up a bamboo hairpin from the tray in Yun Jiao¡¯s hand and inserted it into Qin Jiu¡¯s bun, followed by Princess of Xinan.
Qin Jiu gently smiled at Empress Wei and was about to get up when amotion broke out in the hall. Surprised, someone looked out of the hall and shouted.
¡°Imperial County Wang!¡±
Gu Zezhi?!
Inside the main hall, everyone, including Qin Jiu, looked out of the hall in unison.
In the courtyard outside, golden sunlight poured down, and a young man in a purple robe strode towards this side, it was Gu Zezhi.
Qin Jiu¡¯s eyes widened as she watched Gu Zezhi approaching, and when he gets closer, she could clearly see his handsome face was covered with fine beard, and ck shadow around his eyes. The whole person was covered in dust.
Everyone knew that Gu Zezhi had gone to Minzhou to quell the chaos, so seeing him right now made most of the youngdies and women in the hall shocked, even the Empress was stunned. Why was Gu Zezhi here!
Gu Zezhi was ordered to go to Minzhou to quell the rebellion, simrly, as themander of the army, without the emperor¡¯s permission, he was not allowed to return to the capital without permission.
Realizing this, Empress Wei quickly came back to her senses and looked at the emperor.
She knew that the emperor must have known in advance that Gu Zezhi was returning to the capital and had deliberately kept it to himself. She couldn¡¯t help but give the emperor a scornful look.
Which the emperor justughed.
Qin Jiu couldn¡¯t help but stood up from the rattan mat, her gaze was firm as her throat slightly tightened and felt her heart was drowning in sweetness like honey.
Gu Zezhi, he¡¯s back!
For hering of age ceremony, he came all the way back!
Gu Zezhi looked at the bamboo hairpin on her hair, and faint smile bloomed on his face as his eyes swirling charmingly. Fortunately, he came back just in time!
All the guests exchanged nces with different expressions stered on their faces, and one thing was simr on their expressions, envy. Third Miss Qin¡¯s fate was said to be unfortunate, her parents both died, and Marquis title that was supposed to be inherited by her eldest biological brother was instead given to their Second Uncle. Moreover, it was not only until a year ago that she came from the countryside, when she was first brought back to the capitalst year, although everyone didn¡¯t underestimate her verbally, they inevitably looked down on her inwardly.
And the oue? In just over half a year, this Third Miss Qin has actually gained a firm foothold in the capital. The empress, and empress dowager like her, her future mother-inw also liked her, and obviously her future husband also thinks highly of her.
Looking at Gu Zezhi¡¯s worn out appearance, he obviously rushed to the capital, only for his fianc¨¦¡¯sing age ceremony!
As the saying goes, priceless treasures were easy to get but lovers were rare.
This Third Miss Qin really has good marriage, and it was not an exaggeration to say that she was the pet darling of heaven.
In contrast, the former capital¡¯s pearl Qin Xin was now reduced to a lowly concubine, which was saddening.
After Gu Zezhi sat down, the ceremony continued.
Once the initial ceremony was done, Qin Jiu and Yun Jiao returned to the side hall together, then changed into their in clothes beforeing out again to salute Old Madam Qin and the guests.
Following that was the ritual ceremony, Empress Wei put on a golden phoenix with iid southern pearl on Qin Jiu that has golden tassels hung from the phoenix¡¯s mouth shined brightly and dazzlingly.
At this time, Qin Jiu couldn¡¯t help but look at Gu Zezhi again. She knew that the hairpin used in the ritual ceremony was not this one, most likely it was Gu Zezhi who had prepared this.
Two pair of eyes looked at each other, Gu Zezhi¡¯s pupils burning brightly making Qin Jiu¡¯s heart slightly tremble.
After the second part of the ceremony, Qin Jiu then changed into a more intricate dress giving more emphasis to her body curve, the color of this dress was also brighter and even more eye-catching than thest dress she wore. After thest part of the ceremony, she then changed to herst dress of the ceremony, the cheongsam with ceremonial robe.
Everyone¡¯s eyes fell on Qin Jiu with amazement in their eyes.
She was wearing a bright red lotus ceremonial robe withrge lotus flower of various colors scattered on the floor-length dress, looking like a goddess. Red, pink, white, and purple were lifelike, as if countless lotus flowers were blooming in full swing on her skirt, with every step taken, the blooming lotus flowers seemed to be swaying with the wind, gradually giving life to them.
On her bun was nine-winged golden phoenix iid with southern pearls which was personally put on by Empress Wei, a tassel spewed out from the phoenix¡¯s mouth that swayed brightly whenever she moves her head, setting off her apricot eyes as bright as a cold star, and in the midst of her gaze, her beauty was breathtaking.
Empress Wei¡¯s eyes were slightly moist as she looked at Qin Jiu in daze, ovepping her sister¡¯s shadows on her and inwardly said to herself: Sister, can you and brother-inw see this in heaven? Your daughter is so beautiful!
Wish to win a heart, and never leave each other.
Empress Wei¡¯s eyes moved to Gu Zezhi who was not far away, and the corner of her lips curled up thinking, Xiao Jiu have got such a desirable husband, her future would certainly be good!
In the hall, there was silence and a solemn festive atmosphere.
After listening to the lecture and giving thanks, the rite of maturity waspleted.
The guests came forward to congratte Old Madam Qin and Empress Wei with a bow, all beaming with joy.
***
Chapter 369
Chapter 369
After the ceremony, the emperor and empress left, while others were not in a hurry to leave and still attended the small banquet after the ceremony.
Qin Jiu and Gu Zezhi send off the emperor and empress at the gate, and watched until the carriage waspletely out of sight before Qin Jiu withdraw her eyes and looked up at Gu Zezhi beside her.
Gu Zezhi at this time was also looking at her, his dark obsidian eyes were a like a mirror reflecting a woman¡¯s reflection like a mirror.
Qin Jiu felt a little shy seeing how he was looking at her, her face felt like burning and her head was hot, she blurted out and asked, ¡°Do I look good?¡±
¡°Very good!¡± He seriously nodded and the corner of his lips slightly rose as he grabbed her hand and looked at her with eyes that seemed to sparkle like starlight.
Just looking at her and touching her like this made him surprisingly happy, and couldn¡¯t help but smile.
Before meeting her, he has a carefree, rx and unrestrained attitude; after meeting her, he suddenly was full of concern¡
And this feeling, felt great!
Qin Jiu also held his hand and the corner of her lips couldn¡¯t also help but rise, feeling sweet and embarrassed at the same time, andplimented back. ¡°No better than the two of us.¡±
Gu Zezhi was stunned for a moment, and thenughed out loud.
Thisugh was different from his usual restrain smile, theughter was like a clear and melodious spring water, it even sounded cheerful, thisugh makes his face shine like a spring glow, dazzling and beautiful.
A few birds fluttered past the treetops, their wings brushing against them, that rustled the leaves, and the summer flowers were as delicate as fire.
Qin Jiu smiled with arched eyebrows, and took Gu Zezhi¡¯s hand leading him to walked inside, but Gu Zezhi didn¡¯t move.
Suddenly a thought came to mind, ¡°You¡¡±
Was he¡.
Gu Zezhi seemed to know what she was thinking and interjected, ¡°I¡¯m going back to Minzhou soon.¡±
A tinged of sadness enveloped Qin Jiu¡¯s heart.
Minzhou and the capital were thousands of miles apart, even if the fast horses travel day and night, it would still take at least a few days to catch up. One could imagine the hard work of this journey to him¡
She also understands that this was a piece of his heart for her!
¡°En, I¡¯ll wait for you toe back.¡± Qin Jiu said with a smile and instructed Du Ruo to fetch some food for Gu Zezhi.
Du Ruo quickly took the order, turned around and instructed another maidservant.
The moment Du Ruo turned her back to give instructions, Qin Jiu suddenly felt his grip tightened on her wrist and was pulled into Gu Zezhi¡¯s arms, the tip of her nose hit his broad and warm embrace.
His strong arms wrapped around her slender waist, his face lowered against her ear, she could feel his scorching breath on her¡.
He whispered in her ear, ¡°Wait for me toe back!¡±
He only hugged her for a moment before releasing her, so when Du Ruo turned around, she only saw the two of them standing face to face, holding hands, and the suspicious blush on her young miss¡¯s face.
See no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil. Du Ruo silently recited this as she averted her eyes as if she didn¡¯t see anything.
Gu Zezhi smiled and said, ¡°The war is over, I will be back in two months at most.¡±
Minzhou sea bandits have been pacified, so they only need to stabilize the peace and maintenance matters to deal with.
¡°En.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll bring you a present.¡±
¡°En.¡±
¡°Do whatever you want, I¡¯m here.¡±
¡°¡¡±
Qin Jiu almost said, ¡°en¡± but when the word came to her mouth, she thought why does this word doesn¡¯t sound right?
Does he mean, that she could cause any trouble right now and he could just take care of it?!
Qin Jiu¡¯s eyes widened as she stared, and stared, and stared at him.
The warm summer breeze blew past, bringing a rich fragrance across the surrounding with the sultry and intoxicating fragrance of flowers.
On that same day, Gu Zezhi went back to the Xiao residence to change his clothes before leaving again.
Qin Jiu¡¯sing-of-age ceremony finally came to an end, and Qin mansion which had sent off the guests, returned its peace. All kinds of news about theing age ceremony on that day spread throughout, describing it as a beautiful story in the capital.
Old Madam Qin also gives out porridge in the capital for three days dedicated to Qin Jiu¡¯s hairpin ceremony.
Those poormoners and beggars rushed to queue up to receive porridge, and since they got benefits, their mouths were full of praises.
¡°This Third Miss Qin is really lucky and kind-hearted.¡±
¡°Shees from a marquis¡¯s family, so how can her fate be bad? I heard that the sky is full of haze when she speaks!¡±
¡°Have you heard, at Third Miss Qin¡¯sing-of-age ceremony not only they invited some noble guests even the emperor and the empress were there personally, the scene was so grand ah.¡±
¡°Aiya, I should have known that day, I would have also gone around the Qin family, and maybe pay my respect to the emperor!¡±
¡°¡¡±
In front of the porridge stalls, the poor beggars waiting in line to get porridge formed a long, winding line and chatted.
In the middle of the group, a gray-d woman with dirty face and ragged clothes lowered her head, but her dark eyes were full of resentment.
Qin Jiu, it¡¯s all Qin Jiu¡¯s fault!
Zhao Aman nced towards the few beggars talking in front of her, and lowered her eyes again, clutching a broken bowl tightly in her hand, almost crushing it.
That day, when she and Li Jinzhu entered the capital, they deliberately entered separately and from afar she saw Li Jinzhu was caught by the Five Cities Army and Horse Division, this scared her witless. However, she was still able to take advantage of the chaos around her, and quietly hid under the dung cart, thus, she avoided the disaster.
Later, when the magistrate open the court hall, she also went there to watch, and secretly sneaked in among the crowd outside but didn¡¯t dare to go too near, she could only infer what happened in the court from other people¡¯s conversations.
And from that, she knew that her daughter¡¯s real origin had been revealed, she also knew that her daughter had almost married that fool from the Xu family, finally, she also knew that Li Jinzhu, that irresponsible man had confessed, saying she was the one who killed the old matchmaker, making her more afraid to show her face.
But she was unwilling to escape from the capital, to be more precise, she was more afraid of being discovered while leaving the capital, so she could only stay in hiding in the capital.
Originally, she had some silver on her, but since she was a woman roaming alone in the capital, it took only one day before she was targeted by someone and stole her silver.
***
Chapter 370
Chapter 370
These days she could only live on the street as a beggar, this kind of life was really miserable, only when someone gives porridge like today that life could be called good but most of the time, she could only beg everywhere and even eat other people¡¯s garbage¡ she have never been in such a sorry state in her life!
At present, hearing people praising Qin Jiu¡¯s good life and hering of age ceremony, Zhao Aman felt annoyed, hatred and regret: it was Qin Jiu who ruined their family, she should have strangled Qin Jiu, this white-eyed wolf!
She really wanted to tell everyone that all that glory should have belonged to her daughter Qin Xin, but now, it was all taken away from her by Qin Jiu.
¡°Hey, what are you doing? If you don¡¯t want porridge, hurry up and leave!¡± Someone behind Zhao Aman roughly pushed her, urging her angrily.
Only then did Zhao Amane back to her senses, realizing that it was her turn to receive porridge.
¡°I want it.¡± Zhao Aman hurriedly went forward, took the porridge and steamed buns from the olddies who were distributing the food and timidly thanked them. She then hid in the nearest alley with the porridge and steamed buns in her hands.
Zhao Aman had been hungry all day and impatiently took a bite of the cold and coarse bun, but swallowed it anyway as she slightly frowned, thinking about what to do next.
After hiding for so long, the wind should have passed.
These days of begging were just too hard, she should go to her daughter.
During this period, while avoiding soldiers, Zhao Amman has been constantly searching for information from other beggars, and because of this she was aware of many major events that have urred in the capital recently, including the Second Prince¡¯s expedition.
When the second prince returns victorious, it would be a great achievement. And surely after this, the second prince would definitely be the crown prince, and if he ascends to the throne in the future, his daughter would be the empress.
The good days were stilling, Zhao Aman said to herself. Her daughter has a n and would definitely be able to settle her in a good ce.
She doesn¡¯t want to live this miserable life anymore!
After eating that cold steamed bun and porridge, Zhao Aman went to the second prince¡¯s residence in a feverishly fast.
However, she should not let others know her identity, after all, she was a murderer and could be arrested by the soldiers, so she did not dare to take the initiative to knock on the gate of the second prince¡¯s mansion and could only choose to wait in front of the gate.
The servants of the Second Prince¡¯s Mansion walked in and out, and naturally noticed Zhao Aman. They thought she was a beggar who came to beg and drove her away, cursing.
Zhao Aman was driven out, so she could only run away first and nned to returnedter. She waited around the Second Prince¡¯s Mansion for about ten days, allowing the wind, rain, and sun to beat her, but she remained steadfast.
In the afternoon of that day, she finally saw a luxurious ckcquered carriage with a gold-painted t toping out of the corner gate on the side of the prince¡¯s mansion.
This carriage has an extremely imposing aura, obviously it was not a servant sitting inside. Knowing that the second prince was not around, one could imagine who was actually sitting inside this carriage.
Immediately, Zhao Aman¡¯s eyes lit up and excitedly rushed over as she shouted on the top of her lungs, ¡°Master, madam, have pity on me!¡±
The woman apanying the carriage changed her face and pushed Zhao Aman, ¡°Where did this beggare from, get lost, go away!¡±
Zhao Aman staggered back several steps but still continued to shout at the carriage, ¡°Have mercy.¡±
Her hoarse voice could be heard clearly in the carriage, Qin Xin whose eyes were originally closed suddenly opened, she immediately recognized that it was her mother¡¯s voice, Zhao Aman.
Her mother has been missing for so long, and Qin Xin has always been worried about her safety, she was not only afraid that she would be caught by the soldiers, and she was also afraid that something unexpected would happen to her alone.
Qin Xin hurriedly opened the corner of the curtain, and heard her mother shouts again, her gaze precisely fixed on the gray-d woman who was ten steps away.
It was really her mother! Qin Xin subconsciously clenched the curtain in her hand as her heart wildly beating.
Father was arrested for murder, and he was still locked up in the magistrate¡¯s prison. She has been worried about her mother, and now she finally saw her.
Qin Xin stared unblinkingly at Zhao Aman.
Compared to three months ago, Zhao Aman has lost a lot of weight, her hair was dirty and messy, her face was even dirtier and her clothes were ragged, which reminds Qin Xin of the difficult times in her previous life.
Seeing her made Qin Xin extremely distressed but she pretended to be indifferent and deliberately asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± As she said this, she also secretly gave a wink to Zhao Aman.
Zhao Aman was ecstatic when she saw her daughter¡¯s signal, but on the surface, she said pitifully, ¡°This madam, please pity me. I am a refugee from Huizhou, I have not eaten for two days and is really hungry, pleading the madam to give me a bite to eat.¡±
Zhao Aman said pitifully, but the servant who was driving her away, remained unmoved, thinking just because she said she needed help, doesn¡¯t mean that they would help those beggars in the capital.
¡°Really pitiful.¡± Qin Xin sighed sorrowfully, and with apassionate look she added, ¡°It just so happens that I¡¯m still short of a sweeper in my courtyard.¡±
The servant who chased Zhao Aman slightly frowned and thought to herself, how could the madam let a person of unknown origin be brought into the second prince¡¯s mansion but before she could even voice this out, Qin Xin¡¯s personal maidservant, Shuxiang, had already echoed, ¡°Madam is kind-hearted, then this servant will bring her inside first to settle down.¡±
As Shuxiang said this, she also immediately got out of the carriage and smiled kindly at Zhao Aman.
Zhao Aman settled down her heart and exchanged a tacit look with Qin Xin, showing an expression of endless gratitude as she said repeatedly, ¡°Thank you, madam, thank you.¡±
Shuxiang then brought Zhao Aman into the second prince¡¯s mansion. Qin Xin lowered the curtains and the coachman continued on his way again.
The carriage headed west along the streets outside the mansion and went straight to the Marquis mansion.
Qin Xin was going to see Qin Zhun, she received a letter from Gu Jing yesterday, saying that he needed more money.
Gu Jing¡¯s letter was written concisely and didn¡¯t say why he wanted more money, and since it would take some time to travel from the capital to Jinzhou just to send the letter, Qin Xin couldn¡¯t ask Gu Jing what would he do with the money. But since he asked for it, surely it must be of great use. There was no money in the mansion, so she could only go to Qin Zhun again.
It took Qin Xin an hour toe out after entering the Marquis¡¯ mansion. Not after she came out, Qin Zhun also came out, and visited Qin Jiu in her mansion, again.
***
Chapter 371
Chapter 371
The weather has getting hotter and hotter recently, and since she was now in ancient times, there were no air conditioners or electric fans. Qin Jiu didn¡¯t dare to go out at all and just stays inside the mansion most of the time, not bothering to go anywhere.
And because the weather was hot, Qin Jiu was evenzy and sleepy, in short, she was just too tired to bother socializing with Qin Zhun at all. The first thing she said was, ¡°Second Uncle, what do you want to sell this time?¡±
¡°¡¡¡± Du Ruo felt that her third miss sounded more like a pawnshop assistant.
What the what?! Qin Zhun almost wanted to flip the table; how could she talk like this to an elder?!
Qin Jiu didn¡¯t care what Qin Zhun was thinking at all, anyway, since he came here in a ¡°humble¡± manner, he must have wanted to ask for something again. And even if she wanted to drive her away, he wouldn¡¯t leave until he gets what he wanted.
And just like what Qin Jiu thought, Qin Zhun really wanted something again, so after a few moments of silence he directly offered a price, ¡°Ten thousand taels, I¡¯ll give you the two mountains in Longzhou Ping County.¡± After all that¡¯s said and done, he still couldn¡¯t have the face to say ¡°sell¡±.
Qin Jiu: ¡°¡¡±
It turned out that her second uncle was so poor that he couldn¡¯t even afford ten thousand taels?
Really pathetic.
Qin Jiu could only sympathize with the person in front of her as she nonchntly asked for an exorbitant exchange, ¡°In addition to the mountain, I also want the hot spring vige on the outskirts of the capital.¡±
Qin Zhun: ¡°¡¡±
That hot spring vige could be sold for five thousand, she was simply extorting!
Qin Zhun¡¯s forehead violently twitched, wishing he could strangle her to death, he was really being yed by this young woman.
But after what happenedst time Qin Zhun knew that Qin Jiu would not let him off after stepping on her doorstep, but he has no choice, he badly needed the money, again.
Earlier, Qin Xin came to his residence to look for him, saying that Lord Chengen had managed to find him the position at Taikoji Temple, and he was only one step away from it. Implying that he wanted money to spend before he could finally get the position. He has been waiting for this opportunity for so long, thinking that if he could get this position, he could further in his official career and surely, within three years, he would be promoted to imperial court, rank nine.
Qin Jiu rambled on with full sarcasm, ¡°Second Uncle, does grandma know about your visit this time?¡±
¡°Ai, you have sold your property repeatedly, fortunately, you¡¯re selling it to me. Otherwise, I don¡¯t know how others will extort you.¡± She said this with an earnest look on her face as if she was an elder and Qin Zhun was the junior.
¡°¡¡¡± The corner of Qin Zhun¡¯s eyes twitched.
She still has the face to say that no one was as ruthless as her in bargaining!
But nevertheless, selling property was selling the property. He really didn¡¯t dare to sell it to others, nor dare to let Old Madam Qin know.
The vacancy at Taikoji Temple was too tempting for him, if he missed this time, he might not have had the opportunity in a few years. This favorable circumstance was farparable to a hot spring vige.
Qin Zhun gritted his teeth and agreed, he then instructed his manservant. ¡°Go and get the deed.¡±
Qin Jiu felt that doing business with her second uncle was really enjoyable, it made her feel that even the hot and stuffy weather was not so annoying anymore. And couldn¡¯t help but wish her second uncle to get dizzy from the sun and woulde back to her to ask few more money for his properties.
After doing it once, Qin Jiu was already proficient with the process. She immediately sent someone to file the paper at the government office, and then readily had someone give Qin Zhun ten thousand taels of silver.
¡°Second uncle, next time you want to sell something else, remember toe back to me.¡± Qin Jiu happily waved the deed paper and sent Qin Zhun off.
Outside the hall, Qin Zhun lost his footing and almost fell off the steps. He secretly swore: bad luck, he wouldn¡¯te back even if he was beaten to death.
Qin Zhun walked away with determination and ambition.
However, these ten thousand taels of silver were spent like flowing water even before he got the appointment for the position he wanted, and once again, Qin Xin came to him asking for more money thanst time. ¡°Father, the second prince still needs thirty thousand taels of silver.¡±
Qin Xin said this gently and delicately, but Qin Zhun still felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head, and his heart sank.
He already felt that the hole on the second prince¡¯s side couldn¡¯t be filled no matter how much he poured in.
In the past two years or so, both before and after, he has already filled out a total of 400, 000 taels to the second prince, but still, this was not enough. And he knows for sure, there would be more in the future¡
Qin Zhun began to regret a little, and could not help but think, if he did not rush to choose the second prince would his situation be different from this¡
At that moment, Qin Zhun was a bit resentful towards Qin Xin. If it weren¡¯t for Qin Xin getting married to the second prince, he wouldn¡¯t have been so anxious!
Qin Xin didn¡¯t know what Qin Zhun was thinking, and just thought he was worried about the money, and gently persuaded him. ¡°Father, if you want to get something, you have to give something. When His Highness returns to the capital in triumph, the situation will be brighter! I just received a letter from the second prince two days ago, and he won sessive victories¡¡±
Qin Zhun didn¡¯t really care what Qin Xin had said, after all, he had already boarded the second prince¡¯s ship and had spent most of his family¡¯s wealth, of course, there was no way he would get off. His fate has already been tied to the second prince, and this glory would be both theirs.
But where else could he go to raise the 30,000? If he went back to Qin Jiu, he would definitely be swindled by her again.
Qin Zhun: ¡°¡¡±
Qin Zhun began to squeeze his brains out, where else could he get the silver.
Seeing that he still didn¡¯t speak, Qin Xin showed a hint of impatience in her town as she said again. ¡°Father, the Second Prince¡¯s side is in a hurry, saying that it is extremely urgent.¡± She tried to use the Second Prince to pressure Qin Zhun.
How could Qin Zhun not see Qin Xin¡¯s cautious thoughts, but in the end, he didn¡¯t give agree positively and only said ¡°I understand¡±, before sending Qin Xin away.
Qin Zhun was exhausted, and no longer had the energy to think why the second prince, who was far away, wanted more money. He could only hesitate, and hesitate then contemted.
He dragged on for two more days, and during these two days, Qin Xin came to him day after day. Qin Zhun really had no choice, so on the 24th of July, he once again visited Qin Jiu and ¡°cheaply¡± sold his property in the capital and in Jiangnan.
***
Chapter 372
Chapter 372
And for the third time, after sending Qin Zhun away, Qin Jiu¡¯s little face glowed with joy as she read and re-read the deeds, thinking that her business was really profitable!
¡°Third sister, you really¡¡± Qin Zeyu wanted to say that his sister was a money grabber, but when the words came to his lips, he changed them stiffly to, ¡°smart!¡±
¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Qin Jiu boasted while solemnly and seriously putting the deed into the wooden box. In just a few days, that same wooden box was half filled with the deeds Qin Zhun himself sent over to her door.
In Qin Jiu¡¯s eyes, these few deeds were simply mountains of gold and silver!
As she closed the box, she casually asked Qin Zeyu, ¡°A¡¯yu, is our Qin family so rich?¡±
When they split up, the eldest house was given 70% of the property, and Qin Jiu already think it was a lot. So, she really didn¡¯t expect Qin Zhun toe up with so many properties to sell.
Qin Jiu was present when they split the family properties, and she clearly remembered the threemercial buildings in Minzhou that Qin Zhun kept, and for that reason he converted arge amount ofnd to the eldest house but these two banks were never mentioned when they split from the family.
¡°Of course!¡± Qin Zeyu nodded vigorously, his eyes shining simr to Qin Jiu¡¯s.
If his sister asked something else, he might not be able to answer, but with this simple question, he still knows something about his own family.
¡°Our Qin family used to be salt merchants in the previous dynasty¡ ¡°Qin Zeyu had a rare opportunity to tell people about his family¡¯s history of prosperity, and it was even rarer for his sister to sought him about this, so he couldn¡¯t help but be enthusiastic and talked eloquently.
Their Qin family, whose ancestors were from Jiangnan, has been a salt merchant for several generations in the previous dynasty. Salt was a profitable business, and because of this the Qin family became a well-known rich merchant in Jiangnan. With money, they want power, but ording to thews of the previous dynasty, merchants were lower ss, and were not allowed to participate in the imperial examinations.
In thest years of the previous dynasty, the world was in turmoil, the ¡õ¡õ Emperor raised a rebellion, which everyone responded, and the Qin family¡¯s ancestor, Qin Minzhong scattered all the family assets to bet on the ¡õ¡õ Emperor. After betting on the right dragon, he became one of the founding ministers.
When the ¡õ¡õ Emperor established the Daqi Dynasty, he not onlyvishly rewarded the Qin family, but also conferred the title of Zhongyi Marquis to Qin Minzhong, without demotion for generations.
After the founding of the Daqi Dynasty, the national policy of valuing literature over martial arts was implemented, which stipted that merchants could also participate in the imperial examination. Therefore, the Qin family and other noble courtiers were not ashamed of doing business. The Qin family was already good at doing business, so over the generations, wealth umted faster. If it weren¡¯t for what happened fourteen years ago, causing physical and mental damage, the current Qin family could at least take another step forward.
Qin Jiu listened pensively and kind of understood. It was no wonder that thete marquis was able to discerned a good prospect even after being exiled in Minzhou for a few years, and immediately after the current emperor ascended the throne, he opened a business in Minzhou to do sea trade.
No wonder, no wonder!
However, why does she feel that her grandfather¡¯s shrewdness has not been passed on to Qin Zhun, Qin Zening or Qin Zeyu?!
Qin Jiu looked at the naughty kid with disdainful eyes, wondering if she needed to find someone to teach him arithmetic and business, so as not to sell his family property like his second uncle in the future.
Qin Zeyu felt ufortable with his sister¡¯s gaze, and couldn¡¯t help but think: Wasn¡¯t he very goodtely ah?¡except for identally smashing the zed window while ying polo, he didn¡¯t make any mistakes!
As Qin Zeyu reflected on himself, he continued. ¡°However, how much silver and property this family has, I don¡¯t know. No one has told me either, probably even big brother doesn¡¯t know.¡±
Speaking of this, Qin Zeyu realized that their second uncle must have probably hidden them deliberately, preventing him and his eldest brother from touching the family properties, so as to prevent them from robbing him of it.
If it wasn¡¯t for Third Brother Gu being present when they split the family property, and demanded 70% of the properties, they would be put on the dark for the whole time and would have suffered a lot.
Third Brother Gu helping them was naturally for the sake of his sister¡he even traveled thousand miles from Minzshou for his sister¡¯s hairpin ceremony, it was simply, love!
As Qin Zeyu thought of this, he looked at Qin Jiu up and down with a subtle expression.
Qin Jiu was wearing a blue embroidered bamboo skirt at the moment, her ck hair was loosely braid with green silk, and apart from a plum blossom jade hairpin, there was no jewelry on her head, she was leaning on her back without any care.
A certain question always popped up inside Qin Zeyu¡¯s head for a while now: What exactly did Third Brother Gu like about his sister?!
Seeing the naughty kid staring at her, Qin Jiu thought there was something on her mouth and subconsciously raised her hand to touch the corner of her mouth, only to find it clean.
She raised her hand across the naughty kid¡¯s face and waved it, before knocking Qin Zeyu¡¯s head, ¡°Why are you in daze?¡±
Of course, Qin Zeyu would not be so stupid as to tell her the truth, and perfunctorily found an excuse. ¡°I was wondering if Second Uncle woulde again.¡±
Qin Jiu said, ¡°Probably not.¡±
After saying this, she couldn¡¯t help but sighed: what a pity!
¡°What a pity!!!¡± Qin Zeyu heartfeltly sigh at the same time.
Du Ruo: ¡°¡.¡±
Just as Qin Jiu had guessed, Qin Zhun really did note to her doorsteps again.
Qin Jiu felt a little regretful: she could always warmly wee Qin Zhun and, also take this opportunity to buy more, after all, this was like the year-end clearance, no one could miss it after passing by!
And since Qin Zhun stoppeding to her house, Qin Jiu was once again free. It happened to be rainy for a few days in a row and the weather was much cooler, so Yun Jiao invited her out, they went shopping and ying in the capital. After spending more time with Yun Jiao, Qin Jiu could see that she was much more yful than her two brothers at home, leading her to restaurants, teahouses, jewelry stores, cloth stores, and so on, all with their own unique characteristics.
After ying around the capital, they then went take their horses and stroll around Cuiwei Mountain, it took most of the day¡¯s work, and it wasn¡¯t until afternoon did, they decide to go back. From a distance, they could see themotion at the South City Gate.
The two nces at each other, slowed down their horse with a ¡°woah¡± and stopped at the back of a carriage, then watched themotion.
***
Chapter 373
Chapter 373
Outside the city gate, there was a convoy of seven or eight carriages preparing to enter the city. A two-horse brocade-tented carriage at the front was very mboyant, and beside the carriage was a blue-robed gentleman riding a white horse, leisurely fanning a folding fan with a noble air.
At least twenty tall and powerful guards were apanying the convoy, rudely driving the surrounding people who were originally queuing up to enter the city.
¡°Out of the way, all of you!¡±
¡°Can¡¯t you see our young master is entering the city? Hurry up and get out of the way!¡±
¡°¡.¡±
The guards flickered their whips to drive the people away.
Those ordinary people watched these travelers dressed in unfamiliar clothes, looking arrogant, and immediately deduced that the master they were serving must be from a noble family, so they dare not to speak nor get angry or they might offend them. Instead, they all avoided them and retreated on both sides in fear, letting this envoy enter the city first.
Qin Jiu and Yun Jiao listened to those peddlers and passers-by who just arrived at the city gate, pointing their fingers at the group in front of them.
¡°Just who is that person acting all arrogant?¡±
¡°Hell knows! But look at the city gate guards, they don¡¯t dare stop them, then it must be some kind of a prince or lord.¡±
¡°Are there still a few princes and lords in the capital? I haven¡¯t seen anything like this before!¡±
¡°¡.¡±
The passersby whispered among each other, specting about the identity of the blue-robe young man.
Soon, the guards cleared ane. The square-faced head guard then spurred his horse to the blue-robed gentleman and the first carriage, cupped his fist and reported, ¡°Third Master, County Princess, we can now enter the city.¡±
In the next moment, a fair in hand slightly lifted the corner of the carriage curtain. From where Qin Jiu and Yun Jiao were standing, they couldn¡¯t see the owner of the fair in hand at all, and only saw that its fingernails were dyed with bright red cardamom, looking particrly gorgeous.
The coachman of the first carriage waved his whip and led the carriage to enter the city, the carriages behind followed slowly.
¡°County Princess?¡± Qin Jiu muttered softly, thinking: the county princess in the capital was said to be few and far between, to say, there were not many.
Yun Jiao also heard her and whispered. ¡°I also don¡¯t know which county princess she is, who has such a big attitude. What is she so proud of? The Princess and Princesses Consort don¡¯t even have such a big air!¡±
Yun Jiao casually muttered a few more words, after all, she was just saying it. Anyway, different ways do not conspire with each other and she ¡°couldn¡¯t afford to climb high¡± like this county princess.
The carriage in front of them began to move, so Qin Jiu and Yun Jiao also paced their horses slowly to follow, heading for the city.
¡°Xiao Jiu.¡± Yun Jiao suddenly thought of something and suggested it excitedly. ¡°A new y ising out in Shuangyan Garden in five days, how about we go see it together?¡±
Qin Jiu shook her head, ¡°Not that day.¡±
Yun Jiao: ¡°?¡±
Qin Jiu said with a smile, ¡°My big brother and the others areing back that day, I¡¯m going to pick them up, so I¡¯ll have refreshments for another day.¡±
Yun Jiao wink in understanding, she said. ¡°I heard my big brother say that the expedition in Minzhou is victorious. So, they¡¯ll being back that day.¡± A yful light shed in Yun Jiao¡¯s eyes as her lips curled up.
Qin Jiu gave a ¡°hmm¡± with a smile, her mood was joyous. Her eldest brother wasing back earlier than expected.
Yun Jiao steered her horse and moved another step to Qin Jiu¡¯s side and elbowed her arm, she teased, ¡°Are you really going to pick up your big brother? I think you have another motive!¡±
This young miss was not going to pick up Qin Zening but County King, right?
Yun Jiao wiggled her eyebrows at Qin Jiu, and her eyes and mouth curved into a crescent.
¡°Of course.¡± Qin Jiu nodded confidently when she said ¡°big brother¡±, it includes two people!
Yun Jiao felt that Qin Jiu was just a duck with a hard mouth* as sheughed uncontrobly. She then said, ¡°Since you¡¯re going to pick someone up, you need to quickly book a restaurant or tea shop near the city gate. On the day the army triumphantly returns to the capital, many people will definitely visit.¡±
(*often use to describe a person who is stubborn, unyielding and unwilling to admit mistakes)
Qin Jiu blinked, ¡°Are there going to be many people watching?¡±
Yun Jiao looked at Qin Jiu with a ¡°you are na?ve¡± look. ¡°Don¡¯t you know how lively it wasst time when the top three of the first grade of the imperial examinations paraded through the streets? All the restaurants and teahouses on the streets they passed through were booked up and filled to capacity! Even some stores temporarily set up some tables and chairs, as a teahouse as there are still many people who couldn¡¯t book a seat.¡±
Qin Jiu: ¡°¡.¡±
Qin Jiu wasn¡¯t aware of this, so she didn¡¯t make any reservations at all. But ording to Yun Jiao, the restaurants, and teahouses near the South City Gate might have been booked out long ago.
Yun Jiao smilingly patted her chest and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay, I¡¯m here!¡±
¡°The Yunwei Restaurant on South Street ahead is my family¡¯s property, my family¡¯s restaurant always reserves a seat for me, I¡¯ll save it for you.¡±
She pointed inside the city gate as she spoke.
The two of them were talking to themselves,pletely unaware of the movement of a carriage in front of them.
A corner on the right side of the carriage was pulled open, and a pair of beautiful eyes that were filled with limpid autumn waters nced in Qin Jiu and Yun Jiao¡¯s direction before withdrawing her gaze.
¡°The expedition in Minzhou is victorious¡¡± The young girl¡¯s voice was as quiet as water with a lingering touch of few ebullient.
¡°Young Miss,¡± another voice whispered, ¡°Could it be that the person who will be returning to the capital in triumph is Third Master Gu?¡±
¡°¡.¡±
¡°Young Miss, when we settle downter, this servant will go to inquire and find out the news.¡±
¡°Hmm.¡±
As the word fell, the curtains blocked the carriage again, followed the first few carriages into town.
***
Chapter 374
Chapter 374
Qin Jiu chatted andugh with Yun Jiao as they continued to ride their horses into the city, and soon parted ways with the convoy as they went to their respective destinations.
After they each returned to their mansions, on that same day, Yun Jiao asked her maidservant to book a reservation at their restaurant and also made sure to hang a que on the second floor, which says¡¯ ¡°Lanxiang Room¡± that was engraved with orchid.
In the next few days, the good news about Minzhou¡¯s victory spread throughout the capital, and the topics of conversations in the streets and alleys were about its victory, this made the capital lively as New Year.
Themon people all felt that Daqi was flourishing day by day. Firstly, in just half a year time, Yu Fuyun took over three cities from Northern Yan, forcing Dayan to cedend and paypensation. And now, it was also the County King who pacifies the Minzhou, which was a sign of national prosperity and people¡¯s peace.
This lively atmosphere continued until August of 29th, the day the army returned to the capital in triumph.
Early in the morning, Qin Jiu took Qin Zeyu out with her and went directly to Yunwei Restaurant, where Yun Jiao reserved the ¡°Lanxiang Room¡± for Qin Jiu and the ¡°Bamboo Xiang Room¡± for her own family.
The Yunwei Restaurant was filled with people just as Yun Jiao had said before, it was so full that at least five to six people crowded around a table in the lobby on the first floor. The streets on both sides were also filled with people, all spontaneously ready to wee the soldiers.
Qin Jiu and Qin Zeyu had just had a sip of tea when they heard amotioning from the street outside.
¡°They¡¯reing!!!¡±
¡°They already arrive outside the city gates!¡±
¡°I heard that the sixth prince went out of the city to pick the County King on behalf of the emperor.¡±
¡°¡¡±
The chatter of the people outside the restaurant could be heard loudly, Qin Jiu and Qin Zeyu stretched their necks and looked towards the city gate but from where they were, they couldn¡¯t see the parade and could only vaguely hear the sound of horse hooves, outside the city gate.
Looking at the people below who were eagerly waiting, Qin Zeyu suddenly said confidently, ¡°Sister, don¡¯t worry, you still have a chance in the future!¡±
Qin Zeyu has great confidence in himself. After being supervised by his sister for so long, he would definitely be an excellent official someday. He could govern the country with literature, and he could be a great general with his martial arts. He would definitely be the one who enters the city on a horse next time.
Qin Jiu: ¡°?¡±
¡°A¡¯Yu!¡± At this time, several familiar faces peeked out from the opposite restaurant¡¯s elegant rooms and waved at Qin Zeyu, stealing Qin Zeyu¡¯s attention.
¡°Sister, I¡¯ll be right back.¡± Qin Zeyu ran away in a huff before he could finish what he wanted to say.
At the same time, the streets became increasingly lively, and excited shouts echoed one after another, causing the people to boil like boiling water.
The thunderous sound of horse hooves gradually approached, shaking the ground as if it were trembling.
After a while, a group of soldiers wearing bronze helmets and iron armor rode their horses and marches into the city gate mightily, looking tall and majestic while the people on the side of the road burst into warm cheers.
At the forefront of the procession was a young man wearing silver armor. He had a handsome face and a warm temperament, with a slight smile on his lips, his ck crow-like feathers hair was tied high with a silver crown, making a stark contrast to his silver armor. He had a silver sheath sword hanging from his waist, and his frost cloak flew with the wind.
Under the golden sunlight, his armor reflected a dazzling silver glow, and his handsome and dignified appearance was not like any mortal, so much that the crowd¡¯s eyes fell on him.
Gu Zezhi finally came back. Qin Jiu looked at him from afar, with a smile on her lips.
¡°That is the County King, right!¡± In the private seat next room, it was unknown who let out a fervent gasp.
Another young girl asked eagerly, ¡°Sister, where are the flowers? Where are the flowers I prepared?¡±
¡°Aiya, the flower basket is still in the carriage, I¡¯m going to get it!¡±
The sound of hurried footsteps came from the private room next door, and it so happened that Yun Jiao, who had juste in, also heard it and snorted withughter, ¡°What a witty next door!¡±
But the conversation next door also reminded Yun Jiao, she hurriedly asked. ¡°Xiao Jiu, are your flowers ready?¡±
¡°Flowers?¡± Qin Jiu looked at Yun Jiao with a question mark hovering on her head.
Yun Jiao didn¡¯t bother to answer and just quickly instructed the maidservant to go find the shop assistant and get some flowers.
There was no need for Yun Jiao to exin as people outside have already answered Qin Jiu¡¯s question with their actions. All the women anddies excitedly threw out the flowers in their hands and rained them down on the soldiers marching on the street, they also included some fruits, handkerchiefs, scented sachet, and so on.
Looking at this scene, a passage depicting the beautiful man came to mind: ¡°An Ren is so beautiful that every time he walks, the old woman throws a cart full of fruit.¡±
Qin Jiu couldn¡¯t help but burst outughing as she looked down at Gu Zezhi, unblinking.
Huh?!
Qin Jiu suddenly narrowed her eyes slightly and noticed that so many flowers and sachets were being thrown at Gu Zezhi, but he didn¡¯t even touch a single one. asionally, a flower almost brushed his cloak but was lightly flicked by the horse¡¯s tail.
As if she had discovered some secret, Qin Jiu¡¯s smile widened even more, her heart was full of joy, and her eyes were full of smiles.
Amidst the noise, Gu Zezhi below seems to sense something, he slightly raised his eyes, and his gaze collided with Qin Jiu at the window, two pair of eyes gazing each other.
***
Chapter 375
Chapter 375
The corners of Gu Zezhi¡¯s lips rose a little more, and that small hook on the corner of his lips spread instantly to the corners of his eyes, and brows to the bottom of his eyes.
It was as if the sunshine and spring breeze brushed the surface of theke, creating ripples and shimmering waves.
His thin lips moved slightly and silently said two words:
Scented sachet.
Qin Jiu was sure that was what he said, so she quickly untied the sachet on her waist and then threw the crescent-shaped incense sachet toward him¡
When an excited voice of a woman could be heard next door, ¡°Big Sister, look, is the County King looking at me?¡±
¡°What are you talking about! He¡¯s obviously looking at me!¡±
¡°It¡¯s me, it¡¯s me, it¡¯s me!¡±
¡°¡¡±
Loud and lively noises could be heard next door, Yun Jiao could hear themugh and even overhear someone¡¯s ¡°pfft¡±. Curious, she poked her head out of the window and wanted to see who these people were.
Meanwhile, the scented sachet that was thrown out of the window traced a long curve in mid-air andnded ¡°just right¡± in Gu Zezhi¡¯s right hand.
Gu Zezhi¡¯s slender fingers pinched the sachet and ced it on his lips, his eyebrows looking softer and more charming, but his gaze was as hot as the summer sun.
Qin Jiu¡¯s gaze couldn¡¯t help but fall on his lips, that thin, rosy lips that were slightly raised were smiling at her.
Looming in Qin Jiu¡¯s head was the feeling of that same lips kissing her forehead that day.
It was warm and soft, and although it was only for a fleeting moment, it made her feel that she was loved¡ as if he carefully held her in the palm of his hand.
She suddenly felt a burning sensation on her forehead and instinctively shifted her gaze a little,nding on his fingers holding the sachet.
His hands were fair and slender, with well-defined bone joints, and his nails were neatly trimmed and clean. Looking only at the back of his hands, they seem more like a pair of literati¡¯s hands, only suitable for ying the piano and chess, but Qin Jiu knew that his palms were rough, with thin calluses, and his fingers were strong. It was extremely flexible when ying with knives, and big, it could hold almost half of her waist.
Thump, thump, thump!
Qin Jiu suddenly felt that her waist was also burning hot.
Gu Zezhi soon spurred his horse and pass below the restaurant. At this time, the voice of a woman could be heardining from the next door. ¡°Furong, you are too slow bringing the flowers ah, the County King already passed by!¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know which littledy was so lucky to have her scented sachetnded at the County King¡¯s hands!¡±
Her luck was indeed good! Qin Jiu couldn¡¯t help but curl her lips upward while her heart was still beating fast and loud, feeling that her golden thigh was really getting better and better at teasing.
Qin Zening below, was just behind Gu Zezhi¡¯s horse, looking at Qin Jiu who was at the window, feeling that his sister didn¡¯t see him at all, did she?
Feeling sorry for himself, Qin Zening wanted to see where Qin Zeyu was but instead notices the girl next to Qin Jiu who was of simr age to her.
Qin Zening then thought: Since her younger sister came to the capitalst year, she had no friends except for the second princess. Now that she was with this girl, they seem to have a good rtionship.
It was rare for his younger sister to have a close female friend, so he couldn¡¯t let other people think she did not get along with her older brother.
Thus, Qin Zening hurriedly shed a bright smile at Yun Jiao, revealing a row of snow-white neat teeth.
Yun Jiao also subconsciously smiled at Qin Zening, thinking. ¡®Xiao Jiu¡¯s brother is also a good-tempered person.¡¯
The two sides of the street were still raining flowers as if the goddess of flowers continued to scatter them as the wind blows, when a hibiscus flower flew towards Qin Zening¡¯s side.
The group of soldiers soon walked away, as well as the rumbling of horses¡¯ hooves, leaving only a trail of flowers, scented sachets, fruits, and so on, and suddenly the street became deserted.
It was not until no one could be seen that Qin Jiu withdrew her gaze, and her expression returned to normal but her eyes were still full of smiles.
Gu Zezhi¡¯s back! Just thinking about that made her heart sweet.
¡°Third Sister!¡±
Qin Zeyu¡¯s voice could be heard from afar, as he rushes back to the private room. ¡°I want to y polo with Zhang Ye and the others¡¡±
Before he could finish his sentence, he was interrupted by Qin Jiu. ¡°No.¡±
Qin Zeyu wanted to reason out but Qin Jiu said to him again, ¡°There is a banquet today!¡±
Immediately, Qin Zeyu wilted as he then only remembered that there was a celebration feast in the pce today.
Yun Jiao watched as Qin Zeyu was crushed to death by Qin Jiu, finding their interaction very funny, and tried to suppress herugh.
¡°Miss Jiao,¡± Qin Jiu apologetically said to Yun Jiao, ¡°I have to go first, there is a pce banquetter, A¡¯yu and I have to go into the pce early.¡±
Yun Jiao waved her hand with a smile, ¡°Xiao Jiu, go ahead.¡±
Yun Jiao returned to the private room while Qin Jiu took Qin Zeyu back to the Qin mansion. She changed into a new dress and put on the golden phoenix hairpin she got at her hairpin ceremony, before going to the pce together with Zeyu as her escort.
***
Chapter 376
Chapter 376
Qin Zeyu was led to meet the emperor, while Qin Jiu went to Fengluan Pce with Xiao Kouzi who was waiting for her at the pce gate.
¡°Xiao Jiu.¡± Empress Wei asked smilingly as soon as she saw her niece, ¡°Are there many people over at the South City Gate today, was it hot?¡±
¡°It¡¯s very lively!¡± Qin Jiu nodded right away and told Empress Wei about the scene when Gu Zezhi entered the city, naturally, she didn¡¯t include her throwing the scented sachet but inevitably, her memory shes back to the scene at that time¡
The scene where his thin lips were pressed against the scented sachet.
And almost instantly, her eyes sparkles as her cheek¡¯s flushed like rosy petals and her being looked radiant.
Empress Wei looked at Qin Jiu like a delicate flower, and thought that this girl looked especially beautiful today.
Well, both Gu Zezhi and Qin Zening were back in the capital safely so this little girl was naturally happy.
Empress Wei exchanged a silent nce with Xu momo, feeling happy for Qin Jiu as she pondered that since her niece was already old enough, once Madam Xiao returned from Jiangnan, they could then decide the wedding date.
Qin Jiu who got a strange loving look from Empress Wei with a bit of reluctance, felt that something was amiss.
At this time, a pce maid came in and reported, ¡°Your Majesty, County Princess Duan Rou, and Miss Tang are here.¡±
Empress Wei nodded as she signaled to bring them in, the pce maid then retreated again.
County Princess Duan Rou? Qin Jiu tried to search hard in her memory for this character.
Knowing her third miss has a problem identifying and has always been unable to remember those nobilities, Du Ruo introduced. ¡°County Princess Duan Rou is the eldest daughter of Wang Yu.¡±
After hearing Du Ruo did she remember such a character, making her eyes slightly widen.
Soon, the pce maid brought in two fifteen or sixteen-year-old girls. The one who walked in front was wearing a bright red silk dress with butterflies and a flowered embroidered on her skirt and a double hem Mamianqun underneath. While her hair was tied up with thick green silk into aplicated peony bun, which made her look radiant and full of aggressive brilliance.
The girl behind her was wearing a goose-yellow hibiscus wrapped around the branch patterned cloth, with a moonflower skirt. Her pair of willow eyes seem to be filled with full autumn water, making her look gentler and more of a soft temperament which was a stark contrast to the girl in front.
The two young girls formally greeted Empress Wei, ¡°Paying respect to the Imperial Empress.¡±
¡°Duan Rou, Miss Tang, there is no need to be polite.¡± Empress Wei smiled gently and raised her hand.
After thanking them for their politeness, County Princess Duan Rou and Miss Tang straightened up.
Empress Wei introduced both parties, ¡°Xiao Jiu, this is the County Princess, Duan Rou, and her cousin.¡±
¡°Duan Rou, this is this empress¡¯ niece.¡±
Qin Jiu stood up gracefully and greeted, ¡°My surname is Qin, and I am the third Miss of the Qin family.¡±
Although Empress Wei¡¯s attitude was gentle, Qin Jiu could tell from her aunt¡¯s words the estrangement and knew that she was just showing a respectful distance.
Qin Jiu quickly wink at Empress Wei to show that she understood.
County Princess Duan Rou and Miss Tang also greeted back, and look at Qin Jiu with a smile on their lips.
Miss Tang seemed a little curious about Qin Jiu and asked in a friendly manner. ¡°Little Sister Jiu, you¡¯ve just reached your hairpin, haven¡¯t you? I¡¯m a few months older than you, so I dare to call you little sister.¡±
¡°I heard that you were pointed marriage to the County King by the emperor, speaking of County King, we had a special affinity and fated to meet once¡¡±
She said this with nostalgia written on her face and could even be heard in her voice as her pair of autumn water-like eyes creates small ripples.
Du Ruo slightly frowned upon hearing the words and said to herself: What does Miss Tang mean by this?!
While, Empress Wei¡¯s gaze deepened and her eyes darkened even more for a split second as she pursed her lips into a straight line.
County Princess Duan Rou tilted her pretty face as she asked Miss Tang casually. ¡°Cousin, you have met Imperial Uncle?¡±
¡°Yes, it was five years ago,¡± Miss Tang nodded she smiles sweetly, ¡°I just don¡¯t know if he still remembers me¡¡± As she said this, she also hesitantly nces at Qin Jiu as if she has some concerns and did not continue her words.
¡°He probably doesn¡¯t remember you.¡± Qin Jiu replied with a smile.
¡°¡¡¡± Miss Tang¡¯s eyes slightly widened, and couldn¡¯t help but look at Qin Jiu again.
Qin Jiu looked back at her, as she calmly said. ¡°He is someone who has good memory but he can¡¯t remember those people who don¡¯t matter.¡±
The gentle smile on Miss Tang¡¯s face immediately froze, while County Princess Duan Rou furrowed her brows and her eyes darkened.
Meanwhile, opposite to earlier, Empress Wei was smiling as she watched Qin Jiu¡¯s calm expression and knew that her niece wasn¡¯t really affected by what Miss Tang had said about Gu Zezhi.
Empress Wei sighs inwardly: Although her niece was still young, she was really kind-hearted, quick-witted, and open-minded which often makes her, the aunt, feel ashamed of herself.
But this Miss Tang¡
Empress Wei narrowed her eyes, and the corners of her mouth curved up disapprovingly.
This Miss Tang was Yu Wang Fei¡¯s niece and came to the capital with County Princess Duan Rou, so Empress Wei didn¡¯t pay too much attention to her, but now that she had a good look, it seems that this girl was unruly.
Empress Wei was still faintly smiling as she instructed the servants to give seats to the County Princess and Miss Tang.
County Princess Duan Rou and Miss Tang the express their thanks before sitting down.
Empress Wei then directly ignored the two of them and smilingly chatted with Qin Jiu. ¡°Xiao Jiu, this empress heard from the emperor that your big brother did a great job in Minzhou this time, winning several battles¡.¡±
When talking about her nephew¡¯s affair, Empress Wei looked excited and her eyes brightened, knowing in her heart that Gu Zezhi wanted to help her nephew get a promotion using his achievements in Minzhou.
Before her nephew separates from the Marquis, some people still say behind his back that he was foolish and that leaning against a big tree was a good way to enjoy the cool. Her nephew did a great job this time, and could p these people hard in the face!
Moreover, the emperor could now logically promote his nephew.
Thinking about it, the smile on Empress Wei¡¯s face brightened even more as they continued to chat.
Meanwhile, Qin Jiu listened to her imperial aunt with great interest.
***
Chapter 377
Chapter 377
A few momentster, the curtain leading to the main hall was raised again, a momo came in, and went to Empress Wei¡¯s side to whisper a few words. Empress Wei looked over Qin Jiu with a subtle look in her eyes before smiling and said, ¡°Xiaio Jiu, the osmanthus flowers in the imperial garden are in full bloom today, go enjoy the flowers and take a break.¡±
Qin Jiu thought Empress Wei had something urgent to deal with so she deliberately dismissed her, thus, she obediently got up andply.
And since Du Ruo was familiar with the pce, Empress Wei didn¡¯t send someone to guide her. The master and servant went from Fengluan Pce to the Imperial Garden together.
The osmanthus garden was located in the southwest corner of the imperial garden, and before they even arrived, she could already smell the strong fragrance of the osmanthus flowers in August mixed with chrysanthemum, grass and woods as well as a faint fragrance of tea?
Sniffing her nose, Qin Jiu walked around the rockery only to see an octagonal pavilion next to the osmanthus garden in front of her. Inside the pavilion was a young man in purple robes, leisurely brewing tea with a small red y stove next to him.
Gu Zezhi seemed to know she wasing; he raised his eyes towards her and waved. ¡°Xiao Jiu,e here!¡±
The bottom of his eyes was clear, his lips, rosy and his smile was rippling.
And for a moment, Qin Jiu stare in awe as one phrase came to mind: ¡®Beauty deceives people!¡¯!
She couldn¡¯t help but quicken her pace as she walked towards him, her smile radiant.
Meanwhile, Du Ruo tactfully turned around, her gazended on the bird in the blue sky as she thought to herself: It¡¯s spring time¡no, its autumn, and its dense!
Qin Jiu at this time, sat down in the pavilion and was happily drinking the tea Gu Zezhi brewed as she looked at him up and down.
He had obviously taken a shower and changed clothes, although his dark hair was 80% dry, upon closer inspection, she could see that there was still some slight moisture between the strand. He had a purple gold crown on his bun with a small blood stone emblem in it, there was also a familiar crescent shaped sachet on his waist.
Qin Jiu¡¯s gaze rested on the sachet for a few moments before moving her gaze, unbeknownst to her, this simple action from her looked charming, especially between her brows.
His little girl has grown up! Gu Zezhi¡¯s smiling eyes swept a touch of zing heat as he casually asked, ¡°I brought this Tieguanyin back from Minzhou, how is it?¡±
Fragrance was fragrant. Qin Jiu took two sips of tea and honestly said, ¡°It¡¯s not good.¡±
¡°Cow chewing peony*.¡± Curling his fingers, Gu Zezhi carelessly touch the tip of her nose.
(*metaphor not knowing how to appreciate, not following proper etiquette for beautiful things)
Wrinkling her nose, Qin Jiu asked. ¡°This isn¡¯t the gift you said you brought me, is it?¡±
¡°What do you think?¡± Gu Zezhi raised an eyebrow.
As if hearing a foreignnguage, Qin Jiu just grabbed the corner of his sleeve, pulled it, and gently swayed it back and forth coquettishly.
Gu Zezhi said. ¡°Put out your left hand.¡±
Qin Jiu stretch out her left hand, she didn¡¯t see what he had pulled out of his sleeve and just heard a ¡°click¡± sound as he put something on her wrist, which felt heavy.
When Gu Zezhi removed his hand away, Qin Jiu saw a red gold engraved bracelet on her left wrist. The bracelet was iid with a ring of bright rubies, each of which was the size of a bodhi.
A few wisps of sunshine nted into the pavilion, and therge Ruby on the bracelet shone brightly in the sun, reflecting her white skin more radiant than snow.
For a moment the radiant red ruby looks like a wedding dress forming a sharp contrast with her white delicate skin.
¡°Do you like it?¡± He softly asked, stretched out his finger, and twirled the gold bracelet in satisfaction, his burning fingertips inadvertently grazing the skin on the inside of her wrist.
This bracelet really suits her as he expected.
¡°En!¡± Qin Jiu vigorously nodded as she took back her now ¡°heavy¡± left hand and counted the ruby-encrusted bracelets on her wrist with interest, looking like a money-grubber.
Her golden thigh really knows her the best!
The glimmer from the ruby sprinkled on her snow-white face and reflected in her obsidian eyes making her look more dazzling like a fierce me.
Reading Qin Jiu like the back of his hand, Gu Zezhi could only purse his lips into a smile.
While ying with her ruby bracelet, Qin Jiu casually said. ¡°Just now, there was a girl in Fengluan Pce who said she knew you.¡±
Gu Zezhi asked, ¡°Who?¡±
Qin Jiu replied. ¡°Miss Tang, the cousin of County Princess Duan Rou.¡±
Of course, Gu Zezhi knew this County Princess Duan Rou, she was his own niece and the daughter of Wang Yu. The County Princess¡¯s maternal family surname was Tang, but why did the Tang family let their daughter visit the capital with County Princess Duan Rou¡
As he was thinking of this, he casually picked up the teacup but in the corner of his eyes, he caught a glimpse of Qin Jiu looking at him with a smile but not a smile and a hint of unfathomable look on her face.
Gu Zezhi immediately heard rm bells ringing in his ears as a desire to survive suddenly arouse. Shaking his head, he decisively said. ¡°I don¡¯t know her.¡±
Unable to hold it longer, Qin Jiu let out a ¡°pfft¡± andugh like a hibiscusing out of water, delicate and yful.
Gu Zezhi shook his head, reached out his finger, and pinched the tip of her tiny nose, helplessly saying, ¡°Naughty!¡±
Touching the tip of her poor nose, Qin Jiu felt that it must have reddened after being pinched multiple times by him now, and give him a resentful sideways nce.
Gu Zezhi¡¯s heart heat up, and his eyes became even hotter.
¡°Ahem¡¡±
Not far away there was a dry cough of clearing throat, it was Du Ruo and Xiao Kouzi who were standing from the side of the rockery. Thetter greeted the two people in the pavilion. ¡°County King, Miss Qin, it¡¯s almost time for the banquet.¡±
Gu Zezhi took the lead in getting up and stretched out his hand to Qin Jiu, who then naturally put a hand on his and stood up with his help.
It was a simple gesture of helping someone but Gu Zezhi did it with great elegance and Qin Jiu¡¯s moves were done naturally as if it was meant to be. On the contrary, Du Ruo¡¯s expression was subtle as she lost count of how many times she sighed with her Third Miss outgoing personality.
Xiao Kouzi led the way ahead, as Gu Zezhi and Qin Jiu walked side by side out of the imperial garden.
***
Chapter 378
Chapter 378
The two walked slowly along the winding path with various chrysanthemums nted on both sides of the trail, some were rare and elegant, and some were small and luxurious¡dotted around like brocade, and with the gentle breeze the fragrance lingers longer.
Gu Zezhi continued the topic of Miss Tang from earlier. ¡°About five years ago, Gu Yong, the son of Wang Yu, sent his consort back to her maternal family, and on their journey, they passed through the Luoan City¡¡±
¡°Originally, the couple stayed at the inn for at most one night before leaving but because the heir apparent¡¯s consort suddenly fell ill, they asked for a physician and stayed in Luoan City for nearly ten days.¡±
¡°At that time because the apparent heir¡¯s consort was ill, Gu Yong himself went to Duan Wang¡¯s mansion to ask for help. Father then ordered someone to invite a physician and arranged for them to stay temporarily in the other courtyard of Duan Wangye¡¯s mansion. A banquet was even hosted in honor of them which I also went.¡±
¡°Maybe we met once at that time.¡±
Gu Zezhi was actually not too sure, but in his memory, that was the only time he has ever met someone rted to Wang Yu, before that, he had never even met Gu Yong, the son of Wang Yu.
¡°Gu Yong and a few of his cousins¡¡±
There were at least seven or eight people in that group and the only people who catch Gu Zezhi¡¯s eyes were Gu Yong and his wife, as for the other cousins, their faces were blurry in his memory, no different from the guards and servants around them.
Soon after Gu Zezhi said this, Qin Jiu gave a soft ¡°hmm¡± understanding what he meant.
In Qin Jiu¡¯s opinion, there was really no problem with Wang Yu¡¯s son and daughter-inw passing Luoan City, but when the consort suddenly fell ill on the night they were in Luoan City was just too coincidental.
Could it be that this, ¡°fell gravely ill¡± has an ulterior motive?
At that time, Miss Tang, she should have been ten years old five years ago, right? So, what she said in Fengluan Pce, did she really mean those words because she yearned for a one-sided rtionship?
Or, was this a cover for a different purpose¡
¡°¡¡¡± Qin Jiu wanted to say something, but the two had already arrived outside the Fengluan Pce.
Gu Zezhi smiled and said, ¡°You should go in quickly,¡±
Qin Jiu let out an ¡°en¡± again and obediently followed Xiao Kouzi into the Fengluan Pce, afterwards, she went with Empress Wei to the Huagai Pce for the banquet.
Qin Zening and Qin Zeyu had already arrived, but since the men and women sat in separate seats, Qin Jiu could only nce at them from a distance and smiled, before following the pce maid and sat down on her designated chair.
Since the separation of the family, Qin Jiu was no longer a part of the Marquis n, and since their Qin family has no rank, she was supposed to seat in the corner. However, with Qin Zening¡¯s contributions, who quelled up the chaos in Minzhou, and since Qin Jiu was County King¡¯s fianc¨¦, she was seated very close to the front.
Others also took their seats one after another and soon Huagai Hall was full. It was until early afternoon that the emperor and empress arrived amidst the eager crowd, and they saluted.
After a period of tedious etiquette, Qin Jiu could finallyfortably sit down while thinking, if it weren¡¯t for Gu Zezhi and Qin Zening, she would have nevere to this pce banquet. It was really a waste of time, not to mention, she would not be able to eat her fill.
In modern times, while the leader talks on the stage she could just eat her fill below with the crowd; but in ancient times, while the emperor was rewarding everyone, no one dares to move their chopstick.
Qin Jiu could only stare at the delicious food on the table as it cooled down, she was obviously starved with hunger that all the specific rewards that the emperor announce went in her left ear and out of her right ear. She only vaguely heard that Gu Zezhi was officially transferred to the Ministry of War while Qin Zening was promoted as a guerri general and was transferred to Shenshushu Camp.
An hourter, the pce banquet finally ended, and after everyone respectfully sent off the emperor and empress the crowd dispersed separately.
Qin Zening had just left the hall when he was stopped by a familiar voice. ¡°Ning¡¯er.¡±
Qin Zening turned around and saw Qin Zhun who was striding towards him, he casually cupped his hand and greeted him. ¡°Second Uncle.¡±
Looking at his nephew, Qin Zhun¡¯s expression wasplicated. He did not expect that after splitting the family, Qin Zening was able to make great achievements in a short time and was immediately promoted into a guerri general.
Qin Zening was only seventeen years old!
Qin Zhun could already imagine that after today, there would be a lot of gossip about him outside, and those busybodies would surely bring up the old story again, saying that Qin Zening was oppressed by his uncle, so he wasn¡¯t able to achieve anything before the separation.
This made Qin Zhun aggrieved and put on his uncle¡¯s air as he said. ¡°Ning¡¯er, you have made great contributions in Minzhou this time, you have also won the emperor¡¯smendation. Uncle is happy for you, however, you must not get this in your head, so you could do a better job in the future.¡±
¡°Although our family is already separated, you can¡¯t write ¡°Qin¡± in a different character¡¡±
Qin Zhun said a grandiose statement.
Qin Zening put this grandiose statement from one ear and let it out in the other, anyway, his second uncle was not someone who could say such insightful thought.
Meanwhile, Qin Zeyu has long cleverly dragged Qin Jiu to run away first and give his eldest brother a sympathetic look. They better go wait for his brother outside the pce gates, lest they listen to the second uncle¡¯s lecture like a shroud.
Qin Zhun who saw this didn¡¯t pay attention to Qin Jiu and Qin Zeyu, instead, he continues to chatter incessantly while feeling increasingly frustrated as he spoke, thinking about his current situation.
The second prince was like a bottomless pit, it couldn¡¯t be filled no matter how much he pours, and instead kept asking him for silver every day. It¡¯s not like he own a gold or silver mine, the Marquis fu was almost emptied now.
Although Lord Chengen finally didn¡¯t go back on his word and found him a promotion, but thinking of how much he spent just to get the position was just¡
Qin Zhun¡¯s eyes darkened as his heart sank even more and his mood became even worse like a boulder crushing him, disabling him from breathing.
At the thought of the big trouble he had encountered, Qin Zhun¡¯s eyes deepened as deep as an abyss, while his body was as taut as a stretched bow.
***
Chapter 379
Chapter 379
Qin Zhun clenches his fist and said with a stern face, ¡°Ning¡¯er, how can you let your sister be in charge!¡±
¡°Your sister, who only just reached her hairpin has never been in charge of a household before, so what does she know?!¡±
¡°You ah, your heart is too big. You actually handed too much authority to your money and properties to your sister that is going to be married off¡¡±
The moment Qin Zhun mentioned Qin Jiu, his mouth was like a dam that releases too much flood water, as his anger also surged out.
Hearing this, Qin Zening raised his sword like eyebrows and a mocking light shed through his eyes.
During the pce banquet just now, Qin Zeyu was not quiet either and told Qin Zening about the heroic act of Qin Jiu and how she ruthlessly killed Qin Zhun several times in just a few months. So, after hearing Qin Zhun say this, he already knows what he was talking about.
For Qin Zening he could tolerate anything except saying that his sister was not good. Smiling with crossed arms, he looked carefree.
¡°Ai.¡± He heavily sighed, ¡°Xiao Jiu is so kind, she¡¯s afraid that the Marquis will be ruined so she took out all of our family¡¯s cash and gave it to second uncle to help him preserve the family business, Xiao Jiu really has worked hard.¡±
After Qin Zening said this, regardless of Qin Zhun¡¯s thought he coldly swing his hand away and left.
Hump! The two families were already separated but his hand still wants to stretched out to other people¡¯s sister!
¡°You¡¡± Qin Zhun looked at Qin Zening¡¯s back angrily as the corners of his mouth trembled, and his forehead veins bursting. He angrily said, ¡°Stop!¡±
However, Qin Zening¡¯s steps did not stop nor slowed down at all, leaving him with great strides.
Livid, Qin Zhun face distorted even more as he bitterly said to himself: These siblings were bing increasingly unruly, they don¡¯t even see him as their uncle. They were really unfilial, disrespectful, and undisciplined!!
Actually, he just wanted to pressure Qin Zening as an elder first and then talked about that troublesome matter he had but didn¡¯t expect that Qin Zening, that shrewd monkey, wouldn¡¯t give him any slightest opportunity.
With gritted teeth, Qin Zhun still choose to go after Qin Zening who was walking towards the pce gate.
Qin Zhun quickened his pace and chased after him with heavy pants, and immediately saw Qin Zening was already outside the pce gate.
Qin Zening was riding on a tall and agile ck horse and was bending down to talk to Qin Jiu in the nearby carriage. Qin Zeyu was also there, riding on a white horse, asionally interjecting. He didn¡¯t know what the siblings were talking about but their expressions were happy and harmonious, spreading theirughter with the wind.
Qin Zhun unconsciously stopped and couldn¡¯t help but think of his own home, and suddenly his expression darkened as if his face was shrouded inyers of dark clouds.
Madam Su¡¯s expression all day has been dull, she doesn¡¯t care about anything, and whenever she talks, she always looks odd and doesn¡¯t have anything good to say; their daughter, Qin Sheng mes him for what happened to their family while Qin Xin would juste to his mansion every day to ask for money. Also, a few days ago he submitted an application to ask for the establishment of his heir but he was declined by the emperor.
Even though their marquis¡¯s mansion has split, the emperor still doesn¡¯t allow him to establish an heir, just why?!
Qin Zhun¡¯s gaze was even more profound.
Thinking of the current ¡°trouble¡±, Qin Zhun felt as if there was a moth flying around inside his body making him even more anxious and irritable.
Qin Zhun took another half step towards Qin Zening and his siblings wanting to pass by, but after thinking about it, he took back his steps as his eyes stopped on Qin Jiu in the carriage.
The sight of Qin Jiu had now made him balk.
Qin Zhun¡¯s expression wasplicated and after thinking about it for a while, he decided not to pass by them after all and just watched Qin Jiu¡¯s carriage, and the Qin brothers rode their horses, gradually drifting away.
Frozen on the spot, Qin Zhun didn¡¯t know how long he was in a daze until his male servant called him ¡°Marquis¡± and came back to his senses, before he got into his own carriage.
After returning that day, Qin Zhun tossed and turned all night. The next morning, he went to Old Madam Qin¡¯s ce and signaled thetter to dismiss the servants in the room.
¡°Mother, I have something to discuss with you.¡± Qin Zhun said straightforwardly as he wrinkled his brows forming a ¡°´¨¡± character.
Slightly frowning, Old Madam Qin felt nervous.
She knows this second son very well, and every time he encounters something difficult, he would always looks like this.
Qin Zhun hesitated for a while before he could muster his strength and said with difficulty, ¡°Mother, our marquis of zhongyi* is in trouble. If we don¡¯t do something, the title that was passed down by our ancestors will be gone¡I have let down our ancestors ah!¡±
(*loyal and righteous)
Sighing anxiously, his brows furrowed even more and his expression seemed to say that he had no choice but toe to see Old Madam Qin as ast resort.
Once she heard that this matter actually involved the title of the Qin family, Old Madam Qin was so frightened that her face turned slightly white, clutching the rosewood Buddha bead string in her hand, she asked in a panic, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±
¡°Mother¡I¡ai!¡± Qin Zhun looked hesitant and unable to speak as he kept on sighing heavily.
This made Old Madam Qin even more anxious, with her brows also now deeply furrowed she asked again, ¡°A¡¯zhun, tell me quickly what happened?¡±
After Madam Qin asked several times, Qin Zhun finally reluctantly said. ¡°Mother, you also know that I just got the job at Taipusi Shaoqing not long ago¡.¡±
Old Madam Qin of course knows about this, the post at Taipusi Shaoqing was a lucrative job that many officials in the imperial court were eyeing.
Taipusi Shaoqing was the official department in charge of horse administration and animal husbandry in the imperial court. As the old saying goes, ¡®The horse department is the most important thing in the country.¡¯ Since ancient times, horses have been an important weapon in the military and the country. Since Emperor Taizong, the Taipusi department set up Changying treasury, a special storage for ¡°horse price silver¡±, so special that they often make jokes about getting rich if they got transfer to this department.
¡°Could it be that there is something wrong with this new job?¡± Old Madam Qin frowned and asked.
¡°Ai!¡± Qin Zhun sighed deeply, looking really anxious as he said, ¡°Li Yuanchan, the former minister of Taipusi handed over his job in a hurry so it gets me upied and really busy that I even wished I could grow one more head and six more arms, because of this I didn¡¯t notice anything amiss until two dayster. I only realize¡that the department¡¯s treasury is a big empty cave.¡±
As he spoke, Qin Zhun¡¯s face became increasingly ugly.
***
Chapter 380
Chapter 380
Hearing her son made Old Madam Qin grab Qin Zhun¡¯s hand and asked, ¡°A¡¯zhun, what should we do then?¡±
Qin Zhun rubbed the creases between his brows as he said in a deep voice, ¡°Mother, if this matter is not settled, we may lose our official position at the least, or at the worst¡I am afraid that I may lose our title.¡±
Qin Zhun¡¯s eyes slightly flickered and deliberately exaggerated the consequences.
In his opinion, this matter was indeed troublesome but it was not enough to lose his rank, at most it could get him a demotion, he was just afraid that if he didn¡¯t make the consequences more serious Old Madam Qin might not be willing to help him.
After all, whether it was demotion or losing his rank, it only has one result, his official career would bepletely over!
¡°A¡¯zhun, you can¡¯t lose this title! Otherwise, how can I face your father in the afterlife?¡± Old Madam Qin was so flustered as her eyes started to redden, ¡°A¡¯zhun, this is all Li Yuanchun¡¯s fault. You just took over the job, even if the emperor finds out, we can still exin this matter clearly.¡±
¡°I can¡¯t just exin it like that.¡± Qin Zhun awkwardly said, ¡°Li Yuanchan has retired and returned to his hometown, not to mention, this position has been in my hands for more than twenty days. And even if I say it wasn¡¯t me, I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t exin it clearly.¡±
Qin Zhun said half-truths and half-lies.
At first, he did not notice the ¡°big hole¡± in the Changying treasury when Li Yuanchun handed over his tasks, and when he did discovered it, his first reaction was to report it. However, at that time, Qin Xin came to him again to ask for silver and was enticed by the remaining silver in the treasury.
The Changying treasury¡¯s silver also known as ¡°horse price silver¡± was usually only used to purchase horses.
Thinking that since Northern Yan had already negotiated peace with Daqi, and the pirates in Minzhou had already pacified, the imperial treasury would not move the money for the time being. With these thoughts, he nned to use it first and try to return itter, or slowly try to bnce the ounts¡
However, the changes came too quickly.
Old Madam Qin was even more worried when she saw her son frowning, ¡°A¡¯zhun, why don¡¯t you hurry and confess to the emperor now, the emperor has always been benevolent and considers your father¡¯s loyalty, maybe he can give you a lighter sentence¡¡±
Qin Zhun seemed to be moved. ¡°You¡¯re right, but¡¡± He was about to get up in a hurry but then sat back. ¡°However, there¡¯s also a possibility that the emperor might make an example out of me.¡±
If he could hide it, Qin Zhun certainly wants to hide it. The problem was that there has been a sudden change in the court recently.
The Ministry of War proposed that since the Jiangnan horses were often too small and undersized to be used as war horses, it would be better to exchange them with silver, and this would also save time and money for Jiangnan from traveling a thousand miles away to the capital.
Now that the national treasury was empty, this move could reduce the financial burden on the imperial court, and at the same time, they could also fill the Changying treasury. The emperor and several ministers all agree with this.
So, once the imperial court began to implement this ¡°horse price silver¡±, it was bound for the imperial court to check the Changying¡¯s ounts, and if that happens, the holes in the ounts could not be concealed any longer.
Just thinking about this, made Qin Zhun regretful, so much that his intestines were turning green. If he had known this would happen, he would have taken the initiative to expose Li Yuanchun when he discovered that there were problems with the ounts, but it was toote to regret now.
Old Madam Qin became more and more at a loss and was already sweating profusely while holding Qin Zhun¡¯s big hands, ¡°A¡¯zhun, what should we do?¡±
Panicking, Old Madam Qin¡¯s mind went ck. She could not say her life was smooth sailing, especially when the family properties were confiscated and they were exiled, but at least herte husband and eldest son were there, and although life was a bit hard, she still had a backbone, anyway, everything was done ording to thete marquis ns.
Later, when the old marquis died, she devoted herself wholeheartedly to following her second son.
Meanwhile, Qin Zhun¡¯s eyes flickered as he said hesitantly, ¡°Mother, I want Ning¡¯er to plead mercy for us.¡±
Old Madam Qin: ¡°?¡±
She looked at her second son in confusion, what did this matter have to do with Ning¡¯er?
Qin Zhun held Old Madam Qin¡¯s hand and reminded, ¡°Mother, Ning¡¯er has just made a great achievement.¡±
¡°¡¡¡± Old Madam Qin still hasn¡¯t reacted.
Qin Zhun could only bite the bullet and continued, ¡°Our dynasty has a precedent of ¡®repaying crimes with merit¡¯.¡±
He said this in a subtle and tactful manner, by this time also, Old Madam Qin finally understood his meaning and remembered a familiar event:
During the reign of Emperor Taizu, one of his capable generals, Marquis Changding helped him establish the Daqi Dynasty. His uncle, the Great General Wang He of the previous dynasty became a prisoner after being defeated by the now reigning dynasty, however, Marquis Changding interceded for his uncle, saying that he had no father or mother growing up, and it was his uncle who raised him so he treated him like his own father, thus, he was willing to use his title to offset his uncle¡¯s crimes. So, Emperor Taizu withdrew his title and pardoned Wang He, as requested by Marquis Changding.
This incident was passed down as a good story in Daqi Dynasty and was often used by storytellers as folklore in teahouses.
In other words, Qin Zhun wanted to ask Qin Zening, who made a great contribution to Minzhou, to seek the emperor¡¯s mercy and use his contributions to offset Qin Zhun¡¯s wrongdoing and preserve the Qin family¡¯s title.
¡°¡¡¡± Old Madam Qin was silent.
If Qin Zening was Qin Zhun¡¯s biological son, Qin Zhun didn¡¯t have toe and tell her that the son should take over his father, since it was a natural thing to do. But Qin Zening was only his nephew, and the family has already split up.
Qin Zhun could naturally see Old Madam Qin¡¯s thoughts, but could only sigh heavily in embarrassment. ¡°Mother, I also know that this would wrong Ning¡¯er, but I also have no choice, I have already thought all the ways I can.¡±
¡°I also even thought of filing the hole with my own money but you know that we have distributed our properties and silver with Ning¡¯er when they separated from us, most of the family¡¯s cash was given to them. The family is now struggling to make ends meet, and could only wait for the autumn harvest and the store¡¯s profits to collect.¡±
¡°Mother, I really can¡¯t bear the thought of my ancestors¡¯ title losing in my hands ah!¡±
As he spoke, Qin Zhun wiped the corners of his eyes with his cuffs, his voice slightly choked.
***
Chapter 381
Chapter 381
Old Madam Qin was flustered as she hesitantly mumbled, ¡°A¡¯zhun, this isn¡¯t right? Ning¡¯er and the marquis family have already separated¡besides Ning¡¯er has made this contribution with great difficulty.¡±
Yesterday, Qin Zening triumphantly returned to the capital. After the pce banquet, he came to the Marquis¡¯s Mansion to greet Old Madam Qin, thetter immediately notice that her eldest grandson has gotten ck and thin¡
Old Madam Qin once stayed in Minzhou for a few years and knew how fierce the bandits were. Others only see Qin Zening making great achievements with ease but she knows that this military achievement was the exchange of his life, only he knows the hardship involved.
Meanwhile, Qin Zhun was still talking unrelentingly with full emotion. He would sometimes talk about the passing of thete marquis, he then said he had not been able to support his family in recent years, he would then say once again that Qin Zening was still young¡
Under Qin Zhun¡¯s expectant gaze, Old Madam Qin said wearily, ¡°A¡¯zhun, this matter¡ I have to think about it, you should go back first.¡±
Qin Zhun was not discouraged, after all, just like how mothers know their children, children know their mothers¡¯ best too. He knew that his mother was soft-hearted, and always sympathetic to the weak, in short, she was easier to manipte.
¡°Mother, then you have a good rest.¡± Qin Zhun politely got up and bowed.
When he reached the curtain door, he paused and whispered, ¡°I am really ashamed to face father like this¡I still remember when I was in Minzhou, father often said that he was not ashamed of himself, but was ashamed to face his ancestors¡¡±
After saying this, Qin Zhun continued walking, and only the rattling sound of the curtain could be heard as it slightly sways mid-air.
Old Madam Qin stared at the swaying curtain, her eyes in a trance.
As his spouse, Old Madam Qin certainly knew thete marquis¡¯ thoughts. Those days, thete marquis was deprived of his title by the previous emperor for protecting the now emperor, who was the crown prince back then, putting the Qin family in exile but he had no regrets.
Later, when the Qin family was pardoned and the title was returned, thete marquis personally enshrined the sacred edict in the ancestral hall and knelt for a day and a night¡
The past shed rapidly in Old Madam Qin¡¯s mind as her heart sank.
Today¡¯s weather was a bit gloomy as the autumn wind blowing in through the window gap, has a tinge of coldness, while the shadows of mottled trees cast in the room was swaying with the wind.
¡°Rustle, rustle, rustle¡.¡±
Old Madam Qin was stayed alone in the east sub-room for nearly all morning and in the afternoon, she personally went to the Qin mansion in Hulu Lane.
Usually, on weekdays, Qin Zening was on duty but he was home today after the emperor give him three days off to rest before reporting to Shenshun Camp.
So as soon as Old Madam Qin arrived, Qin Zening and Qin Jiu immediately came to the main hall to pay their respects.
¡°Grandmother, A¡¯yu is still in ss with his master, I¡¯ll ask him toe over after his ss¡.¡±
Old Madam Qin interrupted Qin Zening, ¡°You don¡¯t need to call A¡¯yu.¡±
Qin Zening and Qin Jiu exchange a tacit look of understanding, yesterday the three of them had just greeted Old Madam Qin, and at that time thetter¡¯s expression was like the usual. Today, however, she suddenly pays them a visit, there should be something urgent. They usually go to the Marquis¡¯s Mansion every few days to pay her respects, and if she was not in a hurry to say something she could just wait for them at that time.
Just what was so urgent that she needed to visit them?
Qin Jiu and Qin Zening both had the same question inside their heads, but neither the brother nor the sister directly asked.
Old Madam Qin was sitting on the upper chair with a heavy heart as she drank her tea absent-mindedly. The hall was quiet.
After sitting for a while, Old Madam Qin put down her teacup, looked at Qin Zening, and asked, ¡°Ning¡¯er, has your second uncle been here?¡±
Qin Zening¡¯s eyebrows twitched, remembering Qin Zhun who stopped him yesterday outside the Huagai Hall and said a lot of nonsense.
Not waiting for Qin Zening to answer her, Old Madam Qin continued, ¡°Your second uncle has recently encountered a little trouble¡¡±
Old Madam paused for a moment and told Qin Zening with aplicated expression. ¡°If hees to your door and asks for help, you must not be soft-hearted and agree.¡±
Qin Jiu: ¡°?¡±
Qin Jiu looked at Qin Zening again, and seeing that he seemed to be in deep thought, she blinked curiously, thinking: Did something happen that she didn¡¯t know about?
Old Madam Qin wearily sighed and continued to ramble, ¡°Ning¡¯er, your merit is something you exchange your life with. If something happens to your parents or your brother it is understandable to exchange your merit for their crime, but your second uncle is already separated from you, and your siblings, that also means that you are now two families.¡±
¡°Ai, since your second uncle inherited the family title and family business, he should have been able to take charge of the family, so how can hemit a crime, and then expect his nephew who has already separated from the family to step in. This person, there is no reason for him to take advantage of all the benefits!¡±
Old Madam Qin knew her second son, and she was disappointed with him.
Back then, thete Marquis was once deprived of his title, but he earned it back on his own. However, this second son, who did not learn from his father¡¯s strengths, was only interested in others helping him solve his problems.
***
Chapter 382
Chapter 382
During her long talk, Old Madam Qin seemed to have aged a lot. She then finally said, ¡°I know your second uncle, he may say that someone is at fault but he must have also ounted for at least half of this fault.¡± Otherwise, why would he be so guilty and anxious!
Qin Jiu and Qin Zening still weren¡¯t able to grasp what was really happening. Apart from obediently listening to Old Madam Qin, they also don¡¯t know what to say and could only asionally look at each other¡¯s faces.
The siblings¡¯ somewhat confused look made Old Madam Qin at a loss.
Old Madam Qin felt pity and somewhat sad, she couldn¡¯t help but remember that when her eldest son and daughter-inw passed away, Ning¡¯er was only a small child who was forced to grow up and shoulder the responsibility of taking care of his younger siblings.
Long before, this child who was fatherless and motherless at such young age has be someone who was in charge of his family. These siblings were pitiful enough, and yet, they were still soft-hearted, especially Ning¡¯er, he did not inherit the title nor did he got married, and now he was kicked out by his second uncle to set up his own family.
Among other things, Qin Zening and Qin Zeyu would also suffer some disadvantages when ites to discussing marriage in the future.
The more Old Madam Qin thought about it, the more she felt that it was not easy for his eldest grandson, ¡°Ning¡¯er, your life was exchange for this merit, and since you no longer have a title, you have to earn your own in the future, also, as the eldest brother you need to support your younger sister and brother.¡±
¡°If you don¡¯t think about yourself, think about your younger siblings a little more.¡±
Once again, Old Madam Qin was immersed in her own thoughts and kept talking to herself.
Qin Jiu looked at the gray-haired woman in front of her and pursed her lips into a smile as her eyes brightened even more.
Although Old Madam Qin was partial toward Qin Xin, she was also partial to her people. Her partiality to Qin Xin was understandable since she raised Qin Xin like her own child. One would have feelings after raising a puppy or a kitten let alone a person, not to mention, Qin Xin had been under her for more than ten years, so obviously she loves Qin Xin as a real granddaughter.
And upon thinking about it carefully, even if Old Madam Qin was partial, she was not really a bad person. Whether it was now or in the novel, she did not treat the original owner badly. In fact, she was just an olddy who has soft ears and bes more confused as she gets older. She lives in her own world, with limitations in what she could see, hear, and think, only hoping that future generations could be peaceful and harmonious.
She hoped that everyone would be well, whether it was Qin Xin, Qin Zhun¡ Qin Zening, and Qin Zeyu.
And her being here, only means that she could not sacrifice Qin Zening¡¯s future for Qin Zhun.
Meanwhile, Qin Zening was also surprised, looking at his grandmother¡¯s eyes shing a touch of emotion.
He responded solemnly, ¡°Grandmother, I know.¡±
Qin Zening also had a rough idea of what was going on: his second uncle must have caused some trouble and wanted him to solve it for him, however, when he asked for help he didn¡¯t know how to humble himself and insisted on acting like an elder, imposingly suppressing him¡
He couldn¡¯t help but doubt if his second uncle¡¯s brain was knocked out when he was a child, does he think he was someone who would willingly be abused, also why should he help his second uncle who was not very nice to him! Does he look cheap in his eyes?!
Qin Zening silently ¡°reflected¡± for a while. It seemed that his usual behavior was still too ¡°gentle¡± which made people think he was some sort of vegetable in the field¡
Meanwhile, Qin Jiu was busy eating grapes while exchanging nces with Qin Zening, already guessing their second uncle¡¯s trouble this time was probably not small, otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have let the old madame to find them.
Although Qin Zening assured her, Old Madam Qin was still feeling uneasy and felt that her grandchildren would be easily overwhelmed by their second uncle, so she reminded again. ¡°Ning¡¯er, you must remember what grandma said, and don¡¯t be soft-hearted.
¡°Grandmother, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m keeping an eye on big brother.¡± Qin Jiu said with a smile, ¡°Grandmother, eat the grapes, they are sour and sweet, I will peel them for you.¡±
Qin Jiu then peeled the grapes for Old Madam Qin and fed them into her mouth.
Old Madam Qin, who had eaten the grapes was pleased making her expression look a little lighter. After she reminded her grandson, again and again, Old Madam didn¡¯t stay any longer. She got up and said, ¡°I¡¯ll leave first.¡±
¡°Grandmother, I¡¯ll see you off.¡± Qin Jiu also stood up.
Qin Zening originally wanted to send Old Madam Qin off too but was dismissed by thetter. ¡°Ning¡¯er don¡¯t need to send me off, I happen to have a few personal words to say to your sister.¡±
Thus, Qin Zening was left alone in the main hall as he helplessly watched the old and young walk away.
Old Madam Qin took Qin Jiu¡¯s hand as they walked and said, ¡°Jiu¡¯er, there are some things that your mother should have told you but she left early, while your brother is thoughtless, and your aunt is proud and arrogant¡ai.¡±
¡°County King thinks highly of you which is a good thing but good things do notst long¡don¡¯t be self-willed in what you will do in the future, a girl should be obedient and gentle. Once you marry your husband, obey him, just like your second sister, although she and the second prince previously had some problems but they were still able to solve the differences, and if she gives birth to a royal son, at least her position as side concubine could be sealed¡¡±
Qin Jiu: ¡°¡¡±
She almost chuckled but restrained herself. She already knew the old madam¡¯s temper, and upon hearing the following words, it went straight in one ear and out the other. Anyway, all she needs to do was smile.
Old Madam Qin looked at Qin Jiu¡¯s well-behaved appearance after she gave her advice and was relieved: Jiu¡¯er would soon be a county princess, meanwhile, Ning¡¯er has a good job, she could now tell Ning¡¯er about marriage so that he could establish the eldest house. She needs to pay attention to Ning¡¯er.
This was what running through Old Madam Qin¡¯s mind from whenes out of Hulu Lane until she returned back to the Marquis mansion, but she couldn¡¯t think of a suitable candidate to be her granddaughter-inw. She wonders if she needed to go into the pce and talk to Empress Wei, but she was afraid that Empress Wei would choose a proud one for Qin Zening.
Amidst her dilemma, Old Madam Qin returned to Ronghe Hall. Qin Zhun immediately received the news that his mother was back.
He had already waited impatiently after knowing that Old Madam Qin had gone to Hulu Lane, thinking that he was able to move his mother, he went to Ronghe Hall again.
***
Chapter 383
Chapter 383
¡°Mother, how was it?¡± Qin Zhun eagerly asked, not even greeting Old Madam Qin.
He had already schemed that it would be best for Qin Zening to agree, though he had some doubt, knowing Qin Zening and Qin Jiu, these siblings were both stubborn and cold-hearted but as long as Old Madam Qin was willing toe forward everything should be good, and in any case, Qin Zening refuses, she could use thetter of unfilial piety. Qin Zening had just started his official career, and unfilial piety was a serious crime, so for his future, he could only help Qin Zhun!
Just thinking of this made Qin Zhun aze in enthusiasm as his eyes shone as if he had already won.
When Madam Qin said lightly, ¡°I went to Hulu Lane and told Ning¡¯er that I don¡¯t need him to take care of your things because you are the uncle.¡±
Feeling as if a bucket of cold water poured on his head, Qin Zhun couldn¡¯t believe his ears and was dumbfounded.
Qin Zhun: ¡°???¡±
Qin Zhun almost pinched himself to see if he was dreaming. Was his mother crazy or was she possessed by an evil spirit?
Old Madam Qin hoped that her son would wake up to reality, so she said reproachingly. ¡°A¡¯zhun, you are Ning¡¯er¡¯s uncle and the head of the family. It was already not right to separate an unmarried nephew and now you want him to give up his future for you?¡±
¡°Mother¡¡±
¡°A¡¯zhun, I know you are having difficulties but you still have to conduct yourself with integrity, think about how your father taught you when he was still alive. A man should be responsible.¡±
Qin Zhun, however, was about to go crazy, what the hell was his mother thinking ah.
Enduring a wave of overwhelming anger, Qin Zhun stiffly said. ¡°Mother, why aren¡¯t you thinking about the ancestral title?¡± Wasn¡¯t she afraid that her family would lose the title Marquis of Loyalty?
Old Madam Qin slowly twirled the Buddhist bead bracelet in her hand, with a detached and open-minded expression, she resolutely said, ¡°If we really lose the title, it is you who lose it.¡±
Her gaze towards Qin Zhun had no resentment, nor me but only helplessness. It was because she didn¡¯t raise this son wellpared with the eldest son who passed away, this second son was irresponsible.
Qin Zhun: ¡°??¡±
Mother was ming him?
Old Madam Qin continued, ¡°If the title is confiscated, we will go back to our hometown. Although you have made mistakes, you will not reduce to a lowly status. Our Qin family is a schr family, and future generations can still take the imperial examination again.¡±
Qin Zhun was about to flip the table upon hearing this, his whole body felt like it had been electrocuted, and every word Old Madam Qin said seemed to stab him fiercely like a knife.
His mother¡¯s thinking was too na?ve!
¡°Mother, you¡¡±
Qin Zhun wanted to say something but was interrupted by a maidservant voice behind, panting. ¡°Not good, not good! The officials from Dali Temple* are here!¡±
(*in charge of prison)
Qin Zhun¡¯s pair of eyes widened that he instantly forgot what he was going to say and could only open and close his mouth in disbelief. Stammering, he said to the old maidservant who just came in skepticism, ¡°You¡what did you say?¡±
The old maidservant said again, ¡°Officials areing this way, this servant did not dare to stop them¡¡±
As she said this, there was already a hurried and disorderly sound of footsteps outside, then seven to eight people in officials¡¯ uniforms swarmed in led by a middle-aged official with a goatee.
The middle-aged official arched his hand at Qin Zhun and said with a smile, ¡°Marquis, will you pleasee with this humble official?¡±
He spoke politely, but in fact, Qin Zhun had no other choice. Two tall and powerful government officials, with cold faces, approached Qin Zhun and mped his left and right arms.
¡°¡.¡± Qin Zhun panicked, his forehead was instantly covered with cold sweat while his face paled and his mind went ck.
Although he knew that this matter could no longer be suppressed, he did not expect them to find out the problem in Changying Treasury this soon¡
It¡¯s over, it¡¯s all over!
In a panic, Qin Zhun subconsciously looked at Old Madam Qin on luohan bed and begged. ¡°Mother, go find Ning¡¯er quickly¡¡± His eyes were full of pleadings.
Before he could finish speaking, Qin Zhun had already been dragged out by the government officials. The middle-aged official politely said ¡°farewell¡± to Old Madam Qin and left. This group of people came and left in a frenzy.
¡°¡¡¡± Old Madam Qin suddenly got up, her face pale as her body slightly trembling, and was overwhelmed with anxiety and worry that she almost fainted.
Cui momo quickly went to help her but did not know how tofort the old madam, she could only pat her back to smoothen her breathing as she herself sighed inwardly: Old Madam Qin has been muddled-headed most of her life, it was rare to see to her this clear-headed.
Old Madam Qin stayed quiet for a long time, she just sat back again and just stared at the swaying curtain in her room.
She didn¡¯t know how long she was like this before she heard the servant outside greeting someone. ¡°Madam, Old Madam is¡¡±
Before the maidservant could even finish her sentence, the curtain was roughly swung by Concubine Xiang, Madam Su and her daughter, Qin Sheng, who also hurriedly came in, and the room was suddenly chaotic.
Madam Su anxiously asked, ¡°Marquis¡mother, the lord was taken away by the people from Dali Temple¡¡±
Old Madam Qin twirled the string of Buddhist beads and was silent in response.
Madam Su¡¯splexion turned pale, although she was angry with Qin Zhun because of what happened to her nephew, Su Xiyang, she still also knows that Qin Zhun was the pir of the family, so Qin Zhun mustn¡¯t get into any mishap.
¡°Grandmother, what will happen to father?¡± Qin Sheng asked anxiously.
Old Madam Qin also wants to know.
¡°Rumble!¡±
Outside the window came a burst of thunder, hitting the hearts of three women in the room, one after another, as the air was filled with ominous atmosphere.
The entire capital was shrouded inyers of dark clouds as if dusk had arrived earlier.
¡°Your Majesty, Qin Zhun has been taken away by the Dali Temple and put in jail.¡± Yuan Mingang, themander of the imperial guards, reported to the emperor.
The emperor stood in front of a window with his hands behind him as he looked up at the overcast clouds in the sky, his eyes deepened.
What Qin Zhunmitted this time was neither big nor small, and the emperor knew about it early on. The emperor even know more what Qin Zhun had pulled to cover it up, and seeing how big the hole in Changying Treasury was, it only shows how greedy Li Yuanchun was!
Qin Zhun was simply just too stupid!
***
Chapter 384
Chapter 384
The emperor secretly shook his head and asked, ¡°How much silver did Qin Zhun give before and after these days?¡±
Yuan Minggang replied, ¡°Half a million silver.¡±
As the words fell there was another thunderbolt in the sky, the huge lightning illuminated the dark sky in a sh, as well as the emperor¡¯s face, reflecting his bright eyes, looking like a deity.
The emperor seemed to be talking to himself. ¡°Feng Zicheng has been suffering from heart disease for the past six months, and it is getting worse. He was now old. The hole in Changying Treasury must be filled before then¡¡±
¡°Are they expecting Qin Zhun to sell his family fortune to fill the hole¡¡±
¡°But I¡¯m afraid, Marquis¡¯s wealth is unexpectedly almost hollowed out.¡±
There was a hint of mockery in the emperor¡¯s tone.
The emperor had long known that Qin Zhun was transferred to Taipusu but did not stop him or make excuses to dismiss Qin Zhun, instead, he let him do whatever he wants and watched his stupidity drown him little by little, until now.
In honor of thete Marquis, the emperor gave Qin Zhun many chances but he let him down time and time again. He was only thinking about rare goods and achievements he could get from the dragon, without considering whether he had that ability.
But even though he was literally asking for his death, and as stupid as he was the emperor was still merciful, and did not want to see Qin Zhun lose his way and end up risking his life. This leniency was all because of thete Marquis.
Meanwhile, the smart Yuan Minggang couldn¡¯t help but think that this Qin Zhun was only enjoying the shade his ancestors nt for future generations. If it wasn¡¯t for thete Marquis and the emperor honoring theter Marquis, Qin Zhun would probably bring disaster to everyone.
Recalling something, Yuan Minggang reported again. ¡°Old Madam Qin visited Hulu Lane today and advised the young Qin to leave Qin Zhun¡¯s affairs alone.¡±
The emperor raised his eyebrows in surprise but didn¡¯t say anything, only thinking that he could talk to the empresster.
¡°Zhou Xin,¡± the emperor called out to Zhou Xin who was standing on the side, ¡°pass my oral order, this case will be investigated by Dali Temple first, before the three division starts their own investigation.¡±
¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± Zhou Xin hastily answered and retreated with Yuan Minggang.
¡°Rumble¡¡± The thunder sounded more intense and louder as if shaking heaven with its continuous thunder.
Not only Qin Zhun but also half of the officials from Taipusu were jailed this time, involving a wide range of people.
In the court hall, government officials have been talking about it for several days, while some officials who once worked in Taipusu were worried that it would be their turn next.
Qin Jiu also soon heard about Qin Zhun¡¯s imprisonment, but she heard it from Madam Su¡¯s mouth.
¡°¡.this is the third day, the Dali Temple has neither released nor opened the hall.¡±
¡°Your third uncle and fourth uncle also asked around for news, but they ran into walls everywhere.¡±
Madam Su¡¯s said as she keeps on wiping the tears and snot with her handkerchief, overflowing from the corner of her eyes that was already swollen red.
Qin Jiu and Qin Zening exchanged nces. When Old Madam Qin visited them the day before yesterday, they had already guessed that Qin Zhun hadmitted a serious crime, however, they did not expect Qin Zhun to be imprisoned so soon.
It feels as if Qin Zhun had been targeted long ago, Qin Jiu thought as she stroked her chin.
Meanwhile, Qin Zeyu didn¡¯t even know that Old Madam Qin visited them, so he was dumbfounded when he heard that Qin Zhun was imprisoned.
He couldn¡¯t help but recall that previously Qin Zhun sold a lot of family properties to his sister. And this rare moment where he became astute, Qin Zeyu thought: Could it be that the second unclemitted something rted to money? Wasn¡¯t it often said in storybooks that those gamblers first empty their homes for gambling, then sell their sons and daughters, then take risks¡finally, the ending was bleak.
Seeing that no one spoke, Madam Su continued crying. ¡°Your grandmother was so worried that she couldn¡¯t eat, couldn¡¯t sleep at night, and was suddenly ill. Originally, she wanted toe along today, but knowing she¡¯s sick, I insisted on stopping her.¡±
¡°Ning¡¯er your second uncle has just been transferred to Taipusu, but he was still arrested for what his predecessorsmitted. He was wronged.¡±
¡°You can¡¯t write ¡°Qin¡± into two characters, even if we are separated, we are still a family. If something happens to your second uncle, it will also affect you.¡± Madam Su said a lot of things, both soft and hard words.
Madam Su didn¡¯t want toe and seek help from the eldest house either, but she really has no other choice.
The day before yesterday, after Qin Zhun was taken away by the officials from Dali Temple, Old Madam Qin seemed to have epted what happened and no matter what she said, Old Madam Qin refused to say a word, so Madam Su could only think of a way to get help by herself.
The first thing she did was go back to her mother¡¯s house to inquire about the news and also to seek help but her mother¡¯s side was still angry at Qin Zhun because of Su Xiyang¡¯s incident while several of her brothers were indifferent and said that there was nothing they could do and kicked her out.
Madam Su could only kneel outside the mansion and begged for half a day, and since it was still her maternal home, they finally let her in again. Her eldest brother said, ¡°The emperor is determined to investigate the Taipusu incident. It is useless to plead for mercy. The only way to get Qin Zhun out is to fill the money back.¡±
So, after returning home, Madam Su rushed to collect the money but found that there was not much money in the mansion, and even a lot of the properties were missing so she had to go to prison to find Qin Zhun. After repeatedly questioning him, Qin Zhun told her about the previous fundraising for the second prince. As for raising money, he told her to find the eldest family.
And this was now, Madam Su bit the bullet and came to their door today.
¡°I managed to get to see your second uncle yesterday¡ your second uncle has suffered big this time. In just a few days, he lost a lot of weight and is extremely haggard.¡± Madam Su sounded really distressed as tears keeps on falling while she talk, so much that she needed to get another handkerchief that was handed by her maidservant to wipe her tears again.
¡°We can redeem your second uncle with some money, but the family really can¡¯t raise any money for now.¡±
¡°As you all know, your second uncle spent a lot of money¡.. to help suppress the bandits in Jinzhou a while ago, he did it for the country and the people, and even more so for the Qin family.¡±
***
Chapter 385
Chapter 385
In Madam Su¡¯s opinion, the properties that the eldest house bought from their second uncle at a low price still belonged to the Marquis family. So now that the Marquis family was in trouble, these siblings should not ignore their own flesh and blood and must return those properties.
If she sells those properties again, she would be able to raise enough money, and with the help of her family, Qin Zhun would definitely be released.
Madam Su lowered her posture but she was in fact, attentively looking at the siblings¡¯ expressions.
¡°Strange?¡± Qin Jiu crooked her little face with a puzzled look, ¡°Didn¡¯t second uncle give his money to the second prince?¡±
¡°That¡¯s for the sake of the Qin family!¡± Madam Su patiently reasoned with Qin Jiu, ¡°Your second uncle is supporting the second prince for the sake of the Qin family¡¯s future, for everyone¡¯s glory and prosperity. Jiu¡¯er, don¡¯t be short-sighted.¡±
Qin Jiu: ¡°¡¡±
Speechless, Qin Jiu reminded, ¡°Second Aunt, have you forgotten that our cousin is the sixth prince?¡±
Madam Su genuinely forgot for a moment and only thought that Qin Zhun¡¯s investment to the second prince was for the good of the Marquis of Zhongyi.
Her face stiffened for a moment before she bravely said with a stiff upper lip. ¡°Jiu¡¯er, this dynasty has always chosen the prince with both talent and virtue¡¡± She always thought that the sixth prince was still too young and with the deteriorating dragon body of the emperor¡ why couldn¡¯t the eldest house not figure this out!
¡°Second Aunt, are you saying that the Sixth Prince has no virtue and no talent?¡± Qin Jiu interrupted Madam Su.
Madam Su: ¡°!¡±
How could she dare answer it.
Qin Zeyu silently watched the y as he shed tears of sympathy for his second aunt: What gave the second aunt the confidence to deceive his sister? In the first ce, was his sister that easily fooled? didn¡¯t she see how second uncle was ughtered by his sister with one knife after another?
Besides, his sister was a money-obsessed person, how could she possibly take out the money that went into her pocket again! There was just no way!!
Anyway, there was no ce for him to talk, Qin Zeyumented to himself as he silently sipped on the fruit juice. He has to go to sster, so he needs to eat something to refresh himself.
Meanwhile, this time, Qin Jiu added again with a smile. ¡°Tomorrow I will go into the pce and tell my aunt.¡±
¡°¡¡± Madam Su was so angry that she stopped crying, thinking that Qin Jiu was a bearer of ill luck. When she was born, the whole family was exiled, before she came back the Qin family was doing fine, everything went well, and Qin Xin was the second prince consort, but now? Everything went astray, even Qin Zhun was imprisoned!
Madam Su clenched her fist so much that her nails dug into her tender palm and her face darkened little by little as if a storm was brewing.
Since they don¡¯t want to be coaxed then she could only be tough on them.
Madam Su then slowly looked at the brothers and sister, then asked. ¡°Ning¡¯er, Jiu¡¯er, Yu¡¯er, that is your second uncle, are you just going to watch him and not save him?¡±
Without waiting for either of them to speak, Madam Su suddenly stood up and abruptly said. ¡°Then let¡¯s call the n leader and the elders, let¡¯s all go to the ancestral hall to talk about what kind of ¡®cruel and unfilial¡¯ people can look coldly at their own uncle who is in prison. Our Qin family, would not dare to keep such people.¡±
The threat obviously exhibits her feelings, meaning that if they do not agree to help, they would be expelled from the n.
If they want to expel them from the n then they could expel them! Qin Zening had never been a timid person and hated being threatened by others the most. Sneering, he said. ¡°If second aunt wants to expel us, then go ahead!¡± He wouldn¡¯t stop her.
Qin Zening was about to ask someone to see her off but felt his sleeves tighten. It was Qin Jiu, quietly pulling Qin Zening¡¯s sleeves and winking at him.
¡°Second Aunt, what exactly did Second Unclemit?¡± Qin Jiu asked, looking at Madam Su.
Madam Su breathed a sigh of relief after hearing her ask this, thinking that Qin Jiu epted her advice and secretly thought that sure enough since Qin Zening was raised by the Marquis if he stood by and watched his second uncle alone, it would be unkind and unfilial. Qin Zening had just made some progress in his official career, if someone pointed at him saying he has no backbone or he got expelled from his family¡¯s ancestral home then he would never have any hope in his career.
So even if Qin Zening dares to get angry, but would Qin Jiu and Qin Zeyu also dare to do so, with Qin Zening¡¯s future on the line?! Especially, Qin Jiu since she was about to get married, if they get expelled from the family, how would she gain a firm foothold in her inw¡¯s family!
Madam Su¡¯s gaze lit up a little as she casually said, ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal actually, we just need to fill in some money.¡±
¡°Jiu¡¯er, didn¡¯t your second uncle give you the deeds to some properties? After I sell those properties, and I will lend you 100,000 taels for turnover, it should be almost the same.¡± Madam Su said these few words lightly.
Hearing this made Qin Zening¡¯s expression even colder, their second aunt was really thick-skinned and brazen. ording to her, those who don¡¯t know may think that their second uncle generously ¡°gave¡± them these deeds!
¡°Aiya!¡± Qin Jiu made a surprised expression and said worriedly, ¡°Second Uncle¡¯s crime is so serious ah, it takes hundreds of thousands of taels to clear it, then doesn¡¯t this also mean that the officials will search the house and confiscate the properties, and worst exterminate the entire family.¡±
¡°If these hundreds of thousands of taels are really taken to dredge up, I¡¯m afraid I will be used of bribery.¡±
¡°Brother, the crime of bribery is also sentenced to exile, right?¡±
Although Qin Zening was not familiar with Daqi¡¯sw, he still cooperated with his sister and said. ¡°ording to thew of Daqi, the crime of bribery depends on the amount of conviction, more than 10,000 taels will be sentenced to exile for 3,000 miles.¡±
Qin Zeyu nodded at the side and mentally took notes.
Qin Jiu then said to Qin Zening solemnly, ¡°Brother, I have thought about it carefully, it is better to be expelled from the n than to be exiled, so as not to be implicated.¡±
Qin Zeyu nodded once again, thinking that his sister was too reasonable.
Meanwhile, Madam Su¡¯s face was as ck as the bottom of a pot with her teeth clenched.
Intentionally angering her, Qin Jiu asked with a smile, ¡°Second Aunt, don¡¯t you think so?¡±
Qin Zening has always stood unconditionally on her sister¡¯s side and stared at Madam Su, he calmly said. ¡°Our family is already separated. The Marquis of Zhongyi¡¯s Mansion is the Marquis Zhongyi¡¯s Mansion, and the Qin Mansion is the Qin Mansion.¡±
How could anyone borrow money from someone else¡¯s house and be so righteous.
¡°You¡you!¡±
***
Chapter 386
Chapter 386
Madam Su¡¯splexion darkened even more, and even the veins on her neck could be seen convulsing, she was obviously really outraged and wanted to walk away but didn¡¯t dare to.
If she really walked away now, there was no way for her to fill in the missing money. She was afraid Qin Zhun would be convicted and that she wouldn¡¯t be able to release him.
After suppressing her anger, Madam Su brought up Old Madam Qin again to pressure them. ¡°Do you siblings have the heart to let your grandmother live on the streets?¡± Even if they don¡¯t care about Qin Zhun, it should be different when ites to Old Madam Qin!
Qin Jiu brightly smiled as she calmly said, ¡°Second Aunt can rest assured, grandmother is our grandmother, if second uncle and second aunt can¡¯t afford to support her, then the three of us siblings can support her.¡±
This Qin Jiu! Madam Su red at Qin Jiu fiercely, wishing to tear her apart. The eldest miss of the eldest house was really a bad influence, she even pushed her two brothers to fight against the second house!
Qin Jiu suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t I apany second aunt to the marquis¡¯ residence and bring grandmother over¡.¡±
¡°No need!¡± Madam Su interrupted Qin Jiu angrily and anxiously.
What kind of a son would let an olddy live with her grandson when he¡¯s around!
If she really lets Qin Jiu pick up Old Madam Qin, then the whole capital would probably poke the second house¡¯s backbone, and maybe even gossip that she drove away her mother-inw because of what happened to Qin Zhun!
Knowing that she couldn¡¯t get money from Qin Jiu, Madam Su couldn¡¯t stay any longer. She flung her sleeves and left before the hatred in her heart could burst out.
These siblings were white-eyed wolves. They were raised by the Marquis, but they were so ruthless, ungrateful and do not care about any blood or family ties.
And the worst of them was this Qin Jiu, who not only cheated the second house of their properties but now refuses to help them.
In outrage, Madam Su marches out of the Qin Mansion¡¯s main hall.
Lest they attract gossipers Qin Jiu didn¡¯t send her off, so it was only Qin Zening who personally send their guest off, all the way to the gate.
The carriage and servants of the Marquis¡¯s mansion were waiting there, Madam Su held her maidservant¡¯s hand, almost couldn¡¯t wait to get on the carriage.
¡°Second Aunt, when you go back don¡¯t wander off again, it¡¯s best to stay in the house.¡± Qin Zening suddenly spoke out and advised, ¡°What second uncle didn¡¯t do, can¡¯t fall on him.¡±
After all that was said and done, they were still family. When the whole family was exiled to Minzhou, Qin Zhun treated him well. At that time, there were many children in the family and life was hard but all the good things in the family were still given to them.
With this in mind, Qin Zening specifically reminded Madam Su not to mess around and avoid making mistakes.
Madam Su who was now in the carriage looked at Qin Zening from the window, her face turned ugly again and her chest heaved violently as she said in a cold and angry voice, ¡°Ning¡¯er, your second uncle raised you up, if you don¡¯t want to help there is no need to say these cold words. Aren¡¯t you just being too sarcastic?!¡±
Madam Su red at Qin Zening with hostility as she heavily lowered the carriage curtain andmanded. ¡°Go!¡±
The coachman flicked his whip, driving the carriage out through the corner gate.
Qin Zening shrugged his shoulders looking as if he didn¡¯t care if Madam Su listens to him or not.
He then returned to the main hall, and as he walked under the eaves, he saw Qin Zeyuing up to meet him, asking curiously. ¡°Big brother, do you know what second uncle has actuallymitted?¡±
Although Qin Zening didn¡¯t leave home these past two days, he still knew a little about the incident regarding Qin Zhun, since Pei Qi and the others came to tell him these things.
Qin Zening replied, ¡°Changying¡¯s ount books were short of arge amount of money so the emperor ordered Dali Temple to thoroughly investigate this matter, not only Second Uncle but even half of the officials in Taipusu were put in jail.¡±
¡°Big Brother, is this matter very serious?¡± Qin Zeyu poured tea for his brother , with aplicated expression.
In less than a year, Qin Zeyu has grown up a lot and knows that their second uncle and second aunt were not as good to him as he thought they were in the past, but that doesn¡¯t mean he expects them to be bad.
Qin Zening picked up the cdon teacup and calmly said. ¡°If second uncle and second aunt are only willing to listen, at this critical time they must not act recklessly. There is a big chance that second uncle¡¯s case will be dismissed.¡±
After a pause, Qin Zening added. ¡°The emperor is the most magnanimous.¡± Or rather, cherishes old friendships.
But if Qin Zhun or Madam Su does something stupid again and angers the emperor, it would be hard to say.
¡°Emperor Uncle has a good temper and is kind.¡± Qin Jiu nodded in agreement.
Otherwise, with how Qin Zhun hops around to seek the dragon¡¯s merit, provides money, and gives his adopted daughter as the second prince¡¯s concubine, how could the emperor turn a blind eye after seeing all of this. The emperor endured, and with his generous temperament he gave Qin Zhun another chance time and time again, but whether Qin Zhun appreciated it was hard to say.
Qin Zening said, ¡°Next, it¡¯s up to Second Uncle himself.¡±
After saying this, he didn¡¯t talk about this matter anymore and just continue drinking his tea silently.
While, Qin Zeyu muttered softly, ¡°Gamblers will not stop until they gambled all their money.¡±
Qin Zening seemed to be preupied and didn¡¯t pay attention, but Qin Jiu who was sitting right next to Qin Zeyu, heard him and finally looked at him in a different light.
Aiyou, her little naughty child has really grown up!
Qin Jiu also has the same thought as Qin Zeyu, Qin Zhun was the kind of person who would never give up until he reached Yellow River.*
(*afterlife)
***
Chapter 387
Chapter 387
Qin Zeyu was very proud to receive the admiring look on his sister¡¯s eyes, and eagerly poured tea for her, feeling that he was really a good younger brother.
Just as Qin Jiu and the others guessed, Madam Supletely ignored Qin Zening¡¯s advice. After leaving the Qin mansion, she immediately went to the n to file aint, and so that same day, the n head and a few of the n elders also came to find Qin Zening. But after talking and reasoning with the n head and elders, they all concluded not to care about this matter.
After Madam Su learned about it, she became furious and smashed everything she could in her room, cursing the siblings of the Qin family again.
Madam Su had no choice but to return to her mother¡¯s mansion again, however, Madam Su¡¯s family stated that there was no way for them to help her husband without money and dismissed Madam Su.
Disappointed, Madam Su racked her brain thinking about all the rtives, friends, and old acquittances that she could think of but nonee to mind. Left with no choice, she decided to go to the second prince¡¯s mansion to ask Qin Xin for help and me Qin Jiu and Qin Zening at the same time.
¡°Those siblings in the eldest house are heartless. Seeing someone in need but refusing to help!¡±
¡°Xin¡¯er, the marquis treats you well, you must try to help the marquis!¡±
Madam Su humbled herself as she looked at Qin Xin pleadingly. In just a few days, the pampered Madam Su lost a lot of weight, aged several years, and looked haggard.
Qin Xin helplessly sighed, ¡°Mother, you also know that I can¡¯t make the decision if the second prince is not here.¡±
Truth was, Qin Xin was more anxious than Madam Su.
Qin Xin knew that Gu Jing had been treating her lukewarm since thest incident in Jingzhao Hall, and even if he covers it up by staying in her room every day, her life seems to be even more difficult.
Sooner orter, Gu Jing would establish the main consort and she heard that it was likely to be the daughter of Princess Yongle, Fang Hanjun. They were just waiting for her to finish her filial piety.
Fang Hanjun came from a noble background and was the granddaughter of Empress Dowager Liu, not to mention, the emperor¡¯s biological niece. When she marries the second prince, Qin Xin would have no ce in the Second Prince¡¯s Mansion.
Therefore, for Qin Xin, the only person she could rely on was Qin Zhun. With Qin Zhun, she could still stand firm.
She actually didn¡¯t know what went wrong, it seemed that from the moment Qin Jiu returned to the capital, her fate waspletely out of track.
Meanwhile, as soon as Madam Su heard Qin Xin she couldn¡¯t make the decision, she got angry and med Qin Xin. ¡°Qin Xin, do you have no conscience!¡±
¡°If you hadn¡¯t repeatedly asked the Marquis for silver, how would the Marquis have ended up in this situation today!¡±
¡°Do you think that if the marquis is punished, you will remain unscratched?¡±
The more Madam Su talk the angrier she was and her voice got sharper and louder, as if venting all the setbacks she had encountered in the past few days on Qin Xin.
Looking at the cursing Madam Su, Qin Xin didn¡¯t get angry instead she made her servant serve tea and said in an amicable voice, ¡°Mother, calm down, this daughter is not trying to make excuses. You should drink some tea first to calm down the heat.¡±
Madam Su was not easily fooled by Qin Xin, sneering she said, ¡°Okay tell me,¡±
Qin Xin gave her maidservant a wink, and Shuxiang immediately went out to guard the door for them.
Qin Xin said, ¡°Mother, you also know that I am only a concubine now, the Second Prince is not here, so I have no ce to give orders. Even if I write to the Second Prince now, the Second Prince is still in Jinzhou, by the time he receives the letter, it will be toote.¡±
Madam Su: ¡°¡¡±
Madam Su remained silent. She knew that Qin Xin¡¯s words were true, the second prince was far away in Jinzhou, and distant water cannot save the nearby fire.
Qin Xin frowned as she let out a long sigh. ¡°This matter, the eldest house just stood by and watched. Father might really suffer¡ it¡¯s fine to be dismissed, I¡¯m just afraid¡¡±
Madam Su¡¯s eyes widened, and her heart sank.
What Qin Xin means was, besides being dismissed, it was also possible to seize the title of the Qin family?
Madam Su felt her throat rugged as she said. ¡°No, the emperor is someone who remembers old friendships.¡± That¡¯s right, thete marquis was as kind to the emperor, so it was impossible for the emperor to not care about thete marquis and his descendants.
¡°Yes, the emperor has always been magnanimous.¡± Qin Xin nodded as if thinking of something, and continued, ¡°I heard from the second prince that the former left minister of the Ministry of Justice, Yang Tianyu was also corrupt and received bribes, but ¡®died a violent death¡¯, the emperor thought that since he was still at least an elder for three dynasties he did not pursue the matter.¡±
Madam Su frowned upon hearing this, she also knew about Tang Tianyu¡¯s violent death two years ago, so it turned out that there was this kind of inside story.
Qin Xin was still talking with deep emotion, ¡°It¡¯s a pity that his eldest son who just ced second on the imperial exam has to observe mourning for his father. However, the second prince said that stopping his exam for mourning is also a good thing since the Yang family can also start all over again.¡±
Mourning? Madam Su¡¯s heart jumped and beats faster, her hand holding the teacup paused mid-air and looked at Qin Xin again.
¡°If only the second prince is here, I am a woman who stays at home, and my vision is not always as broad as that of a man. Second Prince must know how to help father.¡± Qin Xin frowned, looking worried and hopeless.
However, Madam Su was not listening anymore. Her eyes were getting darker as if she remembered something.
There were precedents in this dynasty. If an officialmits a crime and their parents pass away, they could propose to resign from their position as long as the crime was not heinous, and the emperor would pardon them, though this was tantamount that his official career would be cut off.
This was set by Emperor Xuanzong back then, the said emperor was fatuous in hister years, and only doted on his royal concubine Wang Gufei. He even conferred his concubine¡¯s father the title of marquis andvished rewarded him.
Because of this, Wang Guifei¡¯s father and brother were arrogant and domineering in the capital, causing a murder case, killing an official. This incident caused a sensation in the capital, at that time, Spring Festival was approaching, and those officials ran to the pce gate in indignation to sit in protest. In order to protect the father and brother of Wang Guifei, Emperor Xuanzong used the excuse that Wang Guifei¡¯s grandmother had gone west without waiting for the court to open, and sent them to the Wang family¡¯s hometown to mourn.
This case was also unresolved.
***
Chapter 388
Chapter 388
Madam Su¡¯s heart pounds faster and faster, and its sound echoes in her ears like a drum as she drank several sips of tea without tasting it.
When Qin Xin saw Madam Su¡¯s restless expression, she knew that the other party heard her right, and couldn¡¯t help the corner of her lips slightly curled while her eyes shone brightly.
She quickly lowered her gaze and drank tea in disguise.
After putting down the teacup, her face once again looked worried. She said, ¡°Mother, father is a lucky person and will surely get help from heaven. He just got transferred to Taipusu, perhaps he can still get away with this unscathed¡¡±
Meanwhile Madam Su¡¯s mind was already elsewhere and wasn¡¯t paying attention to what Qin Xin was talking about. Her eyes stared nkly at the teat leaves floating in the tea water, her thoughts were still on mourning, thinking about a certain possibility.
If in any case¡
Madam Su¡¯s heart violently raised even more, and before she could finish her tea, she couldn¡¯t sit still and got up to leave. Qin Xin ordered Shuxiang to help her see off the guest.
As soon as Madam Su left, Qin Xin rxed as a cold smile curled on her lips.
At this time, a fair-skinned woman dressed in clean green clothes walked from behind, it was Zhao Aman.
Zhao Aman heard the conversation between Madam Su and Qin Xin just now, and looked in the direction of the door curtain as she said softly, ¡°Daya, how can you advise the marquis about dingyou*?¡±
(*mourning after the death of the parent)
Although Qin Xin didn¡¯t make it clear just now, Zhao Aman heard Qin Xin¡¯s intention. She wanted Old Madam Qin to die so that Qin Zhun could observe his filial piety which was mourning, and avoid trouble.
And since, the old madam in the marquis mansion was Qin Xin¡¯s nominal grandmother, if the old madam dies, not only Qin Zhun would observe mourning but so was Qin Xin as her filial piety.
Qin Xin casually said, ¡°I am well aware of the situation. Mother, without the Marquis of Loyalty, I would have no one to rely on.¡±
Zhao Aman eagerly took Qin Xin¡¯s hand, frowning she advised. ¡°Daya, I know the marquis can help you, but this time, you must not observe mourning, you have to take advantage of the fact that the main consort has not passed through the door yet. Hurry up and give birth to a royal grandson in order to solidify your position.¡±
¡°Daya, listen to Mother, these men like new and dislikes the old. The second prince likes you now, that¡¯s why he treats you well, but what about the future?¡±
¡°Family flowers are not as fragrant as wildflowers*. There are many little sluts in and outside who want to climb high branches, when the second prince changes his mind, it¡¯s toote for you to regret!¡±
(*wives at home are not as good as women outside)
¡°For a woman ah, the most important thing is still having a son. Your son is what you can rely on, so a mother regards her son as the most important thing.¡±
Zhao Aman poured out her maternal kindness all for the sake of her daughter¡¯s benefit, so she talked incessantly.
When Zhao Aman mentioned giving birth to a son, Qin Xin¡¯s pretty face turned deathly pale.
Qin Xin couldn¡¯t give up her current position, but when facing Gu Jing she panicked especially at night when they were lying on the same bed. She often had trouble sleeping through the night, and simply didn¡¯t dare to even move a bit.
Truth be told, Qin Xin was relieved after knowing that Gu Jing would lead the troops to suppress the bandits in Jinzhou.
However, since the bandits in Jinzhou weren¡¯t that threatening Gu Jing would soon return to the capital rather thanter. But if she wants to observe filial piety, then Gu Jing won¡¯t be able to sleep in her room for the time being.
Hearing Zhao Aman mention ¡°royal grandson¡± on the right and ¡°son¡± on the left made Qin Xin increasingly impatient.
However, there were some things that should not be said, so Qin Xin could only endure her irritability and just vaguely said, ¡°Mother, you don¡¯t understand. There are priorities, and mourning is the only way to save the Marquis. Also, I¡¯m still young¡¡±
When Zhao Aman heard this, she thought her daughter was right. She was only fifteen years old, and she looked gorgeous so she could afford to wait for a year. Smiling, Zhao Aman said smilingly, ¡°Daya, it¡¯s good that you¡¯re aware of your situation.¡±
The room then fell into silence, Qin Xin looked up at the courtyard through the window, and this time Madam Su could no longer be seen outside.
Madam Su had already gotten into the carriage, aftering out from Qin Xin¡¯s ce, she had been absent-minded and was lost thinking about Qin Xin¡¯s words. She originally wanted to return to the Marquis mansion but halfway, she changed her mind and went back to her maternal home before visiting Qin Zhun in the prison again.
When she came out of the prison, Madam Su was even more dazed, feeling that the sunlight outside was piercing her eyes, causing the rim to sore.
This time, she sent the carriage directly back to the Marquis¡¯s mansion, and by this time, the sunset had already set halfway, dyeing the clouds in the sky red.
¡°Mother, how is it? Did second sister refuse to help?¡± Qin Sheng had long been waiting impatiently at the Marquis Mansion, and when she learned that Madam Su had returned, she eagerly greeted her.
¡°¡¡¡± Madam Su didn¡¯t say anything, as if half of her soul had gone.
Qin Sheng thought that Madam Su¡¯s silence was an affirmative response making her pretty face livid with anger, gritting her teeth she said, ¡°Good Qin Xin, you are ungrateful! She should be thankful I helped her much and treated her like my own sister. Father and mother even went through a lot of trouble to get her married to the second prince.¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t expect that after what happened to the marquis, she turned her face away from us, just like Cousin Brother Zening and Qin Jiu, they are all the same.¡±
¡°¡¡¡± Madam Su walked in towards the main courtyard as if she hadn¡¯t heard any of it and still not speaking.
Qin Sheng knew that Madam Su had been running around to ask for help these past few days, and felt that her mother, she, the daughter, and her young brother were the only family members who sincerely care for her father.
Taking a deep breath, Qin Sheng calmed herself but the more she thinks about it the angrier she was, and couldn¡¯t help butin. ¡°These people are throwing stones at us now that were are down. Cousin Brother Zening is like this, Qin Jiu is like this, and Grandma is the same.¡±
Speaking of Old Madam Qin, Qin Sheng became even angrier but could only bite her lower lip.
¡°Mother, I just went to beg my grandmother again, but she won¡¯t let me in at all¡ What do you think, what exactly does she mean by this?¡±
¡°We have always been filial to grandmother, serving and nurturing her to the best of our ability. Father also got into this mess for the sake of the Qin family, and now that disaster hase to our door, grandmother is doing nothing, is she going to abandon father too?¡±
¡°I know, grandmother is not worried at all, anyway, even if father is incriminated, grandmother still has cousin brother, and can live with them.¡±
¡°I think, this time, grandmother tter herself with cousin brother, it must be so that cousin brother can take care of her in the future.¡±
Qin Sheng muttered angrily, feeling that whether it was Old Madam Qin, Qin Zening, Qin Xin, or others, they were all indifferent individuals who could only share wealth but not hardship.
***
Chapter 389
Chapter 389
Qin Sheng could onlyin and grumbled since the speaker has no intention, but it was different for Madam Su, who was listening to her, she felt angrier the more she listens to Qin Sheng and couldn¡¯t help but clenched the veil in her hand.
That¡¯s right, Old Madam Qin was not worried, anyways, even if the second house cease to exist, she still has her other good grandsons and granddaughter who would take good care of her. And if an edict was given to confiscate the marquis¡¯ title, Qin Zening could ask for another edict for his biological grandmother, but what about Madam Su¡¯s family?
If Qin Zhun was convicted, even if he was not deprived of his title, he would still be dismissed. And obviously, he would definitely have topensate Changying treasury with silver to fill in the hole, and for that to happen they need to almostpletely empty their remaining properties and this was what she was afraid of. Without their properties and money, how would they live in the future?
Madam Su couldn¡¯t help but think of the bitter days when she was exiled to Minzhou fourteen years ago, it maybe only three years but it was deeply engraved in her memory.
Those three years were too hard, eating only bread and water, wearing coarse linen clothes, and living in old houses and shacks.
Madam Su didn¡¯t want to live that kind of life again in this lifetime, thest time was only three years, was it possible that this time she would live like that for the rest of her life?
Just thinking about it made Madam Su feel terrified. Poor and humble couples mourn for everything, this would be their forever-unchanging life.
She felt like she was about to be out of breath when suddenly her ears heard Qin Sheng¡¯s sobs.
Madam Su stopped in her tracks and looked at Qin Sheng who was pinching her handkerchief as she wiped her tears and grabbed Madam Su¡¯s arm, she said in a choked voice. ¡°Mother, our family is really in trouble!¡±
When Qin Sheng thought of Qin Zhun, and then thought of herself, her eyes reddened even more, looking extremely aggravated.
¡°Grandmother is too partial. I have to marry that scoundrel but she didn¡¯t even feel heartbroken for me, she only favored the eldest house.¡± As she said this, tears fell like ¡®pitter-patter¡¯, her small crying face looking extremely pitiful.
She was the daughter of the Marquis of Zhongyi, if she really marries that scoundrel her life would be ruined! How could she let it be!
Meanwhile, Qin Jiu was going to marry the County King, and she would soon be a county princess. As for Qin Xin, although she was only the second prince¡¯s concubine, bing a concubine was not really a problem, it was only Qin Sheng who has such a marriage¡
¡°Sheng¡¯er, don¡¯t cry.¡± Madam Su felt distressed, she hurriedly took the handkerchief and carefully wiped her daughter¡¯s tears, ¡°With mother here, mother will never let you marry that ragamuffin boy from Cheng¡¯s family.¡±
Thinking of her daughter¡¯s marriage, Madam Su¡¯s heart felt like she was being pricked with thousand of needles making her hatred surge once more.
Qin Sheng, her daughter, was looking forward to hering-of-age ceremony next year when not long ago, the olddy from the Cheng family came to her house and said that she had already prepared the three books and six ceremonies* for the wedding, which meant that after Qin Sheng¡¯sing of age ceremony she would immediately get married.
(*documents used at the time of marriage, generally including the bride price, letter of ceremony and etc.)
¡°Really?¡± Qin Sheng looked at Madam Su expectantly, and her watery eyes had a renewed sparkle.
¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mother has a way.¡± Madam Su slowly and softly said, reassuring her daughter.
The marriage between her daughter and the Cheng family¡¯s son was bestowed by the emperor, and at most could only be postponed until her daughter¡¯sing-of-age ceremony, after all, the emperor¡¯s oral order could not be disobeyed but there were still exceptions, such as if her daughter observes filial piety¡
Thump, thump!
Madam Su¡¯s heart rapidly beats as that thought was unprecedentedly strong at this moment, suppressing the previous hesitation.
A year of mourning was enough for her to ruin the marriage and find another good match for her daughter.
Thump, thump, thump!
The beating of heart was so fast that it almost felt like it could jump out of her throat, but Madam Su¡¯s eyes shone even more brightly.
The setting sun in the sky had set for the most part making the sky half bright and half dark, and its afterglow shone on Madam Su, forming an extremely strange look on her face.
The days in autumn be shorter, and night falls quickly. The constant chirping of insects in the grass on the courtyard makes the night even quieter.
At this moment, the Qin Mansion in Hulu Lane was very lively.
The siblings were gathered in the main hall of the front yard, Gu Zezhi was also there.
The four of them had just had dinner, and the maidservants served them teas and fruit snacks after the meal.
Gu Zezhi was chatting with Qin Zening about the Shenshu Camp. Starting from Commander Yu Taijing, he also talks about the deputymander of the Shenshu Camp, the stationed officer, the left and right deputy generals, and the generals¡
Qin Zening listened attentively. He grew up in the capital and knew a little about these generals in the capital, however, at this moment, after listening to Gu Zezhi, he realized that his knowledge was only superficial.
Gu Zezhi knows exactly where these peoplee from, their background, where they have worked before, and who were their close friends or subordinates of the same rank.
Qin Zeyu also wanted to listen but unfortunately like how they usually spend their days before, his sister was watching at him as he recite the book, and whenever he paused or stumbled, he could see his sister¡¯s gaze eagerly ncing towards the nearby ruler.
Feeling bitter, Qin Zeyu could only concentrate on reciting first while thinking that he could just ask his brother to repeat itter, this was also helping his brother ¡°review¡± his lesson, right?
After finally reciting thest word, Qin Zeyu heaved a sigh of relief and hurriedly pricked up his ears to listen to Gu Zezhi when he heard Qin Jiu casually say, ¡°Next!¡±
Qin Jiu then threw over the book in her hand, which Qin Zeyu quickly caught.
¡°You¡¯re stumbling, are you going to do the same thing tomorrow when the teacher checks your homework?¡± Qin Jiu sternly admonished the naughty kid, ¡°Read it ten more times.¡±
Gu Zezhi, who was sitting next to Qin Jiu, was talking while keeping an eye on siblings beside him, and seeing Qin Jiu¡¯s cup was empty, he naturally added Pomegranate juice to her cup.
¡°Sister¡¡± Qin Zeyu¡¯s shoulders suddenly copsed, wanting to talk over with Qin Jiu, whether it would be okay to read itter since it was rare for Third Brother Gu toe, as one of the masters of the house, he should treat Third Brother Gu well, right?
However, Qin Jiu has a different idea in mind thinking that the palest ink was better than the best memory, and added. ¡°Go back and copy it again¡¡± Is copying it once too little?
¡°¡¡¡± Qin Zeyu was about to cry for his sister to see.
***
Chapter 390
Chapter 390
At this time, Gu Zezhi handed the cup filled with Pomegranate juice to Qin Jiu and looked at her with a smile. ¡°This Pomegranate juice is good.¡± It was not only sweet but also suitable for moistening the throat and relieving the autumn dryness.
Qin Jiu was feeling a little thirsty so she smoothly took the pomegranate juice and drank two mouthfuls, and thought Gu Zezhi must have liked the juice, she generously said. ¡°This pomegranate is sent from the farm, it¡¯s sweet and fragrant, if you like it, when you leaveter, take two baskets with you.¡±
When she drank the Pomegranate juice, the cuff slightly slipped, revealing a section of a white and luminous wrist, and on that wrist, she was wearing the gold bracelet iid with rubies that Gu Zezhi gave her a few days ago. The big rubies were like crystal pomegranate grains, bright in color.
She really likes his gift! The corner of Gu Zezhi¡¯s lips curled higher and his voice softer, ¡°En, I like it a lot.¡±
Meanwhile, the corners of Qin Zening¡¯s eyes twitched, always feeling that Gu Zezhi¡¯s words sounded like hidden words. He was actually flirting with his sister in front of him, how arrogant!
Qin Zeyu, on the other hand, looked at his sister talking to Gu Zezhi and breathed a sigh of relief, casting a grateful look at Gu Zezhi. Thanks to Third Brother Gu helping him, if his sister continues her lecture, he may end up copying it ten times instead of only copying it once.
Qin Zeyu said generously, ¡°Brother Gu when you finish eating,e back to me and tell it again. Third Sister and I will send you a few more baskets. Don¡¯t be polite!¡±
Qin Zening: ¡°¡¡±
Was this heartless bear really his brother? Could it be a mistake?
Gu Zezhi¡¯s smile deepened as he took a sip of the juice, staining his thin lips with bright red from Pomegranate.
At this time, rushed footsteps outside the hall broke the tranquility of the night, and the heavy gasping sound overwhelmed the soft chirps of insects outside.
A young maidservant in green clothes came panting, and did not care to catch her breath before she crossed the threshold and entered, saying, ¡°Master, Cui momo is here, saying it¡¯s urgent.¡±
Qin Zening, Qin Jiu, and Qin Zeyu all felt their heart thump.
Cui momo was a close attendant beside Old Madam Qin and her sudden arrival gives them an ominous feeling, after all, the capital was already in night curfew.
In a short while, Cui momo came to the main hall with another young maidservant, her face was pale and her forehead was covered with cold sweat, she said anxiously, ¡°Old Madam¡ she¡¯s not well, Master, Third Miss, Fifth Master, hurry back to the Marquis to see the Old Madam.¡±
Immediately, the siblings¡¯plexion changed. Qin Zening hurriedly asked. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with grandma?¡±
Cui momo gasped as she said in a panic. ¡°Old Madam was doing fine before her dinner, but after taking the meal, sheins about her stomach being ufortable and it seems to be getting worse, so this servant asked the kitchen staff to make xiaoshi* tea for the Old Madam but after drinking the tea, she became even more ufortable and was now lying on the bed and couldn¡¯t get up¡¡±
(*aid for digestion)
Old Madam Was unwell, and since Cui momo was the old madam¡¯s personal servant she stayed by her side and asked someone to call a physician but, even after waiting for a long time no physician showed up so she personally went to Madam Su and asked if she could ask help from third miss to call for a physician but Madam Su scolded her instead.
¡°Cui momo, you¡¯re already considered an elder in this mansion, why are you making a fuss at the slightest thing!¡±
¡°You keep mentioning the third miss at every turn, are you trying to use the third miss to pressure me?!¡±
¡°Mother is just a little ufortable, no need to ask for a physician!¡±
Cui momo could see that Madam Su was trying to use the third miss to get angry and refused to call a physician, but seeing Old Madam Qin¡¯s appearance increasingly weakening Cui momo felt uneasy so she sneaked out.
¡°When I came out, there was no physician yet, and I don¡¯t know how old madam is doing now.¡± Cui momo said anxiously.
Qin Zening and Qin Zeyu were both frowning deeply, meanwhile, Qin Jiu looked pensive: How did Old Madam Qin suddenly fall ill? Three days ago, she was obviously fine when she visited them.
Qin Zening hurriedly said, ¡°Let¡¯s go over and take a look.¡±
No matter what, Old Madam Qin was ill, they definitely need to go over and take a look.
The siblings got up one after another, Qin Zening was about to order his personal attendant to invite a physician when he heard Gu Zezhi¡¯s suggestion. ¡°Take my post to ask the imperial physician.¡±
Those members of the Marquis of Zhongyi were not qualified to call an imperial physician, but it was different for Gu Zezhi, he was a member of a royal n and also holds the title of County King, who could summon an imperial physician for consultation.
Qin Zening naturally did not want to be polite to Gu Zezhi, so he quickly instructed the servant to prepare a pen and ink, and also called for the steward, instructing him to take Gu Zezhi¡¯s post to the imperial hospital and have the imperial physician directly go to Marquis of Zhongyi¡¯s Mansion.
Seeing this, Cui momo secretly breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that she had made this trip.
The siblings together with Gu Zezhi hurriedly rushed towards the gate. The silver moonlight softly spilled down the trees, creating shadows that looked like it was hovering, and a strong fragrance of incense wafted.
Gu Zezhi suddenly said to Qin Zening, ¡°A¡¯ning, do you still remember Feng Shiwen?¡±
Qin Zening first raised his eyebrows in confusion when suddenly his eyes widened and couldn¡¯t hide his shocked expression at what came to mind after, he felt that the strong fragrance of incense felt a bit stuffy.
Gu Zezhi¡¯s voice was not too loud, only Qin Zening and Qin Jiu could hear him.
Qin Jiu on the other side of him pulled his sleeve and raised her eyebrows to look at him, meaning¡ª¡ª
What does he mean by this sentence?
Gu Zezhi: ¡°Feng Shiwen served as the chief envoy in Huizhou four years ago.¡±
Qin Jiu couldn¡¯t even remember all the ministers in the court now, let alone the official four years ago, however, she could tell from Gu Zezhi¡¯s tone that something happened to this Feng Shiwen four years ago, so she tugged Gu Zezhi¡¯s sleeves again, meaning¡ª¡ª
You keep talking.
Gu Zezhi lowered his head and whispered to her, telling her that four years ago, due to a flood in Huizhou, Feng Shiwen ordered Hongfeng County to open the floodgate to discharge the flood, but there was a mistake with their assessment and flooded the vige instead making thousands of people homeless. Feng Shiwen was supposed to go to the capital for trial, but it happened that his mother had passed away, so Feng Shiwe went back to his hometown to observe his filial piety for his mother.
***
Chapter 391
Chapter 391
Qin Jiu understood Gu Zezhi¡¯s meaning. Did he suspect that there was something hidden about Old Madam Lin¡¯s sudden illness?
No way! Qin Zening was extremely anxious and flew onto the horse.
The siblings hurried to the Marquis mansion with Cui momo.
The night was as dark as ink, and stars like gemstones filled the night sky, and this tranquil night was shattered by the sound of horse hooves and knocking on the gate.
¡°Bang, bang, bang!¡±
The knock on the door was urgent, and soon a concierge opened the door, seeing the Qin siblings of the eldest house, the concierge was a little surprised. He said, ¡°Please wait, Master, I¡¯ll send someone to inform the Madam¡¡±
Since the separation of the eldest house and the Marquis¡¯s Mansion every time Qin Zening and Qin Jiues to visit, they would be stopped by the concierge for a while to report their arrival. Originally, Qin Zening didn¡¯t care, but today he was worried about Old Madam Qin and decided to break in.
The carriages and horses of the eldest house trespass through the side gate disregarding the obstruction of the Marquis¡¯s servants and rushed to Ronghe Hall in a chaotic manner.
Well, to put it bluntly, the servants of the Marquis¡¯s Mansion were just pretending to stop them, after all, Qin Zening¡¯s future was promising now, while the Marquis¡¯s was in a precarious state of uncertainty.
And since they were already familiar with the way, Qin Zening, together with his brother and sister came to Ronghe Hall by themselves.
Madam Su was also there sitting in the hall room leisurely drinking tea and when she saw Qin Zening and the others came in, she only casually and sarcastically said . ¡°Oh, isn¡¯t this my eldest nephew, what noble business do you have to visit me in your free time?¡±
¡°Ai, youe at a bad time, your second aunt doesn¡¯t have time to entertain you today¡¡±
Qin Zening didn¡¯t even bother to say a word to her and went directly to the inner room of the East Room. Qin Jiu and Qin Zeyu followed Qin Zening behind, following his lead in everything.
In the inner room, the air was dull and silent.
Old Madam Qin was lying on a babu bead with her eyes tightly closed and her face was as pale as paper, while her body was covered with a thin sapphire blue quilt.
Standing by the babu bed were Ning momo and two big maidservants, nursing the old madam looking panicked and at a loss. Seeing Qin Zening and the othersing, they hurriedly bowed.
Qin Zening looked at the unconscious Old Madam Qin on the bed and asked with a frown, ¡°Where is the physician?¡±
Before Ning momo could reply, Madam Su who came in behind Qin Zeyu answered before her. ¡°I have already sent someone to invite one.¡±
While talking, Madam Su walked over to Qin Zening and said peculiarly. ¡°Ning¡¯er, it¡¯s gettingte now, and it¡¯s already the first watch of the night*. Since the eldest house has separated, and this is the Marquis¡¯s mansion, it is inconvenient for me as a woman to entertain you.¡±
(*7-9PM)
Her intention was to clearly chase Qin Zening and the others with him.
Qin Sheng, and her second son, Qin Zezhou closely followed Madam Su¡¯s side. The brother and sister looked at Qin Zening and the other disapprovingly, thinking that they were pretending to be filial!
Qin Zeyu couldn¡¯t help but interject. ¡°Second Aunt, it¡¯s been an hour and a half, right? Why is the physician still not here!¡±
As he sees it, Madam Su didn¡¯t even send anyone to get a physician!
Madam Su stroke her sleeve as she said expressionlessly. ¡°Yu¡¯er, you don¡¯t know, since the physician in Huichun Hall that our marquis often hires happened to be out so we can only go to another clinic to invite an expert.¡±
Giving Cui momo a sidelong nce, Madam Su¡¯s heart was full of resentment: This meddlesome ve, she would sell her sooner orter!
Madam Su once again chases out the visitors. ¡°It¡¯ste, so I¡¯m sorry for not entertaining the guests.¡±
¡°Someone, send the master, and the third miss out!¡±
As soon as Madam Su gave the order, seven to eight maidservants withrge arms and round waists immediately rushed into the inner room, making the not-so-small room suddenly crowded.
The maidservant apologize and said with a smile, ¡°Master, don¡¯t make it difficult for this servant¡¡±
Qin Zening¡¯s first reaction was to take a step forward, protecting Qin Jiu behind him and then speedily pull out the long sword from the ebony scabbard, the silver de ttered in the air.
¡°Who dares!¡±
Qin Zening only gave two words.
He was a person who had gone to the battlefield and experienced the trials of life and death, with blood on his hands and an undisguised murderous aura exuding his body, causing Madam Su and several maidservants to shiver.
Seeing how Madam Su acted, Qin Jiu secretly winked at Qin Zeyu and mouthed two words: Imperial Physician.
With Madam Su¡¯s attitude, if the imperial physician arrives, she would be afraid of chasing the imperial physician out.
Qin Zeyu immediately understood and nodded, he then slipped out in the middle of the chaos.
Therge maidservants looked at Madam Su with panicked expressions, after all, the most they usually do was to teach some young maidservants and daughter-inw a lesson. Honestly speaking, they were only street shrews so as soon as Qin Zening drew his sword, they immediately give up.
Useless, really useless! Madam Su¡¯s heart was even more hateful, and her face turned blue as she yelled, ¡°Someone, call the guards!¡±
This was the Marquis of Zhongyi¡¯s Mansion, and it was not Qin Zening, this brat¡¯s turn to show off his authority here!
Immediately, a young maidservant followed the order and ran out to find the guards, however, before the Marqusi¡¯s guards arrived, the imperial physician Qin Zeyu brought arrived first.
¡°Imperial Physician Xu, this way please, my grandmother is inside.¡±
Qin Zeyu led a gray-haired imperial physician into the inner room.
Madam Su¡¯s eyes widened, clenching her teeth she said angrily. ¡°This is the Marquis of Zhongyi¡¯s residence!¡±
***
Chapter 392
Chapter 392
If Qin Zening was skeptical before he came, seeing Madam Su¡¯s attitude the fifty percent possibility was now ny-nine percent.
Gazing at Madam Su, his eyes were sharp and chilling.
Meanwhile, Madam Su¡¯s eyes flickered as she raised her head abruptly and firmly started to chase them away again. ¡°Qin Zening, you have already separated from the family, the marquis can¡¯t allow you to be in charge of the house! Bringing all cats and dogs into the Marquis mansion!¡±
¡°Someone, don¡¯t let me drive them all out!¡±
Madam Su¡¯s voice became increasingly sharp, thinking it would be best for Imperial Physician Xu to fly into a rage, shake his sleeves, and leave.
However, Imperial Physician Xu looked calm and rxed as he greeted Madam Su. ¡°This old man has been friends with thete marquis for many years, so when I heard that Old Madam Qin was sick, for the sake of old friendship I came to check up on the old madam.¡±
Imperial Physician Xu quickly walked towards Old Madam Qin who was on the babu bed. The maidservants who were with Madam Su looked at her and tried to stop Imperial Physician Xu but Qin Zening was still here!
He casually swung his sword shing the wind, and the silver sword light shed, chopping the corner of a small square table almost like tofu.
¡°Thud!¡±
The fist-sized piece of wood just fell to the ground and rolled out in a bone-crunching motion.
Qin Zening didn¡¯t say a word, but the meaning was very clear. If anyone dares to rush up would end up like this!
The maidservants didn¡¯t think their arms would be harder than this wood, and all swallowed in panic as they looked at each other. They were all servants of the Marquis Mansion, and their deeds were held in the hands of their master, but today, let alone the fact of chopping off their arms, even if they were beaten to death they would have died in vain!
The maidservants were all frightened and dared not go forward.
Madam Su was also afraid, her pupils sharply narrowed wanting to personally go forward but this time Qin Jiu stopped Madam Su and calmly said. ¡°Second Aunt, don¡¯t be anxious, Imperial Physician Xu will soon check grandma¡¯s pulse.¡±
Qin Jiu said these meaningfully.
Thus, like an ant on a hot pot, Madam Su could only stare nkly at Imperial Physician Xu as her body slightly trembled, and cold sweat dripped down her face.
After a while, Imperial Physician Xu put away the three fingers of his right hand, opened the medicine box, took out a few silver needles from it, he then slightly roasted the tip of the needle with the candle, and then pricked severalrge acupoints on Old Madam Qin before getting up.
Qin Zeyu hurriedly asked, ¡°Imperial Physician Xu, how is my grandmother?¡±
Everyone¡¯s eyes burned down on Imperial Physician Xu, on the other hand, Madam Su¡¯s back was already soaked with cold sweat.
Imperial Physician Xu turned his head and said, ¡°Old Madam must have eaten something bad¡¡±
Immediately Madam Su rushed and said, ¡°Mother is getting old, and her stomach would inevitably also feel ufortable.¡±
¡°Second Aunt, it turns out that your medical skills are even better than Imperial Physician Xu¡¯s!¡± Qin Zening cast a frosty nce at Madam Su¡¯s face before looking at Imperial Physician Xu again and cupping his hand, ¡°Imperial Physician Xu, dare I ask what bad thing my grandmother has eaten?¡±
¡°Judging from Old Madam¡¯s pulse, as well as the abdominal pain, convulsions, and other symptoms, it is likely that she has mistakenly taken a toadstool.¡± Imperial Physician Xu added, ¡°Old Madam is old and not young anymore, the toxins have damaged her organs quite a lot ¡¡¡±
The so-called toadstool refers to a poisonous mushroom.
Cui momo, Ning momo, and others expressions changed greatly as they all think of what Old Madam had for tonight¡¯s dinner.
¡°¡¡¡± Madam Su¡¯s face turned blue.
¡°Grandmother was the only person who ¡°mistakenly¡± took the poisonous mushroom? I think someone deliberately poisoned her.¡± Qin Zening looked at Madam Su and continued but his words were directed to Qin Zeyu. ¡°A¡¯yu, report to the magistrate!¡±
¡°You dare!¡± Madam Su almost jump up and offhandedly rebuked him.
However, at this time Qin Jiu steps closer to Madam Su and stared at her with her big eyes and unblinkingly asked, ¡°Second Aunt, what are you afraid of? Grandmother was poisoned, so isn¡¯t it right to report it to the officials¡¡±
¡°Who said I¡¯m afraid!¡± Madam Su subconsciously increased her volume as her mind was confused to the point of numbness, ¡°The marquis has a lot going ontely, don¡¯t bother the officials with such trivial matters.¡±
¡°I see, then perhaps the poisonous mushrooms were identally mixed into the vegetables purchased by the kitchen personnel¡¡±
Madam Su had a tough attitude at first but as she speaks her tone softened and her posture lowered, ¡°Ning¡¯er, there is a saying that family shame should not be exposed outside, it¡¯s a tumultuous time now, so don¡¯t make trouble.¡±
However, Qin Zeyu simply didn¡¯t listen to her and directly ran out of the mansion. Since his brother said report, then he should report it to the officials.
¡°Yu¡¯er!¡± Madam Su tremblingly shouted, trying to call out Qin Zeyu, lookingpletely panicked.
Qin Zening ignored Madam Su for now and took a deep breath before asking Imperial Physician Xu, ¡°Imperial Physician Xu, is possible to save grandma?¡±
Imperial Physician Xu smoothed out his goatee and pondered. ¡°This old man just applied acupuncture to temporarily stabilize Old Madam Qin¡¯s condition. If you want to treat her, I have to prescribe induced vomiting to Old Madam then supplement her again with acupuncture and let her take decoction to get rid of the poison slowly, it¡¯s just that Old Madam Qin is already old, and this is somewhat dangerous¡¡± Meaning, he was not sure whether Old Madam Qin could survive.
Qin Zening solemnly bowed to Imperial Physician Xu and said, ¡°Trouble Imperial Physician Xu to save my grandmother!¡±
Since he was already here, Imperial Physician would naturally treat Old Madam so after responding to Qin Zening he immediately prescribes inducing drug.
Cui momo hurriedly took the prescription to start the medication.
***
Chapter 393
Chapter 393
Madam Su was agitated seeing how the situation was out of her control and felt that these people were being unreasonable and harsh, she could only coldly say. ¡°Ning¡¯er, Jiu¡¯er, since you all dislike me for not taking care of Mother then I will go back to my mother¡¯s house.¡±
After saying this, Madam Su shook her sleeve angrily and turned around wanting to leave. Qin Sheng and Qin Zezhou beside her were a little lost but were also worried about Old Madam Qin, so they looked at the old madam and then at their mother, and finally followed Madam Su.
¡°No one leaves!¡± Qin Zening¡¯s body appeared in front of Madam Su, blocking her way with a scabbard, ¡°No one is allowed to leave until the official from the Capital Magistrates arrives!¡±
Qin Zening directly threatened and said, ¡°Second Aunt, you should also know the severity of this matter!¡±
¡°Impudent!¡± Qin Sheng couldn¡¯t help but shout on Madam Su¡¯s behalf.
Qin Zezhou followed with an angry rebuke. ¡°Big brother, my mother is your aunt, your elder.¡±
But Qin Zening replied indifferently, ¡°The one lying unconscious on the bed is still your grandmother!¡±
Qin Sheng and Qin Zezhou both slightly frowned, feeling that Qin Zening¡¯s words seemed to mean something.
Madam Su¡¯splexion became even uglier, while her temples were wet with sweat and her feet felt weak that she staggered a step.
¡°Mother.¡± Qin Sheng hurriedly helped Madam Su to the side and sat down.
Qin Zening and Qin Jiu also sat down. Time passed exceptionally slowly at this moment.
Bur Qin Zening was not in a hurry, anyway, he had the gates of the entire Marquis¡¯s Mansion watched, so no one could go out at will.
After an unknown amount of time, Cui momo arrived with a bowl of medicinal hot soup, and together with a few maidservants, they helped the old madam drink the soup.
Imperial Physician Xu and the others temporarily went out as Cui momo served Old Madam Qin and helped her vomit, wipe her, change her clothes, and so on. After this, Imperial Physician Xu went back into the inner room to give Old Madam Qin acupuncture and moxibustion. Cui momo and the others came in and out of the inner room and were busy for a while.
¡°Bang! Bang!¡±
From afar came the deafening sound of gongs for the second watch resounded, Qin Zeyu, along with Hu Mingke, and seven to eight officials, broke the silence of the night once again.
Qin Zening seriously said, ¡°Lord Hu, my grandmother was poisoned and her life is in danger. Please investigate thoroughly.¡±
Qin Zening looked at Madam Su pointedly, his gaze was sharp as a knife as he added. ¡°Let¡¯s see if it¡¯s an evil ve harming the master or something else.¡±
¡°¡..¡± Madam Su¡¯s eyes wandered as she tightly clutched the handkerchief in her hand.
On the way here, Hu Mingke had already heard from Qin Zeyu about the situation, and without beating around the bush, he first asked Cui momo, ¡°What did the old madam eat tonight?¡±
Cui momo has long recalled what happened, so she immediately replied about tonight¡¯s dishes. ¡°Pickled cabbage, cold cucumber, red dates, wolfberry ginseng, pigeon soup, and¡¡±
¡°Lord Hu, recently the old madam¡¯s appetite is not good so she didn¡¯t eat much today¡¯s meal and only had a few bites of each food. The servants divided the remaining food and ate some of them but those servants were all fine while the rest of the food were all poured in the slop bucket¡¡±
Seeing that Cui momo looked like she was eager to carry the slop bucket, Hu Mingke, as if he could smell the sour taste, hurriedly said, ¡°Besides the evening meal, what else did the old madam have? Like fruits, tea, pastry or something.¡±
¡°Yes, there is! ¡°Cui momo repeatedly nodded.
Soon, a big maidservant brought over the teapots, fruit bowls, and pastry boxes.
Hu Mingke politely bowed to Imperial Physician Xu and said, ¡°Troubling Imperial Physician Xu.¡±
Imperial Physician Xu started to inspect the teapot following the other things on the table, finally, he picked up some leftovers from the pastry box and looked at them carefully when suddenly his expression changed.
¡°It¡¯s this pastry,¡± Imperial Physician Xu said with certainty and handed the pastry box to Hu Mingke. ¡°Judging from the residue, this pastry contains poisonous toadstools.¡±
Cui momo¡¯s eyes narrowed sharply and herplexion suddenly turned pale in an instant. ¡°Old Madam ate this pastry¡¡±
Saying that Cui momo looked at Madam Su, Ning momo also did the same and raised her finger pointing at Madam Su and said. ¡°This box of pastry is brought by Madam.¡±
Madam Su was really too cruel! Cui momo got chills as she added. ¡°Because these days, old madam had a very unpleasant argument with the madam about saving the Marquis, so today, madam send some pastry to the old madam to show her goodwill. Old Madam was very happy receiving the gift, so although she normally doesn¡¯t like hard pastries, she still ate two pieces under the madam¡¯s coaxing.¡±
At that time, Madam Su also ate a piece so even ifter the old madam was found poisoned, Cui momo and Ning momo would never think that the pastry was tampered with. But now that they think about it, clearly, Madam Su chose the pastry that has no poison to eat. Her intention was evil!
Madam Su: ¡°¡¡±
Madam Su turned paler as her nails sank deeper into her tender palms.
She originally wanted to take advantage of the chaos to dispose of the pastry box, but there were servants inside the old madam¡¯s room all the time so she couldn¡¯t find the opportunity, let alone now that Qin Zening and the others were here!
Qin Sheng looked at Madam Su in disbelief as if she didn¡¯t even recognize her and with a trembling voice she said. ¡°Mother¡¡± it isn¡¯t you right?
Qin Zening looked straight at Madam Su again, this time not even calling her aunt, he coldly said. ¡°Madam Su, you plotted to kill your mother-inw, the evidence is conclusive!¡±
A daughter-inw murdering her mother-inw was a heinous crime that was not forgivable, not only in Daqi but throughout history, thews of all dynasties have regarded it as an unforgivable felony.
The atmosphere was chilly as if it had suddenly entered the cold winter from early autumn.
¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense!¡± Of course, Madam Su wouldn¡¯t admit to the charge and denied it, ¡°How could I plot against my mother-inw!¡±
Qin Zezhou on the other hand, was in a state of turmoil, and after a brief moment of shock, he also reacted, ¡°Cousin Brother, don¡¯t try to falsely use my mother!¡± Qin Zezhou understood that regardless of whether her mother had harmed her grandmother or not, this charge must not be admitted!
***
Chapter 394
Chapter 394
¡°Who dares to touch my mother!¡± Qin Sheng after being flustered also said in a sharp voice, ¡°My second sister is the Second Prince¡¯s person, who of you dares to touch her! Someone, go to the Second Prince¡¯s residence and call my second sister back!¡±
Hu Mingke hesitated for a moment.
At the court that day, he also saw how much the second prince adored Qin Xin, his concubine. However, Qin Zening was not someone who was easy to mess with either. He had just made great achievements and was now very well-known, his aunt was the empress of this dynasty which means that the emperor was his uncle.
For Hu Mingke, he couldn¡¯t afford to offend anyone. In this case, the best way was to have a trial at the public court for this affair so as to not be med by either party.
Clearing his throat, Hu Mingle bowed to Madam Su and said. ¡°Madam, this is a matter of life and death, so please go with me to the court.¡±
Madam Su instinctively took two steps back, feeling cold on her feet and hands.
If she was taken to court with all the witnesses and material evidence, and since the marquis was still in prison, she would be alone and helpless. She¡¯s afraid that she couldn¡¯t escape the charge of murdering her mother-inw, and loses her reputation, how would she live in the future?!
With these thoughts, Madam Su¡¯s body trembled visible to the naked eye.
When suddenly, Zhao momo who was beside Madam Su knelt down and loudly said. ¡°It¡¯s this ve! It¡¯s this ve who poisoned the old madam!¡±
Madam Su¡¯s eyes narrowed as she looked at Zhao momo in surprise.
Zhao momo went and say, ¡°This ve has watched the madam running around outside for the marquis these days and shedding tears every day so this servant thought that if old madam dies then the marquis can observe his filial piety. This servant just wants to share her worries and made such a big mistake!¡±
She then heavily kowtowed her head on the ground, ¡°It¡¯s all this servant¡¯s fault, Madam doesn¡¯t know anything.¡± As she said that Zhao momo raised her head again and nce deeply at Madam Su as if hiding thousands of words.
Madam Su looked at Zhao momo gratefully as she winks at her to reassure her.
Zhao momo didn¡¯t hesitate anymore and said in a hoarse voice. ¡°It¡¯s all this ve¡¯s sin, so this ve will pay a life for a life¡¡± As she said this, she jump up from the ground and mmed her head on a nearby beam column decisively.
However, Qin Zening who had been looking at Zhao momo for a long time could not let her die that easily, or rather, how could he have let Madam Su get off so easily!
Qin Zening grabbed Zhao momo¡¯s right arm and yanked it hard causing thetter to stumble and fell into the ground, her face was dead white and her strength felt like draining away.
This scene startled Madam Su again and shuddered in horror.
Hu Mingke was not stupid and immediately saw the fa?ade, he quickly ordered. ¡°Put that woman in custody!¡±
The yamen immediately followed the order, and two tall and powerful yamen pinned Zhao momo¡¯s left and right arms, who hesitantly struggled. ¡°It¡¯s this ve! It¡¯s really this ve! Master, the family scandal must not be publicized, you have to let this ve pay with her life.¡±
Cui momo saw that Zhao momo was trying to help Madam Su by taking the me and this made her furious, she couldn¡¯t help saying. ¡°Madam said at that time that she made the pastries herself!¡±
Madam Su¡¯s face already looked like it was drained of blood and her lips trembling.
Qin Jiu said indifferently, ¡°Zhao momo, our Qin family is not someone who abuses lynching, we all want to know who is wrong and who is right. So in the public court, Lord Hu will have a clear trial and give public judgment!¡±
Hu Mingke ordered again, ¡°Take them away!¡±
This time, both Madam Su and Zhao momo were taken away by the yamen. Qin Zezhou wanted to stop them but was also blocked by a yamen.
Qin Zening pondered for a moment and said to Qin Jiu, ¡°Xiao Jiu, you take care of grandma here, while I will go to court.¡± In the case of Madam Su¡¯s attempted murder of Old Madam Qin, Qin Zening was the intiff so naturally he had to go.
Qin Zeyu hurriedly said, ¡°Big brother, don¡¯t worry, me and third sister are here!¡±
After Hu Mingke escorted Madam Su and Zhao momo away, the hall became empty all of a sudden, since Qin Zezhou and Qin Sheng hurried to follow them.
The remaining maidservants looked at each others faces and were still in shock. Everyone has the same thoughts: this mansion was really about to change!
At that moment, a maidservant ran out from the direction of the inner room and shouted, ¡°Old Madam is awake!¡±
Qin Jiu, Qin Zeyu, and Imperial Physician Xu hurriedly followed the maidservant into the inner room again. Inside, the old madam was still lying on the babu bed, and the air was filled with a strong smell of medicine with a faint hint of acidity.
The window to the east was open, letting a few cool evening wind drift in.
¡°Grandma, how do you feel?¡± Qin Zeyu asked with concern.
Old Madam¡¯s eyes were covered with a blueish shadow and the sockets were slightly concave while her breath was still a little weak. She looked at Qin Zeyu and Qin Jiu in a daze, and after a while she hoarsely said. ¡°Grandma¡¯s fine¡¡±
Her voice was weak and feeble, with a hint of sadness in her tone.
***
Chapter 395
Chapter 395
Although Old Madam Qin and Madam Su were in a bit of an unpleasant disagreement due to Qin Zhun¡¯s imprisonment, the old Madam never expected that Madam Su would get to this point where she wanted to poison her.
Old Madam Qin also inquired about her second son and knew that her son did embezzle the money from Changying Treasury. For his sanction, at most, he would be dismissed from his office, imprisoned and fined money, or even seized his title and since his crimes does not entail death, as long as he was alive, his life could always go on.
But just because she did not agree to exchange Qin Zening¡¯s credit for her second son and caused a few arguments with Madam Su, she actually wanted her to die?!
Old Madam Qin¡¯s heart chilled and her whole body was frozen to the bone.
Qin Jiu gently smoothed Old Madam Qin¡¯s temple andforted her, saying. ¡°Grandmother, take a good rest, don¡¯t think too much and just recuperate, it is the most important thing now.¡±
On the side, Qin Zeyu repeatedly nodded and added. ¡°Grandma, why are you sad? The one who is at fault is the one who poisoned you, not you.¡±
¡°¡¡± Old Madam Qin slightly opened her mouth and was still unable to get over it, feeling something stuck in her heart.
¡°Grandmother, you first close your eyes and sleep for a while.¡± Qin Jiu persuaded again, ¡°Big brother will be back soon, don¡¯t let big brother worry.¡±
When it came to her eldest grandson, Old Madam Qin finally shut her mouth and weakly closed her eyes, and as soon as her body rxed, her breathing also became even.
Imperial Physician Xu went over and checked Old Madam Qin¡¯s pulse again.
In the room, the ttering of needles was the only sound that could be heard as no one dared to disturb Imperial Physician Xu while the sound of insects in the courtyard seemed louder and monotonous at this moment.
After a while, they quietly walked out of the inner room again.
With tightened brows, Imperial Physician Xu sighed and said. ¡°Third Miss Qin, since Old Madam Qin is, after all, already old her current condition is still not very optimistic, we¡¯ll have to see if she can survive tonight¡I¡¯ll go back to prescribe some nourishing tonics for her.¡±
Qin Zeyu, who came outst from the inner room, also heard it, and his face didn¡¯t look too good.
Cui momo and Ning momo had teary eyes, they were both dowry maids of Old Madam Qin and had been with her for most of their lives. Seeing her go through the pain of losing her son and husband, they thought that the old madam could at least finally enjoy some happiness with her second child and grandchildren but unexpectedly there was still this disaster!
¡°Imperial Physician Xu, please do your best!¡± Qin Jiu said solemnly.
Qin Zeyu next to her quickly made a formal bow to Imperial Physician Xu, at this time the thirteen-year-old mischievous boy grew up a lot in just half a day.
¡°This old man will do his best.¡± Imperial Physician Xu hurriedly responded.
For the next following hours, Old Madam Qin slept soundly and only woke up when Cui momo and the other maidservants administer medicine to her.
Qin Jiu and Qin Zeyu were sitting in the main room, each with their own concerns, especially Qin Zeyu, who was rarely silent tonight and just poured a cup of tea one after another.
It wasn¡¯t until the third watch of the night that Qin Zening finally came back with an unhappy expression on his face.
¡°Big brother, how was it?¡± Qin Jiu asked as she opened the door, though, from Qin Zening¡¯s expression, she could roughly guess that the ending might be somewhat unsatisfactory.
Qin Zeyu hurriedly handed tea to his brother and Qin Zening immediately drank half of the warm tea in one gulp before saying. ¡°Just now, Lord Hu opened the trial all night but Zhao momo took all the me and tried to bite her tongue in attempt to die, after saying she poisoned grandmother. Madam Su only said she didn¡¯t know this, and said she only made the pastry to please grandmother.¡±
¡°Apart from the leftover pastry residue in the box, there is no other evidence to prove that it was done by Madam Su. Now, she and Zhao momo are being detained by Lord Hu for retrial¡±
Qin Zening picked up his teacup again and gulped down a few more sips of tea.
Seeing his brother¡¯s tea cup was empty, Qin Zeyu refilled his tea when he heard Qin Zening add in aplicated tone. ¡°Madam Su went out today, she first went to the second prince¡¯s residence to see Qin Xin after that, she went to second uncle in prison.¡±
¡°¡.¡± No matter how na?ve Qin Zeyu was, he understood the meaning behind his older brother¡¯s words. His hand holding the teapot trembled and swayed the teapot, sshing on the table.
What his big brother means was that their second aunt poisoned their grandmother mostly because of Qin Xin or Qin Zhun?!
Qin Zeyu straightened the teapot again as his eyes widened in disbelief.
Although he knew that Qin Xin was not quite the same as he once thought, she had her own selfishness, and he was more or less disappointed in this second sister but also did not expect that she wouldy hands on her grandmother. Qin Xin grew up and was personally brought up by their grandmother, and she was their grandmother¡¯s most favored person, even his big brother who was the eldest grandson of her eldest son was a bit inferior.
Qin Zeyu only felt a chill all over his body, he knew that his big brother would not just say this casually and since he said this openly, then this only meant that he was more or less certain.
His eyes flickered as past scenes shed before his eyes, and couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he really knew Qin Xin?! How could Qin Xin do such a thing?!
While Qin Zeyu¡¯s throat felt rough and couldn¡¯t speak a word, Qin Jiu wasn¡¯t affected and asked directly. ¡°Big brother, do you think it¡¯s Qin Xin?¡±
Qin Zening did not answer, he paused for a moment before he said again. ¡°Don¡¯t tell grandma about this¡¡± As he said this, he looked worriedly at Qin Zeyu. ¡°Especially you, A¡¯yu, keep your mouth shut.¡±
For Old Madam Qin, it was very different whether it was Madam Su who put poison in the pastry or whether it was Qin Zhun or Qin Xin, since Madam Su was after all just a daughter-inw, to put it bluntly, they were always separated by oneyer.
She was not out of danger yet, and could not stand this stimtion. They need to wait for the imperial physician to confirm that her condition was stable enough for her to hear this news.
Qin Zeyu, who originally seemed to be frozen, almost jump up as he said, ¡°Big brother, do I really look like I was that thoughtless?¡ third sister, look at big brother!¡±
***
Chapter 396
Chapter 396
Qin Zeyu counted on Qin Jiu to uphold justice for him, if it wasn¡¯t for the inappropriate asion Qin Jiu almostugh, so she could only pat her brother¡¯s head perfunctorily. ¡°Of course, our A¡¯yu is someone who knows the importance¡¡±
Before she could finish her words, she heard Qin Sheng and Qin Zezhou¡¯s voicesing from outside the main hall. ¡°Get out of the way! We want to see grandma!¡±
¡°You lowly servants, who are you to stop us from seeing our grandmother!¡±
Qin Jiu looked up only to find that Qin Zezhou and Qin Seng had returned, the siblings wanted to enter the main hall but were stopped by Cui momo and a few maidservants outside.
¡°Second Master, Fourth Miss, the old madam has fallen asleep.¡± Cui momo said patiently, ¡°Pleasee back another time.¡±
Qin Sheng refused to go, and sharply added, ¡°Even if grandma is asleep, she will always wake up! Can¡¯t we go inside and wait?!¡±
¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Qin Zezhou nodded, ¡°We have something to say to grandma!¡±
¡°Say what?¡± Qin Zening snorted mockingly, ¡°Plead for your mother?¡±
What else could they say, besides this?!
When Qin Zening returned to the mansion, he heard the guards from the Qin mansion outside say that Qin Sheng and Qin Zezhou had just gone to Madam¡¯s Su family together. They were obviously asking the Su family to give them some advice.
Qin Sheng raised her gaze and locked eyes with Qin Zening, ¡°Our mother is wrong, but she was also confused for a moment for father¡¯s sake, and anyway, grandma¡¯s life is not in danger.¡±
Although Qin Zezhou also felt that his mother, Madam Su¡¯s actions were inappropriate, he knew better that her mother should not be convicted. Once her mother was convicted, how could he inherit the title Marquis of Zhongyi in the future, how could he establish himself in the officialdom, how could he discuss marriage? He would regret it all his life!
This matter must not be made too big. If it gets too big, the outsiders would see the Marquis of Zhongyi as a big joke. So, right now, they must talk to his grandmother, and let her mother kowtow to grandmother at most, aspensation after returning to the mansion.
Qin Zezhou eagerly interjected, ¡°Big brother, we understand that grandma is angry, so no matter how grandma punishes mother, we will neverin.¡±
¡°I only want to beg grandma to go to the public court to plead mercy for Mother, if no one sues her then there will be no investigation. Fourth sister and I have inquired about it, as long as the victim is willing to plead for mercy, is willing to intercede and withdraw the case, then mother will get released.¡±
Inquire? This was obviously the Su family¡¯s advice! Qin Zening simply angrilyughed.
Talking to them was useless, so Qin Zening simply didn¡¯t want to say more to Qin Sheng and Qin Zezhou. He ordered, ¡°Take the fourth young miss and the second young master away!¡±
¡°Yes, Master!¡± Severalrge maidservants immediately obeyed and rushed toward the siblings.
¡°Impudent!¡±
¡°Get off me!¡±
No one came to pay attention to Qin Zehou and Qin Sheng no matter how much they yell, including those guards of the Marquis¡¯ residence.
These servants understood the situation well, although the eldest house was already separated, the Marquis right now was still in prison and the Madam was involved in awsuit for plotting against the Old Madam, with such a big incident the third house remained silent or rather invincible. This was obviously them saying they don¡¯t want to get involved in the battle between the eldest house and the second house. Clearly, the oldest house has an upper hand, so who would dare to confront Qin Zening!
Qin Sheng and Qin Zezhou were escorted away, immediately the surroundings cleared up. As the night became darker and deeper, the wind became colder.
The three siblings stayed in the main room when, in the middle of the night, Old Madam Qin¡¯s condition worsened as she continuously vomited, fortunately, Imperial Physician Xu was there administering acupuncture and moxibustion which helped stabilize the vomiting. However, because all the decoctions were vomited by the old madam, Cui momo and the other maidservants went to boil medicine again and let Old Madam Qin drink it. After tossing and struggling, the next day her condition improved.
After Imperial Physician Xu took Old Madam Qin¡¯s pulse again, his brows rxed. ¡°Old Madam Qin¡¯s condition has stabilized, as long as she follows the prescription this old man gives. I wille back tomorrow for Old Madam Qin¡¯s follow-up checkup.¡±
¡°Imperial Physician Xu, I¡¯ll see you off.¡± Qin Zening personally sent Imperial Physician Xu out. Imperial Physician Xu barely closed his eyesst night, looking exhausted.
At this moment, it was already early in the morning and the rising sun looked bright.
Imperial Physician Xu went back to the imperial hospital, where he was originally nning to take a day off but was summoned by the emperor. He went to the imperial study to meet the emperor and truthfully reported everything he saw and heardst night.
After he finished speaking, the imperial study fell into silence.
After some time, the emperor¡¯s calm voice sounded. ¡°You may go.¡±
With that, Imperial Physician Xu retreated, and when he reached the door curtain, he happened to hear the emperor ask, ¡°Could it be Qin Zhun?¡±
Naturally, this question was not asked for Imperial Physician Xu to answer, but he could not help and nce at the purple-robed young man by the window. The young man drank his tea gracefully, and his well-defined side profile, warm brows, and eyes looked like a clear breeze and a bright moon, making people look at him favorably at first sight.
Without stopping, Imperial Physician Xu immediately exited the Imperial Study.
Imperial Physicians came in contact not only with people in the court but also with dignitaries such as ns and nobles. It was safe to say that they have seen all kinds of shady private affairs, such as killing fathers and mothers, abandoning wives and sons, and brothers killing each other. There was nothing they could not think of, so if Qin Zhun really wanted to kill his mother, this was something not rare for him to witness.
***
Chapter 397
Chapter 397
After Imperial Physician Xu left, the emperor rose from behind the imperial case and walked over to Gu Zezhi¡¯s side to sit down.
Zhou Xin personally served the emperor a fresh cup of tea and nced quickly at the emperor, whose face was slightly sullen as he twirled the jade ring on his thumb while muttering to himself, ¡°In order to get himself off the hook, he even went so far as tomit matricide?¡±
The emperor¡¯s eyes darkened slightly, as dark as the ink recalling past events.
Qin Zhun¡¯ste eldest brother, Qin Jue who passed away was once the emperor¡¯spanion. The two had been very close since childhood, and before the Qin family was exiled, they often ride horses, read books, and y ball together; they also often talk at night.
Qin Zhun was Qin Jue¡¯s biological younger brother and thete Marquis¡¯ son. Thinking about his old friend and thete marquis, the emperor really did not want to think he was that vicious.
In the emperor¡¯s eyes, Qin Zhun was foolish and not cruel.
How could he reach the point of killing his mother?!
Gu Zezhi casually grabbed a handful of fish food from the box expressionlessly as he calmly said, ¡°It could also possibly be Qin Xin.¡±
¡°¡¡¡± The emperor¡¯s eyes shed as he meaningfully looked at Gu Zezhi.
Although Gu Zezhi only said ¡°possibly¡±, he was never a person who talk nonsensical, since he mentioned Qin Xin, he probably suspected Qin Xin more.
In the past ten years, the Qin family had enough troubles so for the emperor, he would rather believe it was Qin Xin.
Gu Zezhi scattered the fish food from the window into the pool outside, and the golden-red carp in the pool immediately swam over, causing ripples and disrupting the autumn water.
Changing the topic, Gu Zezhi said. ¡°Your Majesty, the Taipusu Case has to be finalized as soon as possible.¡±
The emperor squinted as he looked at the carp in the pool, frantically snatching fish food.
He understood Gu Zezhi¡¯s meaning. In just a few days, not only had something happened to the Qin family, but there were also many people in the court waiting for opportunities to form cliques or provoke troubles, and they were even running around making connections that made everyone in the court restless and panicked.
Clenching his fist, the emperor ordered. ¡°Pass on my word that the three divisions will have a trial on this case three dayster.¡±
Before conducting a joint trial, the three departments should thoroughly investigate and examine the case first.
The Taipusu case was big incident since many people were involved, this also caused the court of Dali Temple frightened by the investigation. In fact, the scale of investigation was somewhat uncertain; therefore, they postponed the investigation as long as they could while observing the emperor¡¯s attitude towards the case. Now, after receiving the oral order, they knew what the emperor¡¯s stance was and immediately moved their hands and feet to sped up the trial.
There was a saying, the punishment was not for a doctor*. These days, Qin Zhun, who was imprisoned, suffered a lot, but he did not lose any flesh or blood. He only refused to admit his involvement, in hope that Madam Su could raise enough money to redeem him, however before Madam Su could do so, the Dali Temple started to interrogate him.
(*the doctor referring to officials, hasmitted a crime will not be punished)
The Dali Temple came prepared and brought the witnesses and physical evidence to Qin Zhun, they all stated how much he had embezzled causing Qin Zhun to gasp. He thought he had hidden his tracks perfectly and made sure they were untraceable.
At this time, Qin Zhun had no choice but to reluctantly confess everything. He also identifies Li Yuanchun, the former official in Taipusu hoping that he could be treated leniently as a witness.
Therefore, an urgent arrest warrant was issued, and Li Yuanchun, who had returned to his hometown, was arrested.
After Qin Zhun signed the confession, he was sent back to prison. He waited anxiously until the day of the joint trial in an open court from three departments, with the Dali Temple serving as the main judge. Qin Zhun was convicted of corruption and was sentenced to seize his title, dismissed from his office, exile, and confiscate all of his properties.
Hearing the verdict, Qin Zhun knelt motionless as if frozen, and it was only when the two yamens came to pull him that he reacted, shouting, ¡°I refused to ept this!¡±
Qin Zhun looked pale and panicked. At this moment, apart from the shock, he was afraid.
He thought that at most he would be dismissed from office, he thought that at most he would sell his family business to fill in the amount of silver that he had moved away, that he would at least still have his title, and at least he would still have some of his family business left.
Instead, he was sentenced to confiscate his title and go into exile; he had left with nothing!
Qin Zhun couldn¡¯t help thinking of the exile fifteen years ago. At that time, because his father and brother were both there, he was still able to endure. He knew that, no matter how bad the situation was, the Qin family still had support. Even in the exile area of Minzhou, some officials secretly took care of them thinking of their old friendships. Once, he identally heard his father tell his brother that as long as he survived those years and waited for the crown prince to ascend to the throne, everything would be fine¡
At that time, he was also counting on it.
But it¡¯s different now, with his father and eldest brother gone, he¡¯s left on his own ¡¡
¡°I refused to ept this!¡± Qin Zhun shouted louder, but the two yamens didn¡¯t care and forcefully dragged him outside the public hall.
Qin Zhun was getting more and more frightened, and shouted heartbreakingly, ¡°Your Majesty, I want to see His Majesty!¡±
¡°Our Qin family was exiled to Minzhou fifteen years ago for the sake of the emperor, and my elder brother even died in Minzhou because of this ¡.¡±
Qin Zhun¡¯s voice was getting farther and farther away as he was dragged down, leaving only the people in the public hall outside who were still unsatisfied. Some people curiously inquired about what Qin Zhun had said 15 years ago, and for a while, rumors started flying.
The words shouted by Qin Zhun in court were heard by the emperor on the same day.
Emperor: ¡°¡.¡±
The emperor stood in front of the window with his hands behind his back, and did not speak for a long time.
Sunlight cast a dappled shadow on his face through the sparse canopy of trees, and a few finches fluttered outside the window, making a subtle winging sound.
Beyond this, there was no sound.
***
Chapter 398
Chapter 398
Zhou Xin carefully examined the emperor¡¯s face and hesitantly suggested, ¡°Your Majesty, do you think it is too severe?¡±
As Qin Zhun said, the Qin family sacrificed a lot to protect the emperor¡¯s crown prince position in those days. Both Qin Jue and his wife died in Minzhou, and the emperor could not get rid of them just because they ceased to be useful.
The emperor raised his hand, signaling that Zhou Xin did not need to mention it again, and followed by saying, ¡°Pass on my decree, the title of Marquis of Zhongyi will be inherited by the eldest house, Qin Zening.¡±
Zhou Xin immediately went to draft the edict, and so, that afternoon, Zhou Xin brought the emperor¡¯s imperial edict to the Marquis of Zhongyi¡¯s Mansion. In recent days, due to the fluctuating condition of Old Madam Qin, Qin Zening and his siblings have all temporarily returned. He also recently took a leave of absence to attend Old Madam Qin in the mansion.
As soon as the imperial edict came, everyone gathered in the main hall to hear Zhou Xin reading the decree.
When the words ¡°this matter was decided by the emperor¡± fell, Qin Sheng was the first to jump up and shouted defiantly. ¡°For what reason?!¡±
¡°I have a younger brother, why should the title go to the eldest house!¡±
As Qin Sheng said this, she tugged Qin Zezhou beside her, but thetter was already stiff-frozen. From the night his mother, Madam Su was used of plotting against his grandmother, he was worried that he might lose his title, worried that his mother would be dismissed, and yet ¡ unexpectedly, the situation was even worse than he thought, his father was stripped away from the title and it was transferred to the eldest brother of the eldest house!
Zhou Xin was the grand eunuch, someone who serves and stays beside the emperor so he simply didn¡¯t bother to exin to Qin Sheng, this silly little girl. Instead, after Qin Zening received the order, he smiled and said. ¡°Master Qin¡now your family should call you Marquis.¡±
He smiled and cupped his hands at Qin Zening, ¡°In a moment, the embroidered uniform will be delivered to the marquis¡¯s residence so the Marquis doesn¡¯t need to trouble himself. The eldest house and the second house have already separated, Qin Zhun was corrupt, so the second house¡¯s properties will be confiscated this time.¡±
¡°Please do as you wish.¡± Qin Zening politely said to Zhou Xin while holding the still-hot imperial decree in both hands.
Although Qin Zening did not watch the trial of the three divisions this morning, someone told him of the result of the trial, so he also knew that Qin Zhun was stripped from his title. At that moment, he felt pity. After all, this title was left by his ancestors.
However, it was just pity. If the title was gone, then it¡¯s gone, he was still young, and since Gu Zezhi could earn himself the title of County King, then so could he!
Thus, Qin Zening never expected that the emperor would pass the title, Marquis of Zhongyi to him.
Meanwhile, at this time Qin Sheng was about to go crazy. Looking at her brother, who was quiet, she felt that he was really useless, so she loudly yelled. ¡°I don¡¯t ept this!¡±
¡°The eldest house, it must be the eldest house who deliberately ndered my father and my mother for the sake of the title!¡±
¡°I¡¯m going to beat the Dengwen Drum, I¡¯m going to beat the drum for my father¡¡±
Qin Sheng screamed louder and louder, looking crazy.
Frowning, Qin Jiu called out the maidservants who were in charge of Qin Sheng¡¯s courtyard, giving only five words. ¡°Take care of young miss.¡±
The momo in charge was Qin Sheng¡¯s nanny, seeing her felt her heartache for her and hoped for her well-being, but with the imperial decree, the ship sailed. The emperor has given the title to Qin Zening, he was now the owner of the Marquis Mansion, while Qin Zhun was about to be exiled, and with his title gone, Qin Sheng¡¯s only support was also gone. At this moment, provoking Qin Zening¡¯s anger would only be harmful to Qin Sheng and her siblings.
¡°Yes ¡¡ Third Miss.¡± The momo in charge immediately answered the order, brought a few maidservants with her, and tried her best to persuade Qin Sheng.
Qin Zezhou also left, dazed.
Ever since his grandfather passed away and his father inherited the title, his father and mother told him that he would be the future heir of the Marquis of Zhongyi, and he has always believed that until today!
He felt as if the sky and Earth had been turned upside down.
Qin Zezhou¡¯s mind was in a state of confusion. At this moment, he could not help butined about his father. Obviously, the family has a title and a rich family business, they could live in peace and stability, so why did his father insist on getting money from the Changying treasury?!
Look what it did now; there was nothing left!
Qin Zening didn¡¯t bother about Qin Zezhou and Qin Sheng, and just personally sent Zhou Xin and the others off.
Qin Zeyu, on the other hand, felt astonished and had to pinch his thigh before he was convinced that everything was true.
¡°Third sister, so are we moving back?¡±
The Marquis of Zhongyi Mansion was a ce bestowed by the emperor himself, a mansion passed down from generation to generation, and the Qin family has lived in this mansion for decades.
Since Qin Zening has now inherited the title, this mansion now belongs to Qin Zening, so it was reasonable to say that they would naturally move back; otherwise, it would not look right.
¡°Probably.¡± Qin Jiu was a bit reluctant to part with the mansion on Hulu Lane, which she personally repaired and furnished little by little, and although it had only been half a year since she moved there, to her, it was already her home in ancient times.
Qin Zeyu was different from Qin Jiu; he was born in Minzhou but he was still young at that time and had no memories of that ce. However, different could be said in this mansion, which has his memories from childhood to adulthood. This was his home.
Moreover, once they moved back, he would have a huge racetrack that he could use as a practice area!
The more Qin Zeyu thought about it, the happier he was, however, he could also see his sister¡¯s reluctance towards Hulu Lane and made his eyes darted around before elbowing Qin Jiu, and said with a smile, ¡°Third Sister, if you like that mansion, you can just ask elder brother to make it your dowry!¡±
Qin Jiu felt that this brat was getting cheeky and wanted to teach him a lesson when Qin Zening came back, not only him but also some imperial guards led by the deputy head, Ren Chenghao.
Normally, when the imperial guards confiscate things, they looked murderous and unrestrained, but today, they were surprisingly amicable that the servants in the Marquis mansion were slightly relieved.
When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter the *. However, as long as Marquis¡¯s Mansion was still in ce, there would be a way for these servants to survive.
(*once the powerful person loses power his followers will disperse immediately)
***
Chapter 399
Chapter 399
Ren Chenghao bowed courteously to Qin Jiu and the others, he then said with a smile. ¡°We are here by decree to carry out our official duties, if there are any offenses, please forgive us.¡±
¡°Deputy Commander Ren, please go ahead.¡± Qin Zening was equally courteous, cupping his hand and saying, ¡°It¡¯s just that my grandmother has been sick for some time now, so I hope you won¡¯t disturb her.¡±
Before leaving the pce, Ren Chenghao also received instructions from the emperor, so he hurriedly said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Marquis. Only Qin Zhun¡¯s property will be confiscated, and the dowry owned by the Old Madam will not be included.¡±
He meant that they would not go to Ronghe Hall and disturb the Old Madam Qin.
After the formalities, Qin Zening invited Ren Chenghao to sit down in the main hall and hosted the other party with Qin Zeyu, as for the other imperial guards, they went to several courtyards of the second family under the guidance of the chief steward.
Seeing the imperial guard¡¯s flying fish robes with embroidered spring sabers walking around the Marquis Residence made the servants anxious and restless; they only felt relieved after confirming that these flying fish robes were indeed onlying for the second family.
Meanwhile, Qin Sheng and Qin Zezhou remained anxious as they watched their things, boxes by boxes, being carried away by the imperial guards but dared not to stop them let alone confront them; they did not even know where they would go in the future.
Qin Sheng thought for a moment and then called on Qin Zezhou and several concubine-born siblings to rush to Ronghe Hall. She wanted to take advantage of Qin Zening entertaining Ren Chenghao and find Old Madam Qin to ask for help, but was stopped outside by Qin Jiu.
Looking at Qin Jiu, Qin Sheng wished she could tear her apart, but could only held her head high as she yelled.
¡°Second sister, if you don¡¯t let us see grandmother again, we will go back to the Su family and let people see how shameless it is for eldest brother to drive his cousins out of the house just after he inherits the title. They will know how intolerant he is!¡±
The younger siblings beside her, including Qin Zezhou also echoed, ¡°We want to see grandma!¡±
Everyone knows that Old Madam Qin was the most soft-hearted person in the residence; as long as they all kneel together in front of her and cry while pleading, Old Madam Qin would definitely be moved. Only by pardoning Madam Su from the crime of murdering her mother-inw could the second house n the next move.
Qin Jiu looked at Qin Sheng and her siblings as she casually smiled. ¡°We have already separated from the second house. Fourth sister, you and your siblings shouldn¡¯t be living here in the first ce.¡±
¡°Ai, out of my kind heart, I was initially thinking of letting you stay here since you don¡¯t have a ce to go but since you already have a ce to stay then you should all go.¡±
¡°Fourth Sister, you¡¯re going to the Su family, right?¡±
Without waiting for Qin Sheng and the others to speak, Qin Jiu called the momo in charge andmanded, ¡°Hurry up and prepare a carriage for the Fourth Miss and the others and send them to the Su Family.¡±
Qin Sheng¡¯s face turned pale as she clenches her fists tightly.
Last night, she and Qin Zezhou went to the Su family because of Madam Su. Although several uncles and aunts did not talk with malicious remarks in front of them, they were also impatient; especially when they mentioned their mother, they were very dismissive. The siblings begged, but their uncles refused to go to the public court to speak for their mother. They only asked them to go back to ask for help from their grandmother.
Since the incident with cousin Su Xiyang, their uncles and aunts have been very dissatisfied with them. How could they be willing to take in a few of their siblings?!
Neither Qin Sheng nor Qin Zehou had an answer.
Qin Zezhou pulled Qin Sheng¡¯s sleeve and tried to persuade her to give in first, but Qin Sheng refused, in her opinion, Qin Jiu was just intimidating them. They had nothing left in their second family, and those barefoot were not afraid of wearing shoes*. Now that Qin Zening has inherited the title, how could he ignore his reputation.
(*have no worries about doing things and can do anything regardless of the consequences)
Qin Sheng straightened her back and stubbornly looked at Qin Jiu.
Not a momentter, the momo in charge came and reported, ¡°The carriage is ready, fourth young miss, second young master, fourth young master, sixth young miss ¡¡¡±
The momo called them one by one and extended her hand to invite them.
Qin Sheng bit her lower lip, the words were said to this point, with so many servants around her watching, she could only keep her face and left with a flick of her sleeve. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±
Qin Zezhou, on the other hand, was dumbfounded as he looked Qin Jiu and Qin Sheng back and forth, before chasing after his sister. ¡°Fourth Sister.¡±
The concubine-born children who always followed Qin Sheng and Qin Zezhou, looked each other, no one dare to stay and they all chased after Qin Sheng and Qin Zezhou.
Qin Sheng and the other¡¯s carriages and horses left the Marquis of Zhongyi¡¯s residence smoothly, without the imperial guards stopping them. They came to confiscate the family¡¯s property and not to pay attention to these insignificant people.
These imperial guards were experts in inspection so in just one hour, all that should be confiscated were taken. Ren Chenghao also took his leave, Qin Zening personally sent him all the way to the main gate.
By the time the imperial guards all left, the sound of the horse hooves had faded away, and it was almost dusk.
The servants¡¯ hearts werepletely relieved, as if they had escaped from the mouth of a hungry wolf, but they still felt their feet a little soft, while the third house breathed a sigh of relief after hearing that everything had already been done. The third Master and his wife brought a few children to show their goodwill and congratted Qin Zening.
The third master was a concubine-born son who has always gone with the flow, following to whichever side was strong.
That year, after the death of the old lord, the title was given to the second house; however, the third house did not make a fuss and remained silent. This time, the title returned to the eldest house, and just as before, he remained silent.
Qin Zening does not care about his third uncle and thought of him mediocrely, he simply said. ¡°Third uncle, third aunt, since the family has already been separated, let¡¯s make it a thorough one.¡± In the beginning, only the eldest house and the second house separated, and the third house continued to depend on the second house.
The third house did not even dare say ¡°no,¡± so Qin Zening added more meaning to this.
***
Chapter 400
Chapter 400
The next day, Qin Zening called the n leader, the elders, and a few people to officially separate the first and third houses. Since the second house properties were seized, Qin Zening would use the share of his properties to be given away to the third house and let them slowly moved out of the mansion.
Since Qin Zhun spent a lot of money supporting the second prince, Qin Jiu was able to buy many of his properties at a low prince, and because of this she was able to preserve the family¡¯s properties after Qin Zhun¡¯s properties were confiscated.
Earlier, the third house was originally worried that the seizure would affect the third house¡¯s properties, but it seems it was unnecessary worry, and unexpectedly Qin Zening even generously gave them his share, making him overjoyed. Therefore, when he went outside, he praised his nephew a lot, saying that Qin Zening was affectionate and righteous, which puzzled Qin Zhun.
In the next few days, the Marquis Mansion became even more lively. The third house began to pack up his belongings, while the third young master and the young miss of the eldest house began to move. They had only just moved out a few months before they had to move back again, because of this Qin Jiu was mentally and physically tired, feeling that she had been tossing to move in the past few months.
By the time Qin Jiu and others moved in, Madam Su¡¯s case had also been settled.
On the same day, Qin Zening and Qin Zeyu went to the magistrate¡¯s public court to watch the trial, they then ryed the process of the trial to Qin Jiu after they returned.
¡°Lord Hu brought Zhao momo¡¯s son to the public court and she changed her statement¡. Later, Madam Su confessed to the crime, but she said that it was instigated by Qin Xin, and she went to see second uncle, who also agreed.¡±
¡°Qin Xin was then summoned by Lord Hu to the public hall as well, Qin Xin denied the allegation saying that it was Madam Su who was trying to drag her into the dirty water. She also justifiably said she had just married to the second prince, for her, giving birth to a child sooner rather thanter was her priority so how could shee up with such idea to make her observe filial piety!¡±
Qin Zening¡¯s eyes deepened, his intuition told him that Madam Su was not lying, but what Qin Xin said undoubtedly convince many people.
If it was in the past, Qin Zeyu would of course believe Qin Xin, but after half a year or so, what Qin Xin had done, time and time again surpassed his perception and broke his bottom line.
He no longer trusted her.
Qin Zeyu¡¯s heart flooded with a bitterness and after collecting himself, he said. ¡°Second uncle also denied the allegation, saying that he only asked Madam Su to ask big brother to borrow money to fill the deficit. He said that he had absolutely no intention of killing his mother, and also swore to the heavens that if he had such intention he will be struck by lightning.¡±
The corner of Qin Jiu¡¯s eyes twitched and could not help but look towards the sky outside through the window, only to see the sky cloudless and blue, as blue as a clear sea.
Shaking her head, Qin Jiu thought to herself: God is probably deaf today¡
At a nce, Qin Zening could tell what his sister was thinking, and a smile appeared on his face as he said: ¡°Qin Xin asked her personal maidservant, Shu Xiang, to act as her witness and thetter said that when Madam Su came to visit, she ask Qin Xin for advice. ording to her, Qin Xin told Madam Su not to worry and vite the court¡¯sw, saying that she even offered to write to the second prince to find a way. Shu Xiang added, Madam Su must have felt that Qin Xin was unwilling to help so she held grudges and intentionally ndered Qin Xin.¡±
¡°The public says that the public is justified, and the woman says that the woman is justified*. No one has any evidence to prove that this has anything to do with Second Uncle or Qin Xin, so neither of them was convicted for this case.¡±
(*each has its own truth, and each insists on its meaning)
¡°Lord Hu sentenced Madam Su to exile and hundred strokes of sticks. Second Uncle also offered to divorce his wife in court.¡±
Qin Zening basically exined everything that happened in the public hall.
He was extremely disappointed with his second uncle, who he had shared joy and sorrow in Minzhou. Even without evidence, Qin Zening could tell from the expressions of Qin Zhun and Madam Su that what Madam Su said was true.
Qin Zening picked up the teacup absent-mindedly and just as the teacup was brought to his mouth, Qin Jiu suddenly said. ¡°Brother, go and clear it up.¡±
Her sentence caused both brothers, Qin Zening and Qin Zeyu, to startle.
Qin Zeyu almost choked on his tea and doubted if he had hearing things.
This¡this¡this was not his sister¡¯s style at all ah!
Swallowing, Qin Zeyu wanted to ask Qin Jiu if something was wrong.
Smiling shyly, Qin Jiu continued. ¡°As the saying goes, you can cross the same boat after ten years of cultivation, and sleep together in the same bed after one hundred years. Anyway, both second uncle and second aunt are going to be exiled, I think it¡¯s better t be exiled together, so they can ¡®take care of each other¡¯.¡±
ording to the practice of this dynasty, since Qin Zhun was exiled as a criminal, he would be exiled to Minzhou, while Madam Su would be exiled to Lingnan like Taoist Master Yunguang, and from then on, they will go their separate ways.
However, Qin Jiu felt that it was not good for these two to be separated and that it would be better for them to be tied together for a long time to love and kill each other.
Qin Zening was a smart person, he was also familiar with Qin Zhun and Madam Su¡¯s temperament, so he immediately understood what Qin Jiu meant.
With Madam Su¡¯s selfish nature, when Qin Zhun turned his back and refused to help her, in addition, he publicly divorced his wife, Madam Suu must have hated him now.
If the two were to be sent separately, Madam Su would only swallow her anger. However, if the two were exiled to the same ce and met each other every day, could Su endure her anger?
If this couple were tied together and ended up hurting each other, then they could have the pleasure of satisfaction!
Thinking about it, Qin Zening¡¯s eyes brightened even more, and without even bothering to drink his tea, he hurriedly said. ¡°It¡¯s a small matter, I¡¯ll go and find someone to ¡®clear¡¯ it in a moment.¡±
In the end, whether Madam Su was exiled to Lingnan or Minzhou was insignificant, and the magistrate would definitely be willing to show him face.
As for Qin Xin ¡¡
Qin Zening and Qin Jiu exchanged nces, both siblings seeing the same meaning in each other¡¯s eyes.
In their opinion, Qin Xin certainly was not innocent.
***
Chapter 401
Chapter 401
Qin Jiu was eating her sweet and sour grapes while pondering on what Qin Xin said about prioritizing on having a child so she mustn¡¯t observe filial piety. It seems reasonable, after all, since Qin Zhun was in trouble, she lost her support, and if she wanted to establish a foothold in the Second Prince¡¯s Mansion and regain the Empress Dowager¡¯s favor, she would inevitably want to give birth to a royal grandson as soon as possible.
An imperial eldest grandson has more benefits and no harm to Qin Xin¡
With these thoughts in mind, Qin Jiu eats one grape after another.
She didn¡¯t need to peel the grapes since there was Du Ruo peeling them for her; all she needed to do was eat the flesh and spit out the seeds, which was really convenient.
Qin Jiu spared a little thought to reflect on her ¡°idleness andziness¡± before going back on the thoughts revolving around Qin Xin, there was something she just couldn¡¯t figure out.
She wiped the grape juice from her fingers with a handkerchief and suddenly asked. ¡°Brother, is the second princeing back soon?¡±
Qin Zening knew about this, so he was able to easily answer. ¡°He¡¯s almost in Northern Shanxi, and should be able to reach the capital in ten days or so.¡±
Meanwhile, Qin Zeyu¡¯s thoughts could not keep up with his brother and sister; he had no idea why they suddenly mentioned the second prince and just looked back and forth at them.
A sharp shed swept across the bottom of Qin Jiu¡¯s eyes, making her almond-like eyes darker and brighter, she then asked again. ¡°Brother, can you go and inquire if there is something wrong with the second prince?¡±
¡°Didn¡¯t Yelu Luan stabbed himst time? He has been recuperating for a period of time, so the injury should not be light, but he sent the imperial physician away¡ can you find the physician who treated him and inquire about it?¡±
Qin Zening looked at Qin Jiu in confusion.
Qin Jiu: ¡°I just feel that Qin Xin is acting a bit strange, and the second prince is even stranger.¡±
She always felt that the behavior of these two people was subtly unreasonable, but she could not tell why.
To Qin Zening, what his sister said was what she meant, patting his chest he said. ¡°Xiao Jiu, don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t worry, this matter is on me, I promise to get it done.¡±
Knowing her brother would surely get it done, Qin Jiu was assured and immediately handed the te of snack to Qin Zening¡¯s side.
Qin Zening took a bite of his snack and said hesitantly, ¡°Xiao Jiu, tell me, do we need to tell grandma about this?¡±
¡°Tell her.¡± Qin Jiu replied decisively.
She first kept it a secret not because she wants to help cover up for Qin Zhun and Qin Xin but because Old Madam Qin was weak and was not out of danger, she was afraid that she would be stimted and her condition would worsen, making it difficult for her regain her health.
However, now that Old Madam Qin¡¯s condition has stabilized, and she was gradually recovering, of course, they have to inform her about this matter.
Qin Jiu looked at Qin Zening with clear gaze. ¡°Brother, you must let grandmother know whether the granddaughter she loves so much is a human or a demon.¡±
Saying that, she snapped her fingers at Qin Zeyu and domineeringly said to her brother, ¡°You, go and invite a physician over.¡±
Qin Zeyu who was suddenly called was not able to react and froze for a moment before jumping up from his chair. He patted his robes and responded with a smile. ¡°Sister, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll personally make a trip to the Thousand Gold Hall to ask Old Physician Li toe.¡±
The naughty child thinks that his sister was just hard-mouthed soft-hearted, and was just afraid that their grandmother would not regain her health.
So, Qin Zeyu happily ran errands for his sister.
When Old Physician Li came, the three siblings asked the physician to stay outside while they go inside into the inner room together, Qin Zening narrated to Old Madam Qin about the incident, especially the court trial.
Old Madam Qin¡¯splexion gradually turned paler, as her white lips trembled slightly and repeatedly asked.
¡°Really?¡±
¡°Howe?¡±
¡°It can¡¯t be¡.¡±
Old Madam Qin¡¯s eyes reddened and ayer of faint mist appeared.
When she learned that Madam Su wanted to poison her, she was disappointed, sad, and confused but that was all. She did not expect that even Qin Zhun and Qin Xin want her dead!
After narrating everything, Qin Zening falls into silence.
Anyway, no one has any evidence to prove whether Qin Zhun and Qin Xin were involved. It would all be up to Old Madam Qin if she believed this or continue to deceive herself.
Old Madam Qin repeated these few words over and over again, and although her mouth may sound like she did not believe it, she actually understood it very well in her heart.
Qin Zening would not lie to her about this kind of matter.
At this time, Old Madam Qin¡¯s breathing staggered as if she had been crushed by something, and the pain was like wringing as herplexion ashen.
Cui momo quicklyforted Old Madam Qin, ¡°Old Madam, don¡¯t spoil yourself for that kind of heartless person.¡±
Seeing Old Madam Qin¡¯splexion does not look good so Qin Jiu hurriedly had someone summon Old Physician Li in.
Old Physician Li hurriedly checked Old Madam Qin¡¯s pulse and ordered Cui momo to massage a few acupoints, and gradually Old Madam Qin eased up.
¡°Marquis.¡± Old Physician Li cupped his hands to Qin Zening, ¡°Old Madam is old, and she was a little angry right now, but since she has been well nourishedtely, there has been no major harm. Just pay attention to rest and don¡¯t let her get angry again.¡±
¡°Ning¡¯er, I¡¯m fine.¡± Old Madam Qin said hoarsely, herplexion was still pale, but her breathing was much smoother. ¡°At my age, I have experienced exile, losing my son and husband. I have experience life and death, so what is there to look away from.¡±
At her age, she was already in a situation where one foot was in the coffin, so she could just look on the bright side of the things.
***
Chapter 402
Chapter 402
Cui momo personally sent Old Physician Li out. Qin Zeyu quickly walked to the edge of the couch and sat down, following Cui momo¡¯s example of massaging Old Madam Qin¡¯s acupoints in her hand as he sweetly coaxed her. ¡°Grandma, don¡¯t say it as if you are hopeless, you still have to pick up a sister-inw for big brother!¡±
Old Madam Qin, simr to old people, like to be coaxed by the younger generation, so when Qin Zeyu teased her, she could not help butugh thinking this was indeed a good reason. Just a few days ago, she was thinking of picking a wife for her eldest grandson, and right now this matter must be put on the agenda; otherwise, when her third granddaughter gets married, who would manage this big marquis mansion?!
The more Old Madam Qin thought about it, the more she felt that she needed to quickly recuperate herself and her eyes began to shine.
Qin Zeyu took the teacup from the maidservant and personally handed it to Old Madam Qin, continuing to coax her, ¡°Grandmother, drink tea.¡±
This tea was a medicinal tea, also prescribed by Imperial Physician Xu, which nourishes qi and calm mind.
After Old Madam Qin drinks the medicinal tea, herplexion eases. She asked. ¡°When will your second uncle be exiled?¡±
Qin Zening answers, ¡°20th of the nine month.¡±
¡°¡¡ ¡°Old Madam Qin was silent as she twirled the Buddha beads in her hand, and did not speak for a long time.
It wasn¡¯t until Cui momo came in again that Old Madam Qin whispered, ¡°He hates me.¡± He hated her for not obeying his wishes and not begging the eldest grandson to save him. Thus, once he realized that dingyu* was beneficial, he gave her up.
(*mourning after the death of parents)
Qin Zening also understood and remained silent in response.
Old Madam Qin had been depressed for several days over this matter. Fortunately, Qin Zeyu was a sweet talker; except for studying and practicing martial arts, he would run to Ronghe Hall and coax her when he had nothing to do.
This old madam was originally soft-eared, so now that someone was encouraging her, she gradually regained her spirit, but after going through this catastrophe, her appearance looked several years older.
Originally, Old Madam Qin, who was in her fifties, looked like she was still in her forties, but now, her temple was covered with white hair, and the corner of her forehead and eyes had a few deep wrinkles, making the person look much older.
After resting for another three days, Old Madam Qin was able to get out of bed and walk around. Qin Zeyu volunteered to apany her go for a walk in the small garden, Qin Jiu was also there.
The three of them walked around the garden as they talked.
¡°Grandma, third sister, I think this osmanthus is good, Third Sister even said two days ago that the osmanthus cake at home was delicious, why don¡¯t we just pick some osmanthus flowers and let the cook make osmanthus pastries?¡±
¡°Grandma, why don¡¯t you go sit in the pavilion in front and watch Third Sister and I pick osmanthus flowers.¡±
¡°¡.¡±
The naughty kid naturally gave out instructions and even found something for Qin Jiu to do before he eagerly climbed the three to shake osmanthus flowers.
However, before he could reach the top someone came trotting and reported. ¡°Old Madam, second young madam is here.¡± Second young madam, she was referring to Qin Xin.
Qin Jiu touched the gold ruby bracelet on her left hand as the corner of her lips curled up almost invisibly.
She knew that Qin Xin woulde sooner orter, so she ordered the gate keeper in advance to report to Old Madam Qin if Qin Xin came.
Old Madam Qin did not speak and neither did the others while the maidservant stood there nkly as she carefully looked at Old Madam Qin¡¯s expression before lowering her head again.
A short whileter, Old Madam Qin finally opened her mouth, only faintly giving two words*, ¡°See her off.¡±
(*its two characters)
Old Madam Qin¡¯s voice was very calm, so calm that there were no ripples or even a hint of anger.
The calmer she was, the more it meant that she waspletely disappointed and let go of Qin Xin, so she did not even want to question why Qin Xin had harmed her.
The maidservant quickly nced at Qin Jiu again before going the way, ¡°Yes, Old Madam.¡± And hurriedly walked back.
Old Madam Qin stared nkly at the back of the maidservant¡¯s distant figure as the wind blew, and the sweet scent of the osmanthus tree in front of her swayed with the wind, and countless yellowish petals fell like drizzle, making the fragrance of the flowers stronger, it was too strong making her unable to breath.
She suddenly said, ¡°Jiu¡¯er, when you first returned to the capital, your older brother had told me that Xin¡¯er had long known the truth about her being exchanged with you, but at that time, I didn¡¯t believe it.¡±
Qin Zeyu who heard this for the first time slightly widened his eyes in shock.
Old Madam Qin¡¯s eyes were in a trance, ¡°Xin¡¯er was only three years old when she first came to the mansion, so what can a three-year-old child know and she couldn¡¯t possibly have had the opportunity to interact with the Li family again afterwards, so how could she possibly know so much, that¡¯s why I¡¯ve always believe she was innocent and it was because your older brother was overthinking.¡±
Withdrawing her gaze, Old Madam Qin looked at Qin Jiu and grabbed her hands. ¡°But now, I believe it.¡±
¡°Xin¡¯er has always known that truth, she knows that she is not from the Qin family so no matter how well I treat her, for her, the Qin family is just an outsider¡even if I single handedly brought her up.¡±
With these few words, Old Madam Qin¡¯s voice grew hoarse, and her eyes flooded with water again; however, she quickly calmed down and wiped the corner of her eyes with a handkerchief.
Cui momo, who quietly listened to the side, sarcastically said to herself: Qin Xin is just a white-eyed wolf who is not well fed with Old Madam¡¯s kind hearted heart!
Looking at Old Madam Qin¡¯s sad face, Qin Zeyu quickly calmed down and affectionately hugged the old madam, as he said: ¡±Grandma, don¡¯t be sad. Third sister said that people always needed to be stupid a few times to learn from their mistakes. As long as you don¡¯tmit the same stupidity again after you¡¯ve been stupid, you¡¯ll be fine.¡±
Qin Jiu: ¡°¡¡±
The corner of Qin Jiu¡¯s eyes twitched, as she thought that Qin Zeyu was indeed a brat, a jerk and a dick!
¡°It¡¯s Jiu¡¯er who sees clearly.¡± Old Madam Qin¡¯s hand tightly gripped Qin Jiu¡¯s right hand and sincerely said, ¡°Jiu¡¯er, it¡¯s grandma who has wronged you.¡± As she said this, her eyes began to redden again.
¡°¡¡± Qin Jiu felt sourness in her heart as if she had a grievance that was hard to describe in words, followed by ake-like serenity calming her down again as if she was relieved and let go of things.
Qin Jiu knew that it was the emotions of the original owner. The original owner probably wanted to hear this sentence all this time. In the novel, the original owner¡¯s life was too short and oppressed.
Pursing her lips Qin Jiu just smiled but did not respond.
Because the person Old Madam Qin was sorry for was no longer here¡
She had no right to forgive Old Madam Qin instead of the original owner.
***
Chapter 403
Chapter 403
Qin Jiu gently patted Old Madam Qin¡¯s hand with her other hand, looking calm.
No matter what, in the novel, Old Madam Qin was still good to the original owner, not like Qin Zhun, Qin Xin and Madam Su, and her repentance right now was also sincere.
Old Madam Qin was just a confused old madam.
After feeling that Qin Jiu had forgiven her, Old Madam Qin was mostly relieved and took two deep breaths to stabilize her emotions before saying. ¡°Jiu¡¯er, there is actually one more thing¡¡±
Before finishing her sentence, she was interrupted by Qin Zeyu. ¡°Big brother!¡±
Qin Zeyu stood up and waved happily at Qin Zening, who was walking towards them outside the pavilion.
Qin Zening strides over. He took a break today, wearing ake-blue robe with a tunic flower embroidered on it, and was also wearing a rhinoceros horn belt as his waist tie, looking refreshed.
He went out early in the morning to drink and ride horses with Pei Qi and a few others, and when he returned to the mansion, he came over.
Old Madam Qin hurriedly called Qin Zening to sit down in the pavilion, ¡°Ning¡¯er, you¡¯ve came back just in time.¡±
Raising his eyebrows, Qin Zening put down the snack box he had brought with him, while Qin Zeyu could not wait to open the box himself, thinking that the snack came just right in time as he was hungry.
Qin Jiu looked at the greedy cat and couldn¡¯t help but remember the sentence: Half a big boy, eat me to death*, fortunately their family business was big enough!
(*a boy who can¡¯t work but can only eat has a particrlyrge appetite and can live his family poor)
Old Madam Qin¡¯s eyes darken. ¡°Ning¡¯er do you still remember when you grandfather and I nned to go back to Minzhou and move your parents¡¯ bones back to the capital?¡±
Qin Zening had mostplicated expression as he nodded and said. ¡°I remember.¡±
After a pause, he continued. ¡°Grandpa was on his way to Minzhou when he suddenly suffered from abdominal pains and heter passed away.¡± His voice sounded rough.
Qin Zeyu was still young at the time and his memory of this was vague. He only faintly remembered that ten years ago, he went on a trip out of the capital with his grandparents, big brother, and Qin Xin, and then his grandfather passed away¡at that time, everyone kept it from him. He was with his nanny as he watched one physician after another came and left with a heavy atmosphere and everyone looked mournful.
They did not let him see his grandfather¡¯s remains for fear of scaring him, so to him, it was as if his grandfather had just suddenly disappeared.
Recalling the past, Old Madam Qin¡¯s eyes reddened and filled with mist. ¡°That day, when I was staying at the inn, I asked someone to make a bowl of sweet soup. That sweet soup was ced on the table and when I came back from changing my clothes, I just happened to see Qin Xin putting the lid back on the food box back¡at that time I only thought Qin was curious what¡¯s inside.¡±
Qin Xin was less than five years old innocent child, at that time.
¡°I personally delivered that sweet soup to your grandfather, your grandfather was busy at that time, so I put down the sweet soup and went back to the inn, shortly after resting, I heard that your grandfather was having severe abdominal pain ¡¡¡±
¡°¡.¡±
The siblings were dumbfounded.
Qin Zeyu felt that Qin Xin had broken his bottom-line time and time again, and the little bit of family affection he had for Qin Xin hadpletely wipe out.
Of course, Qin Zening understood the underlying meaning of Old Madam Qin¡¯s words, which filled his heart with turmoil.
He was more churn than Qin Jiu and Qin Zeyu; his father left them early, so it was his grandfather who personally taught him. When he was in Minzhou, his grandfather personally taught him how to read, and when they returned to the capital, his grandfather supported him in learning martial arts, he also taught him the principles of life¡
Qin Zening took a deep breath and said with great difficulty. ¡°What does grandmother mean¡¡±
¡°I don¡¯t have any evidence¡¡± Old Madam Qin sighed, she was not sure, but because of Qin Zhun and Qin Xin¡¯s affairs these days, she did not get a good night¡¯s sleep.
¡°In the early hours of this morning, I dreamed of your grandfather. He scolded me for being an old fool ¡¡ and just now when I heard that Qin Xin hade, I suddenly remembered this matter.¡±
That distant memory was bing clearer and clearer in her mind, she remembered that at that time, the small Qin Xin was putting the lid back on while yfully saying to her, ¡°Grandmother, you¡¯re biased, Grandfather has sweet soup to drink, I want to drink it too!¡±
At that moment, how did she answer?
That¡¯s right, this was how she answered: ¡°You child, why are you jealous of your grandfather¡¡±
Old Madam Qin felt that several holes had poked her heart, and the cold wind whistled through her heart.
At that time, Qin Xin was just a little child who had only reached her waist. Was there really someone who was naturally cold blooded and ruthless?!
¡°Perhaps it is your grandfather¡¯s spirit in heaven.¡± Saying that, Old Madam Qin raised her eyes to look at the blue sky outside the pavilion, looking old and sad as she was lost in deep longing and self-me.
If her suspicions were correct, it was tantamount to her personally delivering the poisoned food box to thete marquis, with this thought Old Madam Qin tightly clutched the string of rosewood Buddha beads in her hand.
Qin Zening narrowed his eyes as it grows deeper and darker, he said. ¡°She¡¯s afraid that grandfather will find out that she¡¯s an imposter¡.¡±
With Qin Xin¡¯s insidiousness, this was definitely possible!
¡°Grandma,¡± Qin Zening said solemnly as she locked eyes with Old Madam Qin without blinking, ¡°I will look into it.¡±
It has been so many years since this incident happened, that it may not be possible to find out the truth, but Qin Zening still ns to try.
If Qin Xin had really done this, it would have been impossible for her to leave no traces. For example, she was not even five years old at that time, so where did the poison or medicine she gave to grandfathere from? Or, why did she specifically want to kill grandfather at that inn¡
What else happened back then that he did not know about ¡¡
***
TL: since disqus still won¡¯t load, I¡¯ll just leave ament here!
If I¡¯m correct this should 4/8 sponsored chapter~??
Chapter 404
Chapter 404
Qin Zening resolutely said, ¡°I¡¯ll take a leave of absence to go out tomorrow.¡±
He could not let his grandfather die in an unexined manner, he had to give him justice no matter what!
Old Madam Qin responded with a tired expression on her face.
No matter how much she loves Qin Xin, it was impossible for it to surpass thete marquis, let alone Qin Xin has let her down too much.
Qin Jiu pulled down Qin Zeyu¡¯s sleeve under the stone table, and followed his sister¡¯s gaze looking at the tired Old Madam Qin and immediately understood, he hurriedly advised. ¡°Grandma, don¡¯t think too much, leave everything to big brother. Your body hasn¡¯tpletely recovered yet, the imperial physician said you need to rest more and spend less energy.¡±
Old Madam Qin looked at Qin Zeyu¡¯s concerned face, and was very grateful. Sighing, she said to herself: A¡¯yu has grown up in just less than a year!
¡°Grandma will take care of her body.¡± Old Madam Qin squeezes out a smile. ¡°You go pick osmanthus flowers and grandma will go back to rest first.¡±
Old Madam Qin left with the support of Cui momo.
It was not until Old Madam Qin walked away that Qin Zeyu could not help, but ask. ¡°Is it really second¡Qin Xin?¡±
The one who answered him was Qin Jiu, ¡°Possibly.¡±
Compared to Qin Zening and Qin Zeyu, Qin Jiu has a ¡°god¡¯s perspective¡±. She remembered that in the novel, when Qin Xin¡¯s first life was mentioned, it was said that she was discovered by the old marquis at the age of six. Therefore, she and the original owner were returned to their respective ces, and she was also exiled to Lingnan along with her birth father and mother.
However, in this life, thete marquis died the year after Qin Xin was returned to the Qin family.
Qin Jiu had long forgotten the plot of the novel; it was only when Old Madam Qin mentioned that she suddenly remembered these details.
This matter was extremely frightening upon careful consideration.
However, after so many years, it would be harder to find the evidence now.
Qin Zeyu: ¡°¡.¡±
He tightened his lips, fell into silence, and was unable to resist thinking about what Qin Xin had said to him over the years.
After being watched attentively by Qin Jiu for a long time, and experiencing many things, Qin Zeyu began to grow up with strong love and responsibility. Not letting him y every day, and not letting him do whatever he wants, not indulging him¡
He once read an article in ¡°Fengsu Tongyi¡± which contained a paragraph that says: ording to the chief official, the horse is fat, the viewer is fast, the imant is pleased with his words, and he gallops to his death.
Those who were praised, were those who had been harmed.
At that time, he suddenly realized what praise killing was.
It turned out that Qin Xin and his second aunt had been praising killing him in the past and were trying to turn him into waste.
If not for his third sistering back, if not for his third sister waking him up, what would he be like now? He¡¯s afraid he¡¯d still be parading his horse around and getting drunk every day¡
Qin Zeyu was moved as he looked at Qin Jiu, thetter raised her head from the teacup and as if she knew what he was thinking, she said seriously. ¡°A¡¯yu, since you already cleaned up the courtyard, you will need to study properly tomorrow. Have you revised your homework a few days ago?¡±
Qin Zeyu: ¡°¡.¡±
Qin Zeyu felt that his emotions was floating in the sky.
After Qin Jiu got the answer from Qin Zeyu¡¯s silence, she turned her head to Qin Zening. ¡°Brother, A¡¯yu has neglected his studies for several days now, so you to test his homework well at night.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know where I put my ruler after we move back, many things were missing ¡¡ Du Ruo, ask someone to buy me another one.¡±
Du Ruo said with a straight face, ¡°Miss, this servant is keeping the ruler.¡±
Qin Zeyu: ¡°¡¡±
If the table in front of him was not a stone table, Qin Zeyu would have flipped it. How could they talk calmly about a scary topic like that!
Qin Zeyu did not pick the osmanthus flower after all, afraid of being punished he just went back to his yard to review his lesson, in a disheartened heart.
Qin Zening took leave that day and went out of the capital alone.
On the 12th day of the 9th month, Qin Zhun and Madam Su set off exile in Minzhou.
Old Madam Qin has been restless sincest night, and Cui momo and the others know that she did not sleep wellst night; they were worried that she could not part with her second son. They were even more afraid that she would hurt her mind and body as a result.
¡°Old Madam, do you want to go see Second Master?¡± Cui momo asked.
Before a prisoner was exiled, the government usually gives some time for the prisoner to say goodbye to his family. After all, this farewell may be forever.
Old Madam Qin rubbed her brows before shaking her head without hesitation and said. ¡°I¡¯m not going.¡±
Ning momo on the side wanted to speak up when Old Madam Qin added, ¡°Ning¡¯er, Jiu¡¯er, and Yu¡¯er, these children are busy doing things for this oldy, they pulled me back from the gates of hell and sought justice for me. They did their utmost best for me.¡±
¡°Wouldn¡¯t I be breaking the children¡¯s hearts if I went to see off my second son¡.¡±
Her words happened to reach Qin Jiu¡¯s ears who were outside the curtain, but Qin Jiu footsteps did not stop. She opened the curtain and went in, thinking: after facing life and death, the olddy was much cuter.
¡°Grandma,¡± Qin Jiu smiled as she walked up to Old Madam Qin and curtsied, ¡°Why don¡¯t I go take a look?¡±
Old Madam: ¡°?¡±
Even Cui Momo surprisingly looked at Qin Jiu.
Of course, Qin Jiu wasn¡¯t going to bid farewell to Qin Zhun and Madam Su. Ever since she moved back, she has been free and has nothing to do, so she ns to go and watch the excitement.
Looking at her yful granddaughter, Old Madam Qin raised her eyebrows, seemed to have a few moments of hesitation, before finally sighing, ¡°Jiu¡¯er, you can go if you want to, but don¡¯t let your second uncle¡¯s good words soften your heart.¡±
***
TL: 5/8 sponsored chapter??
Chapter 405
Chapter 405
For Old Madam Qin, Qin Jiu was soft-hearted, otherwise, she would not have bought the Qin family¡¯s properties from her second son with money. Obviously, this girl does not want the Qin family¡¯s property to just disappear like that.
¡°Ai, your second uncle¡sigh, it¡¯s time for him to endure hardship to realize that life is not easy.¡±
In the past few days, Old Madam Qin discovered that it was her who spoiled her second son, spoiling to the point that he only wanted to avoid risks and take shortcuts.
When he was in Minzhou, her second son hided behind his father¡¯s wings. Later, he inherited the title, but could not support the family business.
It was no wonder that when thete marquis was alive, he did not ask the second son to be his heir apparent. Thete marquis wanted to wait for Ning¡¯er to grow and pass on the title to the eldest house.
Unfortunately, before he passes away he was sweet talk by his second son, and got confused, leaving the title to his second son, thinking that since Ning¡¯er was still young he could only pass the title to the second son¡
Now that the title was back to Ning¡¯er, this could be considered as setting things correctly.
Old Madam Qin nag Qin Jiu with a few more words, saying, ¡°Although everything is going well in the family, it still depends on who are right.¡± and, ¡°This girl is always hoping for everyone to be well¡± which Qin Jiu only nodded carelessly.
Du Ruo: ¡°¡.¡±
Du Ruo had to admit that Old Madam Qin¡¯s eyes were really not very good.
Qin Jiu went out at just the right time to see what was going on.
Gu Zezhi knew that Qin Jiu like to watch the excitement, so he booked a private room in advance at Yunwei Restaurant near south gate, with good view.
Qin Jiu eat fruits, and drank tea feeling very happy.
¡°Prisoner¡¯s wagon ising!¡± Qin Jiu casually put down the fruit and looked at the street outside through the window with great interest, and from afar, she could see the prison wagoning towards the city gates under the escort of the officials.
Qin Zening had already taken a detour before leaving the capital, not only arranging for Madam Su to be exiled to Minzhou like Qin Zhun, but also deliberately locking them up in the same prison wagon.
¡°I have something good here¡¡± Gu Zezhi with a warm smile, considerately took out a monocr.
¡°Monocr!¡± Qin Jiu¡¯s eyes instantly lit up as she took it and skillfully turned the cylinder. ¡°This is indeed something good!¡± As expected of her golden thigh, there were many kinds of treasures!
Gu Zezhi: ¡°¡¡¡± This girl was really insensitive.
Qin Jiu adjusted the monocr while looking through the tiny lens at the prison wagon hundreds of meters away.
With the help of the monocr, she could clearly see Qin Zhun dressed in prison clothes and shackles. He appeared distressed with bloodshot scratches on his face. Madam Su, on the other hand, was no better with ck and purple ck eyes on her eyes, forehead, and mouth.
Apparently, the once-loving couple had fallen and wanted to killed each other a few times.
Qin Jiu sighed, ¡°Aiyoo, so pitiful.¡±
Truth was, she actually did not feel any sympathy for Qin Zhun and Madam Su.
They wasted a good card on their bad hands, not to mention, they were already living a good life, but for them, it was not enough. There was no one to me, they took up this upon themselves!
Qin Zhun could only regret it for the rest of his life.
He thought that if his mother came to see him off today, he would go down his knees and beg his mother; since his mother doted on him since he was a child, she would surely not bear to let him go.
If his mother could help him with some connections, then maybe in three to five years, he could still hopes to return to the capital.
However, he waited until it was time to depart, but there was still no Old Madam Qin.
Qin Zhun was both disappointed and terrified, and hisst glimmer of hope was shattered.
This was all that bitch, Madam Su¡¯s fault!
Qin Zhun¡¯s gloomy eyes looked at Madam Su next to him.
That¡¯s right, Madam Su broke his mother¡¯s heart, which was why his mother stopped caring for him, her son.
Qin Zhun suddenly came up to Madam Su and looked at her with bloodshot eyes like a fierce beast rushing towards her. ¡°It¡¯s all because of you bitch!¡± The shackles on his body make a shing sound.
¡°Don¡¯t me me!¡± Madam Su did not want to take a beating for nothing; she was extremely disappointed in this man, and more than anything, she was resentful. ¡°I was in this situation because of you, and yet you¡¯re turning your back on me, even divorce me!¡±
¡°Qin Zhun, you¡¯re heartless!!!¡±
¡°You deserve to have your title taken away, your properties confiscated and being exiled¡¡±
Madam Su screamed and cursed as she wrestled and bite the man, and the hatred in her heart intensified.
She did not have to end up in this situation; even if Qin Zhun¡¯s title was taken away, she could still bring her children back to her maternal family.
It was all because of Qin Zhun that she was reduced to this state!
The couple fought against each other like wild beasts, but since officials escorting them outside the prison wagon had long received orders, they ignored them and let the couple fight like dogs.
This lively scene also attracted the attention of many people on the road watching the excitement and pointed at Qin Zhun and Madam Su in the wagon.
As the prison wagon approached, Qin Jiu lowered the monocr and looked at the wretched and hideous couple in the wagon with a smile on her face.
Soon after, the prisoner¡¯s wagon drove out of the city gate, and she could see nothing.
Qin Jiu withdrew her gaze and looked at the monocr in her hand, it was an exquisite silver iid with burnt blue enamel on its surface, depicting exquisite and intricate patterns of peacock tail feathers and orchid grass.
This monocr was small and elegant and looked more like a girl¡¯s stuff.
Seeing that she was admiring the monocr, Gu Zezhi¡¯s brows stretched pleasantly and asked, ¡°Was it fun?¡±
Qin Jiu: ¡°Fun!¡±
The monocr was interesting and so was watching.
***
kyotot: 6/8 sponsored chapter??
I miss reading yourments!??
Chapter 406
Chapter 406
She smiled sweetly and sent the te of fruit in her hand in his direction, ¡°This fruit is sweet and refreshing, try it.¡±
Gu Zezhi then casually took a fruit from the te as the corners of his lips slightly raised, and took a bite.
Suddenly, his thick feathered eyshes twitched slightly and his hand holding the fruit stiffened.
Qin Jiu blinked with a puzzled expression and grabbed the fruit as well, ¡°This fruit is very sweet.¡±
¡°Crack.¡±
She had a pleasant bite of crisp and refreshing fruit.
Gu Zezhi lowered his gaze and looked at the fruit in his right hand, and since his palm happened to block Qin Jiu¡¯s line of sight, he was the only one who saw two holes missing on the fruit, and a small teeth mark on the other side.
His eyes slightly flickered as if he had remembered something, and the corner of his lips rose even higher, making his beautiful phoenix eyes overflowed with light, adding an indescribable charm.
He brought the fruit in his hand to his lips, took another bite, andughed, ¡°Sweet, very sweet!¡±
Qin Jiu also took another bite of the fruit, feeling that there was something wrong with him but couldn¡¯t tell.
After carefully thinking about it, she obediently moved her small face towards him. ¡°I will also prepare a present for you, are looking forward to it?¡±
Gu Zezhi nodded very cooperatively, ¡°Looking forward to it.¡±
Like a lovable white cat, Gu Zezhi looked elegant and obedient.
For some reason, Qin Jiu was suddenly yful and reached out her finger to hold his chin, ¡°I¡¯m not telling you!¡±
She wanted to take initiative but was not courageous enough, so she immediately withdrew her fingers after feeling like it was burning hot and quickly picked up a cup of warm scented tea and drank it gurglingly.
En, autumn dryness could easily ignite fire, so it was better to drink scented tea to reduce the hotness.
Gu Zezhi looked at her as his smile bes thicker, and continued watching her embarrassed face which was about to get annoyed so he changed the subject as if nothing happened. ¡°I received a letter from mother yesterday, she is still in Jiangnan. She recently went to Qixia Mountain to enjoy the maples, and should be back before my birthday.¡±
Qin Jiu also heard about Qixia Mountain, causing her eyes to immediately lit up.
¡°I¡¯ve heard that the maple trees of Mount Qixia are extremely beautiful.¡± Qin Jiu revealed a look of longing.
Gu Zezhi added, ¡°Mother also painted the maple scenery of Mount Qixia, do you want to go to my ce to see it? I¡¯ll take you to Qixia Mountain to enjoy the maple in the future¡¡±
Qin Jiu: ¡°Yes!¡±
Two chatted while leaving the Yunwei Restaurant.
Gu Zezhi casually brushed off his robe. He not only received a letter from Madam Xiao but also a letter from the western border.
That big brother of his was in a hurry!
Duan Wangye¡¯s son, Gu Chenzi was indeed in a hurry.
He did not expect that just one year after Gu Zezhi left his sight, many things happened. The emperor actually granted him the title, County King, which was clearly recognizing him.
In the emperor¡¯s mind, he likely preferred Gu Zezhi as the heir apparent.
Looking up at the rising sun in the east, Gu Chenzhi¡¯s eyes look deep and sinister.
He regretted it. If he had known today, he would not have let Gu Zezhi leave under his nose.
He should have trapped Gu Zezhi on the western border, where he could make Gu Zezhi never stand out or turn over.
Gu Chenzhi¡¯s thin lips pursed into a straight line as his eyes flickered brightly and darkly.
Although he was the eldest son of Duanwang House, he was a concubine-born son. Even if he upied the seat of the heir apparent, his position was still unstable, especially seeing that Gu Zezhi was discontented and always in the limelight, trying topete with him time and time again.
No one knows that over the years, he has been trembling and trying his best, afraid that he may not do well enough, making people feel that he was not as good as Gu Zezhi¡
While lost in his thoughts, the curtain leading to the outer room was raised at this time, and a middle-aged man in green robes lightly walked in, saluted, and said. ¡°Master, a pigeon has just arrived from the capital.¡±
¡°The third son of Wang Yu and the County Princess have arrived in the capital, apanied by their counsin, Miss Tang.¡±
¡°It is rumored that that Miss Tang is a beauty unlike Third Miss Qin. She is delicate, gentle, well-behaved, and virtuous.¡±
Saying that, a meaningful smile appeared on the middle-aged man¡¯s face.
Gu Chenzhi let out a faint ¡°Oh¡± and slightly hooked his lower lip.
As the middle-aged man watched Gu Chenzhi¡¯s face smiling, he also heaved a sigh of relief, and after carefully considering his words, he said. ¡°Master, now that the Duan Wangye and Madam Xiao is divorced, if Duan Wangye marries your concubine mother then third master will not be an obstacle anymore, and you the heir apparent will be the rightful firstborn son.¡±
His eyes became even brighter, as he said these, and with a dazzling expression like the rising sun outside the window.
¡°Did you think I didn¡¯t want that!¡± Gu Chenzhi pursed his thin lips, feeling a little frustrated.
There was no need to mention this; Gu Chenzhi himself had thought about it a long time ago. Since Duan Wangye returned to Luo¡¯an City, he indirectly mentioned this in the past few months, but Duan Wangye seemed to not understand him as if he was not understanding his words at all.
One time may be idental, but two or three times, it was a different story, and this made Gu Chenzhi still do not understand his father¡¯s intentions.
The wind blew and sent gusts of flowers from the courtyard.
Gu Chenzhi furrowed his brow, feeling that the fragrance was a bit strong, which made him feel suffocated.
¡°The Lord wants to get back with Madam Xiao?¡± The middle-aged man frowned slightly, expressing Gu Chenzhi¡¯s thoughts.
Gu Chenzhi¡¯s eyes turned sinister again as he thought to himself: How could he let them get what they wanted!
Madam Xiao¡¯s suggestion of divorcing his father was nothing more than a retreat strategy; otherwise, she had been married to his father for decades, so why would she want to divorce him now that she was old? To put it bluntly, Madam Xiao was just trying to earn Gu Zezhi the title of Duan Wang.
Although Gu Zezhi now holds a title, he was only a prefectural king. Moreover, the title of Duan Wang was hereditary and would not degrade, not to mention therge army he holds in the western border. On this day, the emperor¡¯s influence was too far, and it was no exaggeration to say that Duan Wang was the local emperor on the western border, so who would not be tempted!
Gu Zezhi was not a fool, what¡¯s more, he has always been ambitious. He tried to outdo him with military achievements back then, so how could he easily give up now!
Ultimately, Gu Zezhi was lucky enough to have the status of a first-born * son to have the emperor look at him highly.
(*first born son from a legal wife)
Other than that, what point was Gu Zezhi better than him!
***
Chapter 407
Chapter 407
Gu Chenzhi stood up and casually dusting off his robes in an elegant and noble manner.
He was already thirty-six years old this year but because of his martial arts training, his body has maintained an excelled physique, tall and straight. He was wearing ake-like blue brocade robe with a jade belt iid around his waist and a sachet, he was also wearing a head gear with blood stone seal at the center of it, and a few strands of silver threads but it does not show any signs of aging but instead add a bit of mature and stable temperament.
He turned his back and gazed at the red maple trees outside the window.
After a second of silence, Gu Chenzhi suddenly said. ¡°After father returned from his trip to the capital, he doesn¡¯t treat me as well as he used to be.¡±
In the past, Duan Wangye used to look at him with full of trust, value, and kindness in his eyes, but after returning this time, Gu Chenzhi felt an extreme subtle change in Duan Wangye¡¯s attitude towards him, there was this scrutiny in his eyes and inquiry, he was also not as unreserved as before¡
Gu Chenzhi¡¯s hands tightly clenched into fists and his heart unable to breathe as if a boulder was pressed against it.
The middle-aged man carefully recalled some events and pacified him. ¡°Master, this subordinate think you are just overly thinking. Two days ago, Duan Wangye praised master for being steady and having the same style as Emperor Sejong.¡± Emperor Sejong was Gu Chenzhi¡¯s grandfather, who has a reputation of a wise ruler unlike theter emperor¡
Gu Chenzhi¡¯s taut body rxed a little after thinking about it and whispered, ¡°I hope so.¡±
The maple forest swayed with the wind outside the window, and the red maple background reflected in his pupils made it look fierce and stern with a hint of ruthlessness.
The rising sun in the sky was blocked byyers of clouds and suddenly became darker inside and outside the house, adding a bit of condensation to the air.
Gu Chenzhi sat back down again as he ordered, ¡°Keep an eye on Wang Yu¡¯s side.¡±
As he spoke, his brows furrowed tightly, feeling not only vague pain in his chest but even his head was a bit dizzy.
Suddenly, he experienced a slight blur before his eyes and wetness on his lips ¡¡
The next moment, he saw the middle-aged man called out nervously. ¡°Master, you have a nosebleed!¡±
Gu Chenzhi raised his hand and touched his philtrum and saw his fingers were covered with bright red blood, so red that it was shocking to the eyes.
The middle-aged man stood up and shouted. ¡°Someone, quickly invite the physician!¡±
His brows were tightly furrowed, as he looked at Gu Chenzhi with worry.
The heir apparent was a martial arts practitioner who had always been in good health,parable to young people in their twenties. However, recently, it was unknown whether this was due to autumn dryness, but the heir apparent¡¯s health was declining, and he often had headaches.
There was a suddenmotion inside and outside of the study room, and immediately, the servants rushed to get the physician.
Not long after, the fu¡¯s physician came in, and Duan Wangye also rushed in, only one step behind the physician.
¡°The master is fine, it¡¯s not anything serious. He was just too tired recently and hasn¡¯t been sleeping well so his internal heat and qi are weak.¡± The physician respectfully reported, ¡°I¡¯ll go and prescribe some calming nerves and nourishing qi for the master, but he still needs to rest well.¡±
The personal boy servant on the side worriedly echoed. ¡°Physician, the master has indeed not been sleeping well recently, and often waking up in the middle of the night¡¡±
So, the fu¡¯s physician added, ¡°Then this physician will prescribe some calming incense stick for the master, he can light it up when he sleeps.¡±
After the physician provided more instructions, he went down to prescribe medicine. The servant escorted the physician out and instructed someone to monitor the process of making the medicine personally.
Only Duan Wangye and his eldest son were left in the study, as the middle-aged man had retreated earlier.
The blood on Gu Chenzhi¡¯s philtrum had already been wiped off, but his face was still slightly pale,pletely different from his usual vigor.
Seeing his eldest son¡¯sck of spirit, Duan Wangye felt distressed, so he kindly advised him. ¡°Chenzhi, father knows that you are busy with affairs, but you should also pay attention to your body and take a good rest.¡±
¡°Father, how can I rest in peace.¡± Gu Chenzhi said righteously, ¡°The frontier in the western border is still unstable, and those minor tribe are getting restless so we must show them kindness and power at the same time to suppressed their arrogance.¡±
Gu Chenzhi¡¯s eyes shed as he let out a long sigh, ¡°Ai!¡±
¡°Father, it¡¯s a pity that Zezhi misunderstood me too much, otherwise, the two of us brother would have been able to work together and manager the western border.¡±
Speaking of Gu Zezhi, who was far away in the capital, Duan Wangye also could not help but sigh, and also thought of his stubborn wife, making his forehead ached.
He waved his hand and said, ¡°Your third brother is young and stubborn, and doesn¡¯t understand the painstaking efforts of being a father.¡±
The family and everything else were prosperous, so how could the candidate for the heir apparent be changed just like that? Only when the heir was determined could the morale of the military and the people in the western border be firm!
Gu Chenzhi added, ¡°Father, should I go to the capital and persuade him ¡¡¡±
Duan Wang raised his hand to signal that he didn¡¯t need to, ¡°You will only have more conflict if you two were close with each other, it¡¯s good to let him cool off in the capital.¡±
Duan Wangye always felt that wangfei and Gu Zezhi would figure things out, after all, they were a family, how could a wife and a child be separated just because of little provocation from outsiders!
¡°Father is right.¡± Seeing Duan Wangye¡¯s insistence, Gu Chenzhi stopped persuading him and pretended to hesitate to speak. ¡°Father, Zezhi and I used to be always close with each other when we were in the western frontline, and not like this. Is it possible that someone said something to him after he went to the capital?¡±
Duan Wangye was silent.
A few days ago, the head steward, Chief Shi also mentioned this to him. Duan Wangye thought it was just nonsense, but today, hearing Gu Chenzhi mentioned it again, he could not help but suspect something.
Thinking about it now, when Zezhi was on the western frontier, he never had any conflicts with his elder brother. The brothers have a harmonious rtionship and respect for each other, while wangfei respects him as a husband; they were a happy family.
It was only after a trip to the capital that everything changed forever ¡¡
Duan Wangye asked himself in a low voice, ¡°Could it be the Emperor?¡±
Having military power in one¡¯s own hands made emperors throughout history wary of it. Therefore, the emperor wanted to use him to guard the western border but at the same time he was also worried about the military power and support he holds, but if there were internal turmoil in Duan Wang fu, the emperor could be rest assured¡
Gu Chenzhi lowered his eyes as a gleam shes. ¡°Mother should have no chance to get in touch with the emperor, right?¡±
Upon hearing that Gu Chenzhi still called Madam Xiao, mother, Duan Wangye felt deeply moved and said to himself: this son of his was truly filial, but his wangfei changed, not long after she arrived in the capital, she propose to divorce him and separate, which was something she does not usually do.
***
Chapter 408
Chapter 408
Gu Chenzhi personally poured tea to Duan Wangye and said. ¡°Father, mother has always been magnanimous and reasonable, I think it must have been someone who talked nonsense in front of mother¡that made mother misunderstood you so much.¡±
Hearing this, Duan Wangye was even more satisfied with his eldest son and thought he was the most filial one, so how could he have conspired in killing wangfei!
Who was this someone talking nonsense to wangfei?
Duan Wangye naturally thought of Qin Jiu, since wangfei was very satisfied with Qin Jiu as her future daughter-inw, wangfei would definitely believe whatever she says.
The marriage between Gu Zezhi and Qin Jiu was bestowed by the emperor, sost year, he and wangfei specifically rushed to the capital. And now thinking about this, since Qin Jiu was the empress¡¯s niece if the emperor was afraid of the Duan Wang fu he would choose Qin Jiu to sow discord between father and son, husband and wife causing wang fu unsteadiness.
In an instant, it was as if the beads that had been disconnected were suddenly strung together; Duan Wangye suddenly realized, clenched his fist, and hit the small square table.
Gu Chenzhi hooked his lips at an angle that Duan Wangye couldn¡¯t see, and looking at the change in his expression, he guessed that he should have figured it out.
Duan Wangye: ¡°¡¡±
Duan Wangye regretted it.
Back then, he asked the emperor to choose a marriage for Gu Zezhi because he could not make a decision about his marriage. At that time, he was in a difficult situation. If he chose a daughter-inw with a high status, it would put pressure on the heir apparent, but if chose someone with low status, wangfei was unwilling.
Therefore, he let the emperor decide this marriage. First, it prevents the heir and his wife from overthinking. Second, since the daughter-inw was from the capital, she would not be familiar with the western border, so naturally she would dare to act too high-profile.
He trusted the emperor, but since the emperor had been afraid of Duan Wang fu, now Gu Zezhi was trapped in the capital.
The more Duan Wangye thought about it, the more he felt he was wronged, causing his heart to sink.
Originally, Duan Wangye hoped that Gu Zezhi would figure it out after some time, but now he cannot be optimistic.
Seeing, Duan Wangye¡¯splexion had turned blue and white, Gu Chenzhi deliberately asked, ¡°Father, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡±
After a moment¡¯s hesitation, Duan Wangye made his guess.
Gu Chenzhi also made a worried look, and after pondering for a moment, he proposed, ¡°Father, in that case, why don¡¯t we pick a better one for Zezhi¡?¡±
¡°You mean¡¡± Duan Wangye raised his brows.
Gu Chenzhi suppressed his agitation and said methodically, ¡±This is a marriage bestowed by the emperor, we can only oblige and had no other choice. But, isn¡¯t Zezhi now a county king? A county king is allowed to have two side concubines¡¡±
Duan Wangye was moved by Gu Chenzhi¡¯s words, but still said. ¡°Let this wangye think about it.¡±
Qin Jiu, the consort had yet to passed the gate, if they hurriedly sent a side concubine to him, wasn¡¯t that a clear statement to the emperor that they were dissatisfied with the marriage bestowed by the emperor himself?
The corners of Gu Chenzhi¡¯s lips curled higher as he added, ¡°Father, I¡¯ve heard Wang Yu¡¯s daughter, the county princess and her cousin went to the capital along with the third prince.¡±
Wang Yu?! Duan Wangye never expected that Gu Chenzhi would mention Wang Yu, after all, the world knew that the emperor and Wang Yu were at odds.
Gu Chenzhi seemed to have read Duan Wangye¡¯s mind and continued, ¡°Father, if Zezhi marries this cousin and takes her as a side consort, on one hand, it will alleviate the influence of the Third Miss Qin on Zezhi and on the other hand ¡¡¡±
An ambitious light shed in Gu Chenzhi¡¯s eyes, which flicked and immediately faded, as he weighed his words. ¡°Everyone knows that Wang Yu ¡¡ has never given up on that position, and all these years are just fledging, and since the emperor made an oath to theter emperor, he can¡¯t touch Wang Yu and instead let Wang Yu have the opportunity to recuperate and live a long life.¡±
Duan Wangyu also knows about this.
Gu Chenzhi asked immediately afterward, ¡°Father, do you think Wang Yu will counterattack the capital?¡± Without waiting for Duan Wangye to answer, he went on to say, ¡°Our Duan Wang fu and Wang Yu don¡¯t have any friendship, so why don¡¯t we use this to throw stones at Wang Yu ¡¡¡±
Duan Wangye of course understands what his eldest son means, his eldest son was persuading him to take this opportunity to climb into friendship with Wang Yu, so no matter how the capital would change in the future, Duan Wang fu would have a way out.
¡°No!¡± Duan Wangye tly refused.
¡°Chenzhi, although the emperor is jealous of our Duan Wang fu, I still have clear conscience. As a minister, I can¡¯t bear to hate the emperor because of this.¡±
¡°Besides, the emperor is kind and generous, even if he is jealous of Duan Wang fu because of the military power we hold, he can even tolerate Wang Yu then why can¡¯t he tolerate Duan Wang fu!¡± Duan Wangye persuaded righteously, thinking that Gu Chenzhi had momentarilypse of judgement because of the emperor¡¯s fear in their military power. ¡°You should stop thinking about these outrageous things again.¡±
¡°The Emperor is the rightful ruler, and if Wang Yu really intends to rebel, our Duan Wang fu will fight for the emperor, and even if I die, I will do my best to save the emperor! How can I be like a weed on the wall*.¡±
(*easily swayed person)
Gu Chenzhi: ¡°¡¡±
Gu Chenzhi was silent, he had guessed the beginning and induced the process, but had not expected this ending.
Duan Wangye continued to teach him earnestly. ¡°Chenzhi, you are the heir apparent, and you are going to inherit wang fu so you must not give birth to such insubordination.¡±
¡°Ai, let¡¯s take a step back, if the emperor really thinks it¡¯s better to keep Zezhi in the capital, then the Duan Wang fu should obey.¡±
¡°And this Third Miss Qin, I have seen her and regardless of her selfishness she¡¯s still filial to the wangfei, and Zezhi is also very satisfied with his future wife, so the family is in harmony.¡±
Duan Wangye locked eyes with Gu Chenzhi before raising his hand and patted Gu Chenzhi¡¯s shoulder, he then said with a straight face, ¡°There¡¯s no need to bring this matter up again.¡±
¡°Father¡¡±
Gu Chenzhi still wanted to say something, but was interrupted by Duan Wangye, ¡°Chenzhi, you rest well, don¡¯t bother your mind with this, father will leave first.¡±
Gu Chenzhi: ¡°¡.¡±
Gu Chenzhi got up and wanted to send Duan Wangye off, but was dismissed by thetter. ¡°There¡¯s no need to see me off.¡±
***
Chapter 409
Chapter 409
Duan Wangye left, leaving only Gu Chenzhi alone who was looking at the swaying curtains in front of him.
¡°Rustling ¡¡¡±
The sound of the door curtain was intertwined with the sound of the wind blowing through the branches and leaves.
Gu Chenzhi clenched his fist that was resting on the side of his body, unclenched and clenched it again, feeling suffocated in his chest, and his head was throbbing with pain.
His father had always been willing to listen to him, so he did not expect that the father and son to disagree so much on this matter.
For him, allowing Gu Zezhi to marry Wang Yu¡¯s niece was not what he had ostensibly told his father, but his refusal still had a great impact on his ns.
He needs to carefully think about how to go next.
¡°¡¡ ¡°Gu Chenzhi felt his heart burst like a tide of wave for a while as he sat down while his brows were slightly furrowed.
Outside, the sky became gloomier, with overcast clouds cascading across the sky and howling wind.
¡°Cough cough cough ¡¡¡±
Gu Chenzhi grabbed a handkerchief to cover his mouth and coughed violently, and when he removed the white handkerchief, he saw a ghastly sight of blood on it.
He stared fixedly at the red stain on the handkerchief, as his pupils contracted fiercely, while his mouth was filled with a strong smell of blood.
He felt oppressed in his chest and chilled as if he were soaking in a bone-chilling winterke, so cold that his limbs tingled slightly.
After Duan Wangye left Gu Chenzhi¡¯s study, he was still thinking about what Gu Chenzhi had said just now, as his brows furrowed even tighter.
He suddenly stopped and looked back at Gu Chenzhi¡¯s study. At this moment, the dark clouds were so heavy that they seemed to fall any moment, enveloping the room and appearing very oppressive.
Duan Wangye sighed and continued on his way again, feeling that the heir was being a bit hasty.
Originally, Duan Wangye wanted to go out of the residence, but changed his mind and turned towards his study instead. He nned to write a letter to Gu Zezhi who was in the capital.
Zezhi looked gentle, but he wanted to top at everything. He was young and energetic; if he had some crooked ideas like his older brother, he could not stop and advise him since he was thousands of miles away from the Western border, so he had to write to remind him.
When he arrived at his study, he found that it was surprisingly quiet, and the courtyard appeared to be empty without a single servant sweeping the ground.
It wasn¡¯t until he reached the eaves that an old maidservant hurriedly greeted him and saluted, ¡°Wangye.¡±
Duan Wangye entered the study with his hands on his back, thinking about the wangfei again.
In the past few months, since he returned from the capital to Luo¡¯an City, he realized the difference between the presence and absence of wangfei. Previously, the wangfei had always handled the residence properly; he only needed to take care of outside affairs like how a wife takes care of the inside and the husband of the outside. However, now, the servants in the residence were obviouslyx, and were often out of sight; even the dishes in the residence have be not to his taste.
Nowadays, the residence was being managed by the heir¡¯s consort, and as the father-inw, it was not easy to question the heir¡¯s consort about trivial matters like the kitchen!
¡°Someone, give me ink and pen!¡±
The letter Duan Wangye wrote was also sent out on the same day and arrived in Gu Zezhi¡¯s hand on the 18th on the 9th month. On the same day, Gu Zezhi received another letter sent by a flying pigeon from the western border.
The flying pigeon was sent by Gu Zezhi¡¯s confidant, who stayed in Luo¡¯an. The letter mentioned that the heir, Gu Chenzhi was not in good health recently. In addition, the fu¡¯s physician invited another physician to diagnose the heir¡¯s pulse, and all of them said that the heir was only experiencing fatigue because of being overworked.
The heir was sick, but he was not idle and was secretly seizing power, attempting to be the figure head of Duan Wang fu.
Gu Zezhi hooked the corner of his lips, a smile but was a not a smile with indifference reflected in his eyes.
Jiuhe incense was a ¡°good thing, ¡± so, of course, he had to reciprocate!
The autumn wind from the window gently brushed his hair, and his green lotus-colored robe made him look gentler and more elegant.
¡°Crunch, crunch ¡¡¡±
Qin Jiu on the side was eating a sweet jujube while looking at Gu Zezhi and said to herself: handsome is handsome, but who knows, under the light breeze he is full of bad intentions.
Looking at him like this, she knows that someone would be in trouble again. Qin Jiu silently thought to herself.
After reading the letter from his confidant, Gu Zezhi casually put it on the table seeminglypletely unconcerned about whether it would be seen by Qin Jiu.
The personal manservant on the side naturally noticed this, and immediately had a better understanding of his future mistress¡¯s position in his master¡¯s heart.
Meanwhile, Gu Zezhi read the letter from Duan Wangye again, and this time, he could not help showing a little surprise.
In the letter, Duan Wangye asked him not to think about Wang Yu¡¯s niece, saying that he must not schemed andmit insubordination.
Gu Zezhi: ¡°?¡±
Gu Zezhi¡¯s gaze fixed on words ¡°scheme¡±.
Based on his understanding of his father, he does not care about having three wives and four concubines; to put it bluntly, he was clearly referring to his cousin¡¯s cousin, but since it was inconvenient for him to express it in the letter, he could only vaguely advise him.
Wang Yu.
Gu Zezhi stroked his chin thoughtfully.
Before the people of Wang Yu arrived in the capital, his father had already left the capital and returned to the western border. Even if someone reported to him the arrival of the third prince and county princess of Wang Yu in the capital, they would not have mentioned this insignificant cousin. Therefore, the question is why.
Who on earth would be so idle and bored as to mention this cousin in front of his father?
The answer is obvious: Gu Chenzhi.
***
Chapter 410
Chapter 410
Gu Zezhi looked at Qin Jiu and remembered what she had saidst time.
The purpose of Wang Yu¡¯s peopleing to the capital was definitely not simple.
In other words, did Gu Chenzhi really colluded with Wang Yu five years ago?
Seeing Gu Zezhi looking at her, Qin Jiu blinked, feeling as if his eyes were full of hidden meaning, and that it had something to do with her¡
Did she do something?
Qin Jiu racked her brain when suddenly her eyes lit up and tapping her palm, she said. ¡°I almost forgot!¡±
She untied the purse at her waist, took out a one-finger wide purple hairband from the purse, flung it around, and said braggingly, ¡°I embroidered it, looks good, doesn¡¯t it?¡±
She looked at him with sparkling eyes.
The long hairband was embroidered with honeysuckle patterns in silver threads, and when reflected by the sun, it would shimmer brightly.
Gu Zezhi¡¯s response was raising his hand to removed the silver hair crown on his head, and his originally ck hair that was properlybed fell down like waterfall and scattered on his shoulders and back, making him instantly lookedzy and carefree.
This action was obvious.
¡°I¡¯ll brush your hair.¡± Qin Jiu instantly stood up from the chair.
The servant was very observant and immediately fetched a woodenb and a bronze mirror.
Qin Jiu excitedly took the woodenb and brushed his hair. His hair was ck, thick, andpletely different from hers.
She heard that people with ck and thick hair had tough, strong, and decisive personalities. Gu Zezhi was exactly like this, but he always puts on a gentle appearance, deceiving the dead but not paying for his life.
He was indeed a scoundrel!
Qin Jiu curled her lips into a smile as shebs his hair unskilledly, handling his hair too roughly that the manservant watching on the side looked terrified, afraid that she would hurt his master¡¯s scalp.
Qin Jiu originally nned tob his hair into a bun but she soon realized her clumsiness, so she had to changed the bun into a simple ponytail.
In the end, she tied it into a beautiful bowtie.
Looks good! She smiled with satisfaction.
With a subtle look on his face, the manservant held a bronze mirror for Gu Zezhi to look at his reflection.
Since his master was fifteen years old, the servant had never seen him wear such ¡°youthful¡± hair style, and could not help but feel that his master was really indulging Third Miss Qin.
Qin Jiu did not think anything wrong at all. When she first met Gu Zezhi, he had his ck hair simply tied, looking willful and casual.
Qin Jiu also looked at Gu Zezhi in the bronze mirror, from her angle, his eyshes were long and curly, resembling a beautiful and fine-toothedb as if gently scratching her heart.
She could not help but pursed her lips into a smile, as she ced one hand on his left shoulder while the other hand pulled a strand of his hair to his chest.
¡°Looks good!¡±
She said with a grin.
She was unsure whether she wasplimenting the hairband or the person.
Obviously, it was justbing his hair but Qin Jiu felt a subtle feeling¡ªit was sweet, as if¡
As if he belonged to her.
¡°I also think it looks good.¡± Gu Zezhi and Qin Jiu looked at each other in the bronze mirror with a smile stered on their faces.
A hint of a fluffy atmosphere lingering in air.
The servant suddenly felt a little ufortable andpletely oblivious to the fact that Du Ruo in the corner was staring at him, staring at him, and staring at him.
This man does not even understand the eye signal, did he not see that their master was having an intimate moment, does he not know decency?!
Just then, a messy sound of footsteps came from outside, and another manservant came in at a brisk pace, panting as he reported, ¡°Wangye, Madam is almost at Shili Pavilion outside the city.¡±
Gu Zezhi and Qin Jiu exchanged nces before Gu Zezhi stood up from his chair and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±
The reason why Qin Jiu came to Xiao Mansion today was because he heard that Madam Xiao wasing back, so she specifically came to pick her up with Gu Zezhi.
Two of them walked out together, and soon after they left the city, they bumped into Madam Xiao and her group of carriages and horses who wereing towards their direction.
After a short pause, Qin Jiu entered Madam Xiao¡¯s carriage, and the group of carriages and horses continued to travel in the direction of the city.
¡°Zezhi, why didn¡¯t you tell me in advance that Xiao Jiu wasing too.¡± Madam Xiao spoke with a scolding tone.
Gu Zezhi smiled without saying word, his mother was not much better than him. Yesterday, she sent someone to tell him that she was returning. He originally believed that she would stay in Jiangnan until the end of the year.
The carriage moved slowly along the way.
Although it was a long journey back to the capital from Jiangnan, Madam Xiao seemed to be in a good spirit. When she talked about Jiangnan, her eyes lit up and talked endlessly.
¡°I haven¡¯t been back to Jiangnan for more than thirty years, it¡¯s changed so much there, if it wasn¡¯t for your aunts and unclesing to pick me up, I¡¯m afraid I wouldn¡¯t even recognize the road.¡±
¡°I¡¯ve made quite a few paintings this trip back, and I¡¯ll have to frame them properly in the next few days.¡±
¡°¡¡±
Seeing Madam Xiao¡¯s attachment to Jiangnan, Gu Zezhi could not help but asked. ¡°Mother, why didn¡¯t you stay in Jiangnan for a while longer?¡±
Madam Xiao looked at her son strangely, thinking that he was usually smart than anyone else, so how could he be foolish at critical moments! He was not even thinking right about it; if she did note back, who would arrange his marriage? Does he still want to marry his wife this year!!
***
Chapter 411
Chapter 411
¡°Can I note back?!¡± Madam Xiao shook her head disapprovingly.
Qin Jiu blinkingly locked eyes with Gu Zezhi who was outside the carriage.
A line of carriages and horses quickly returned to the Xiao Mansion, and Gu Zezhi personally assisted Madam Xiao and Qin Jiu out of the carriage.
He originally wanted to persuade Madam Xiao to rest early after arriving at their residence, but Madam Xiao was worried. Pointing at the dozen or so carriages she brought back, she ordered the apanying servants. ¡°Be careful when you move those porcins, don¡¯t drop them, this will be used as a bridal gift!¡±
Wang momo hurriedly said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry madam, this servant will watch them! And make sure they handle it gently so it won¡¯t break or fall.¡±
Gu Zezhi suddenly understood. It turned out that his mother returned from Jiangnan in such a hurry because of his marriage.
His lips curled slightly and a faint smile appeared on his face, revealing a rare hint of shyness and impatience.
Qin Jiu likewise understood, and this made her eyes shine brightly like flowing water while her ears felt hot.
The autumn breeze slowly blew up the purple ribbon of Gu Zezhi¡¯s hair, gently caressing Qin Jiu¡¯s cheek. The girl¡¯s pure white skin exuded a charming pink color.
The clouds stayed still but the wind rose, scattering the petals all over the ground.
After Madam Xiao spent her time in Jiangnan, her spirit improved significantly, as if she hadpletely recovered from the divorce.
Not only did Gu Zezhi and Qin Jiu think so, but Empress Wei also did. The following day, Madam Xiao handed over the paizi* to enter the pce. Madam Xiao brought tea leaves back from Jiangnan as a gift to the empress.
(*a signed card to enter the emperor¡¯s pce)
¡°Empress.¡± Madam Xiao came to the pce this time with hidden agenda, ¡°Xiao Jiu has reached her hairpin ceremony, so I was thinking of holding a wedding for them in two months.¡±
Originally, the matter about the wedding date should be discussed with Old Madam Qin, but since this marriage was bestowed by the emperor, and Empress Wei was Qin Jiu¡¯s biological aunt, so Madam Xiao went to the pce to discuss this with Empress Wei instead.
Madam Xiao was anxious, after all, Gu Zezhi would turn 21 years old by the end of the year. In contrast, Empress Wei was a little hesitant; as she said, ¡°Two months seems to be a little hasty. It¡¯s already September, so why don¡¯t we set it for next year?¡±
For Empress Wei, Qin Jiu was only 15 years old and had just returned to the capital for less than a year. Being a daughter-inw cannot bepared to being at ease with her boudoir, and it would be great if she could spend more time there.
Furthermore, when discussing the date of marriage, she should not easily settle on the wedding date, after all, the bride¡¯s side should appear reserved.
After being refuted by Empress Wei, Madam Xiao was not worried and instead smiled, as she added. ¡°Empress, there is a saying goes, people should go home for New Year, it¡¯s good to have a daughter-inw in the new year. Two months is indeed too rushed, so how about setting it for the twelfth lunar month?¡±
Madam Xiao maintained her posture low and smiled all over her face.
In marriage, the woman must carry the marriage, while the man demands*. Therefore, if a woman initially refuses and the man asks again, this only means that the man begs for the woman, which represents the man¡¯s courtesy and etiquette.
(*wedding customs and etiquette)
The Empress acted as if she were pondering before she finally said. ¡°I remember that there are several auspicious days in the twelfth lunar month.¡±
The two negotiated and set the wedding date on the twelfth lunar month of this year, so it was about three months left, which was neither too long nor too short.
However, for a specific wedding date, Madam Xiao still needs to visit the Marquis Residence to discuss it with Old Madam Qin after leaving the pce.
After discussing this big event, Madam Xiao and Empress Wei were in good moods.
Empress Wei chatted with Madam Xiao, ¡°This empress hasn¡¯t been to Jiangnan for many years now, did you go to Lingyin Temple to pay your respect?¡± Empress Wei knew that Madam Xiao believed in Buddhism, so she mentioned Lingyin Temple.
¡°Yes, and I also stayed there for three days to worship Buddha.¡± Madam Xiao was very excited when she mentioned the Lingyin Temple. ¡°I haven¡¯t been back to Jiangnan for more than 30 years, and it has changed a lot, but Lingyin Temple hasn¡¯t changed that much, it was as if time has stopped there.¡±
Empress Wei had also been to Lingyin Temple, so she asked about the presiding master, and as the two of them were talking, a pce maid came in and curtsied, ¡°Empress, County Princess Duan Rou and Miss Tang are seeking an audience.¡±
Empress Wei didn¡¯t even raise her gaze and just faintly said, ¡°This empress has a guest, so I won¡¯t be seeing them.¡±
The pce maid took the order, but not a moment after she went out; she returned and said tremblingly. ¡°Empress, the county princess said that wangfei once took good care of Miss Tang at the border, so she came here to pay respect to the wangfei.¡±
Empress Wei¡¯s eyes shed; this pair of sisters were overly thoughtful. Usually, these kinds of people say one sentence and hide three sentences; in short, they often have severalyers of meaning in their sentences.
She turned her head to look at Madam Xiao, who calmly locked eyes with Empress Wei, and the two of them smiled at each other.
¡°Let theme in.¡± Empress Wei said.
A momentter, County Princess Duan Rou and Miss Tang came in behind the pce maid. One was dressed in purple, while the other was dressed in green; the former looked noble, while thetter looked graceful, each with its unique characteristics.
The two cousins bowed to Empress Wei before bowing and greeting Madam Xiao.
¡°Thanking the madam for taking care of me five years ago in the western frontier,¡± Miss Tang smiled warmly and gently, ¡°My grandmother was from the Ren family in Jiangnan. Five years ago, I went to the western border and wasn¡¯t aware, but when I went back to talk to my mother, I realized that my grandmother was an old acquaintance with the madam. My grandmother¡¯s maiden name was ¡®Xuan¡¯, I don¡¯t know if the madam still remembers her?¡±
¡°Ren Xuan!¡± Madam Xiao couldn¡¯t help but be moved and asked, ¡°Your maternal grandmother was from Lin¡¯an and the second child in her family?¡±
Ren Xuan was Madam Xiao¡¯s good friend, who was two years older than her and married to the Yang family in Sichuan back then. However, they have not seen each other for over thirty years since the other party got married, so she also did not know that Ren Xuan had a daughter who had married the Tang family.
Miss Tang nodded in response, ¡°When I went to Sichuan the year beforest, my grandmother also mentioned you, madam, she also showed me a picture of the West Lake in March that the madam painted it has a profound artistic conception which made me sigh in admiration.¡±
Madam Xiao seemed to recall some past events, and her expressions became softer.
***
Chapter 412
Chapter 412
Madam Xiao seemed to recall some past events and her expression became softer.
County Princess Duan Rou smiled and said, ¡°It turns out that Madam Xiao and you have this connection. This is fate.¡±
However, Madam Xiao acted as if she had not heard her and said to Miss Tang. ¡°How is your maternal grandmother doingtely?¡±
¡°Grandmother is in good health. Knowing that you came to the capital from the western border, she wrote me a letter before I came to the capital, asking me to visit you but I didn¡¯t know madam went to Jiangnan so I took the opportunity today to see you madam.¡± Miss Tang responded in an appropriate manner.
¡°I¡¯m good, everything¡¯s good.¡± Madam Xiao lookedplicated as she recalled the happy time she shared with her good friend. She still remembers that night before Ren Xuan got married, she cried a lot, and when she went to see her the next day, she cheered her up to pull herself together and said that she would definitely go to Longzhou to see her in the future.
At that time, she did not know that this farewell might be a forever farewell!
Miss Tang looked at Madam Xiao with a face full of expectations. ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot about the madam through my grandmother, she talks a lot about you. And since it¡¯s rare for me toe to the capital, can I talk to you often in the future?¡±
Madam Xiao seemed to look moreplicated and did not answer this question.
Miss Tang: ¡°¡.¡±
Miss Tang¡¯s face stiffened slightly and was about to say more, but Empress Wei took lead.
¡°Duan Rou, Miss Tang, you can withdraw.¡± Empress Wei dismissed them with an irrefutable tone, ¡°This empress and Madam Xiao still have things to talk about.¡±
Empress Wei¡¯s words had reached this point, so naturally, County Princess Duan Ruo and Miss Tang were no longer in a position to stay.
¡°Empress, then my cousin and I will leave.¡±
After the two cousins curtsied and saluted, they retreated with the pce maid, and as they were walking, they heard Empress Wei and Madam Xiao talking andughing, ¡°By the way, Madam Xiao, this empress will have someone greet the Qin Tianjian*, so when it¡¯s time to choose a date, you can just send someone to get the date.¡±
(*in charge of observing astronomy (there is a specific trantion for this name but I forgot anyone who knows feel free toment))
Just hearing the words ¡°choose a date,¡± the two could already guess what topic they were talking about.
After leaving Fengluan Pce, the smile on the corner of County Princess Duan Rou¡¯s lips instantly froze, and her expression changed.
ncing back towards the pce and seeing that there were servants a few feet behind them, she lowered her voice and said coldly, ¡°It seems that cousin is only capable of this.¡±
Miss Tang: ¡°¡¡±
Miss Tang pursed her lips aggrievedly, and her autumn-like eyes exuded charm and pity.
¡°Don¡¯te with me on this!¡± County Princess Duan Rou did not fall from the pitiful act, and with a cold flick of her sleeve, she walked away.
Miss Tang rubbed her handkerchief as she bit her lower lip again, and finally chased after her quickly saying, ¡°Cousin, it¡¯s actually a bit strange.¡±
County Princess Duan Rou: ¡°?¡±
County Princess Duan Rou¡¯s expression changed slightly as she stopped her steps.
Miss Tang organized her words and said, ¡°Cousin, you also know why Wangye asked me toe to the capital ¡¡ with you.¡±
County Princess Duan Rou nodded, of course, she knew. Her father asked the Tang family to let her cousine to the capital with her to marry her off to Duan Wang. They agreed with Duan Wang¡¯s heir to let her cousin marry Gu Zezhi as a way to achieve cooperation between the two families.
Miss Tang eye¡¯s deepened as she continued. ¡°But, wangfei¡Madam Xiao and Duan Wangye got divorced.¡±
They only found out when they arrived in the capital that the Duan Wang couple had actually separated or that it was Duan Wangfei who asked for divorce. Nor was the matter about how Madam Xiao was poisoned, and that it was the heir and his consort who attempted to kill her, so Madam Xiao asked for divorce, and this caused a hugemotion in the capital.
¡°Just now, I saw Madam Xiao¡¯s radiant face. There was no look of loss or resentment, so that means that the information we¡¯ve inquired about is correct, then it was Madam Xiao who took the initiative to divorce Duan Wangye.¡±
¡°In other words, Madam Xiao and Duan Wangye are not on good terms.¡±
¡°Cousin, Duan Wangye¡¯s heir was not born from Madam Xiao, but to a concubine. And Duan Wangye¡¯s heir asked me to marry Gu Zezhi¡¡± Miss Tang bit her lower lips again as she said softly, ¡°Isn¡¯t there something wrong with it?¡±
The oing autumn wind has a bit of chill, piercing through Miss Tang¡¯s heart making her feel uneasy, and had to rub the handkerchief in her hand to ease her feeling.
County Princess Duan Rou lowered her gaze as she thoughtfully pondered for a moment, until a finch fluttered its wings, flew from above, and returned to her senses. Scolding Miss Tang, ¡°Don¡¯t ask me!¡±
¡°This kind of thing, you want it and so is Father. Just know your status and do your part well.¡±
County Princess Duan Rou once again left Miss Tang and strode.
Leaving Miss Tang standing alone as the autumn wind blew up her skirt, making her frame look especially frail.
She gently tugged at the corner of her mouth, with a hint of mockery in her expression that disappeared in a sh, regaining her usual gentle and weak demeanor as she chased her again.
***
Chapter 413
Chapter 413
Madam Xiao stayed in Fengluan Pce until 1 to 3 in the afternoon before leaving and then went to the Marquis¡¯s residence early the next morning to discuss the specific wedding date with Old Madam Qin.
Although the invitation would be given after nazheng*, there were still too many things to prepare for the wedding, so they discussed a rough date verbally first and prepared everything that needed to be prepared. In this way, they could prepare for the wedding without a hassle.
(*the man¡¯s family needs to ept the dowry before they can get married)
Both sides cooperated and the negotiations proceeded smoothly. The two quickly reached an agreement, and as for the third-party present Qin Jiu, there was no room for intervention.
From time to time, she received an overly loving look from her two elders, making her feel like a kitten with both of them itching to rub a few handfuls on her head.
After seeing off Madam Xiao, Qin Jiu still had the inexplicable feeling of being stripped bare for no reason.
By contrast, Old Madam Qin was overjoyed and smiled so much that her eyes narrowed. The Marquis House had not had a happy event in over ten years!
She emotionally took Qin Jiu¡¯s hand, a little bit sad that her granddaughter was to be married off just after she was retrievedst year, but, more than anything, she was happy.
Old Madam Qin talked endlessly, ¡°Xiao Jiu, I heard that the Xiao family in Jiangan is a century-old schr family, and this family with generations of influence is extraordinary. And you can see it in how Madam Xiao speaks politely and acts generously, you should follow her more to learn on to conduct yourself in society, manage your household, and skills of the imperial family.¡±
Qin Jiu nodded in deep understanding. Madam Xiao was indeed a heroine among women. In her era, she was a woman with determination, insight, and meaning. Without that scumbag, she could now live a better life!
Old Madam Qin was thinking in apletely different direction as she continued, ¡°Madam Xiao cares about you, which is good. If your mother-inw likes you, you¡¯ll have a better life in your husband¡¯s family in the future.¡±
¡°When you pass through the door, you should also be respectful to Madam Xiao ¡¡ It is better to give birth to a child earlier.¡±
Hearing Old Madam Qin started talking about having a child, Qin Jiu¡¯s expression became odd and surreal.
She is only 15 years old!
In just three months, she¡¯s actually getting married?
That¡¯s too soon!
No matter how Qin Jiu felt it was too fast, both Old Madam Qin and Madam Xiao were in a hurry and worked together to prepare everything that should be prepared.
Meanwhile, her two brothers, Qin Zening and Qin Zeyu unanimously decided to give all the dowry left by their mother, Madam Wei, and Old Madam Qin also added some of her private properties to her granddaughter.
The truth was after Qin Jiu and Gu Zezhi got engaged, Qin Zening started preparing Qin Jiu¡¯s dowry but a setback happen; they were in the middle of separating the family from the second house, then they moved, and after that, he went to Minzhou. Time was extremely pressing, so he did not have much time to prepare for the dowry.
After Old Madam Qin took the deeds from Qin Zening, she resumed organizing Madam Wei¡¯s dowry and drew up a dowry list for Qin Jiu.
However, since she was already old, the siblings set a time for her in the morning and evening so she could prepare the things she needed to prepare without getting exhausted and count them to Qin Jiu, such as aplete set of furniture and screens to small things like needlework and jewelry, all of which made Qin Jiu dizzy.
Old Madam Qin put her mind on Qin Jiu¡¯s dowry, and with the many things she needed to do, she did not have time to think about anything and soon forgot about Qin Xin and Qin Zhun.
However, although Old Madam Qin had forgotten about Qin Xin, thetter tried every means to see Old Madam Qin but was rejected by people in the marquis¡¯s residence so she had to think of other ways.
She had been raised by Old Madam Qin since childhood, so she knew her habits very well. She knew that Old Madam Qin often went to Jingxin Temple to offer incense on the first and fifteenth days of the month, so she waited for opportunities. On the first day of the 10th month, she finally met her.
¡°Grandma!¡±
Qin Xin shouted as she rushed to Old Madam Qin. Crystal-clear tears streamed down her beautiful face like ¡°pit-pat-pit,¡± looking pitiful just like how a white pear blossom, blooming on the branch even after all the wind and rain.
Qin Jiu who was apanying Old Madam Qin to offer incense, looked at Qin Xin coldly.
Concurrently, Old Madam Qin¡¯s expression was very calm, as she looked at Qin Xin, but her eyes resembled the surface of a frozenke.
Not long ago, Qin Zening visited Ancheng County in Jizhou and investigated the inn where the old marquis died. This happened ten years ago, so obviously, the head steward at the inn has changed; fortunately, two servants who still worked there remember the past. Thete Marquis was also a big shot, but unfortunately, there was no useful information.
Qin Zening did not give up and checked several more inns along the way, unexpectedly, one of the people in those inns remembered something, saying that he remembered when the old marquis and his family stayed in the inn. There was a beautiful girl who ran to y under the oleander tree alone, who scared him very much, so after they left, he had someone cut off the oleander tree in the yard.
The distance between that inn and the inn in Ancheng County was only two days. If it was true that Qin Xin poisoned the old marquis, then her scheme would be too deep. To avoid others thinking of Oleander, she patiently waited for two more days to start.
On the day when the old marquis died, he ate the same food as everyone else, except for the sweet soup sent by the Old Madam Qin. No one thought he was poisoned and only that he had a sudden illness.
***
Chapter 414
Chapter 414
Ancheng County was a poor and remote area, so the physician¡¯s medical skills were also average; even if the physician faintly notices something was wrong, he may not dare to talk nonsense.
If it were in the capital, the imperial physician would have found that the Old Marquis had been poisoned.
Even though there was no clear evidence, Old Madam Qin and the three Qin siblings believed that Qin Xin definitely had something to do with the old marquis¡¯ death.
However, this evidence does not allow Qin Xin to go to court, so Qin Zening continued his investigation by finding the physician who treated the old marquis in Ancheng County back then and see if he could find anything else.
Qin Xin wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief but still continued weeping sorrowfully.
She originally thought that it was Qin Zening and Qin Jiu who asked the gatekeeper to prevent her from seeing Old Madam Qin. However, seeing Old Madam Qin looking at her without any emotion, she realized that it was Old Madam Qin, herself, who did not want to see her, making her feel a little flustered.
Grandmother must be holding a grudge against Madam Su for that incident, Grandmother must have suspected her and that¡¯s why she has this attitude.
Qin Xin told this to herself as she kneels on the cold and hard ground with a plop, and raised her head with her slender and graceful neck like a swan.
¡°Grandmother, believe me, I¡¯m innocent, it¡¯s mother ¡¡ I mean, it¡¯s Madam Su, she¡¯s desperate, that¡¯s why she purposely set me up and dragged me into the dirty water, just to try to get herself off the hook!¡±
Qin Xin¡¯s pupils were flooded with watery light, as she said sincerely, ¡°Grandmother, I have no intention of harming you!¡±
As she spoke, her tears slid down the corners of her eyes, turning her eyes red.
However, Old Madam Qin remained indifferent.
Qin Xin panicked.
In the past, Old Madam Qin softened her heart whenever she cried and begged. No matter what she said, she would respond, but now everything seems to have changed.
Qin Xin¡¯s heart sank a little.
Ever since Qin Zhun was exiled, her life has worsened.
The second prince sent a letter from Jinzhou asking her money, but she could no longer give him anything, so she had to write back about what had happened to Qin Zhun. After the letter was sent, she did not receive any response as if he had never received her letter.
She has nevercked silver in her life and has always been used to doing whatever she wants, so the silver allotted for her has already been spent, andter, she even did not have enough silver to reward her servants.
In the Second Prince¡¯s mansion, seeing that she has no money and that the second prince has never written to her again, they all conclude that she has fallen out of favor, so they boldly took advantage of her food and clothing expenses.
She was actually okay with this, that was to say, being neglected by others, at least she could still live her life.
However, after Gu Jing returned from suppressing the bandits in Jinzhou, her life became even more miserable.
Gu Jing curses Qin Zhun for being exiled.
It was only then that Qin Xin realized from Gu Jing¡¯s words that he had asked Qin Zhun to take over the position of Junior Secretary at Taipusu, to let Qin Zhun empty his family¡¯s fortune to fill in the hole of the Changying Treasury.
But now not only did Qin Zhun got involved but the ident also broke out, and for that reason, Gu Jing and Lord Chengen¡¯s faction suffered heavy losses.
They not only lose money, but also people.
Gu Jing med Qin Xin for this incident, thinking she was useless, and even pped her.
Qin Xin was naturally dissatisfied, if it wasn¡¯t for Gu Jing always asking Qin Zhun for money, how could Qin Zhun not fill the hole in Changying Treasury.
Although, she also med Qin Zhun for being indecisive, if he already knew that the hole wasrge, why did not think of a way out beforehand. Instead, he only sell his properties, and thinking of filling the holeter, yet now, his title was removed from him and not only did he lose his wife but also his army!*
(*a metaphor not only did not take advantage of it but suffered a big loss)
Qin Zhun¡¯s stupidity not only harmed him but also put her in this situation!
However, regardless of how unconvinced Qin Xin was or how much sheined about Qin Zhun, it was no used. The situation has be a foregone conclusion, and at this point she was now helpless and just an orphan girl, even less confident in front of Gu Jing.
She needed a backer to make Gu Jing throw in the towel; otherwise, she was truly afraid that no one would care, even if she was beaten to death in the Second Prince¡¯s Mansion.
¡°p!¡±
The sound of the p that day still echoed in her ears, as she felt burning pain in her cheeks.
Qin Xin really have no choice but toe to see Old Madam Qin, so even if she could not enter the marquis¡¯ mansion, she came here to wait, and finally, the person she was waiting for was here.
¡°Grandmother, you¡¯ve been so good to me, why would I want to harm you?¡±
¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, I will swear to the gods and Buddhas of heaven and earth ¡¡¡±
However, even after putting the names of the gods and Buddhas, Old Madam Qin never believer her, so she could only raise her right hand and make a vow, her voice slightly hoarse.
She appeared sincere and pitiful. If it had been before, Old Madam Qin had already softened her heart and believed in her, but this time Old Madam Qin did not say a word.
***
Chapter 415
Chapter 415
Old Madam Qin looked at Qin Xin, thinking of the Qin Xin who was not yet five years old ten years ago, and could not figure out how she could do it.
The old marquis has been able to stand up to heaven and earth all his life, stand up for his family and country, and has a clear conscience, so how could she let him die without knowing why!
Qin Jiu watched Qin Xin sing a one-man show on the side.
At first, she did not intervene because she wanted to see Old Madam Qin¡¯s attitude, whether she would soften her heart again and now that she confirmed that Old Madam Qin really saw through Qin Xin, she smiles yet not a smile, ¡°Qin Xin, don¡¯t call out grandma here, and talk about rtives indiscriminately!¡±
¡°Your biological father is in the capital prison, and your biological grandmother is in her grave.¡±
¡°Your adoptive father and mother are on their way to exile in Minzhou, and they have probably arrived by now.¡±
¡°Your siblings are now in the Su residence.¡±
¡°Our Marquis of Zhongyi and Qin Zhun have already separated, so we had nothing to do with you, what are you screaming about!¡±
Following Qin Jiu¡¯s word, Qin Xin¡¯splexion became increasingly ugly as her cherry lips trembled slightly and her face was as white as paper.
It was a pity that Qin Jiu does not know sympathy, nor does she give Qin Xin any face at all. ¡°Although you are His Highness the Second Prince¡¯s concubine, our Marquis of Zhongyi is not someone with no backbone, let alone a follower of power so don¡¯t mess around with our rtionships if you have nothing to do.¡±
She felt ashamed, annoyed and angry, after all, Qin Xin grew up in the marquis house, and had never had anyone speak to her like this before.
She raised her gaze towards Old Madam Qin, hoping that she could scold Qin Jiu and say a few words for her.
However, Old Madam Qin¡¯s eyes did not have a single ripple, instead there was a hint of disgust as she faintly echoed. ¡°Jiu¡¯er, what you said is true.¡±
As if struck by lightning, Qin Xin¡¯s eyes widened as she looked at Old Madam Qin in disbelief, feeling betrayed.
For so many years, she had been so filial to Old Madam Qin, serving her, but it turns out that Qin Jiu only coaxed her away with just few words, and she was now standing on the opposite side of her.
Qin Xin¡¯s heart was as cold as ice, the love she cultivated as grandparent and grandchild for more than ten years of dedication was in the end, could not bepared to the so-called blood affinity.
At this moment, looking back at the past scenes she remembered how Old Madam Qin had affectionately called her sweetheart and baby, but this time, she only felt mockery.
¡°Grandmother, let¡¯s go.¡± Qin Jiu assisted Old Madam Qin in towards the temple.
Qin Xin who was kneeling on the ground, stared nkly at the back of the two leaving as her eyes turned darker and darker.
¡°Miss,¡± Shu Xiang called Qin Xin tentatively and helped her up from the ground, ¡°Shall we go back?¡±
¡°¡¡ ¡°Qin Xin didn¡¯t say anything, and was still looking at the temple in front of her, at this time, Qin Jiu and Old Madam Qin had already entered the hall.
She can¡¯t go back yet; all she could rely on was the Marquis of Zhongyi.
Qin Zening was cold-hearted, and only Old Madam Qin was soft-hearted. Qin Jiu may have coax her now, but she could also coaxes Old Madam Qin back again.
¡°Shu Xiang, you keep watch here, I¡¯ll go sit in the pavilion over there for a while.¡±
Qin Xin nned to wait for Old Madam Qin toe out, so Shu Xiang hurriedly obeyed. She knew that her Miss life in the Second Prince¡¯s Residence was not easy, so even her, the personal maidservant was not any different.
Old Madam Qin, was their only hope now, after all, if a woman does not have the support of her natal family, she would have no confidence facing her husband¡¯s family.
Qin Xin walked towards the octagonal pavilion in the maple forest, feeling restless. Suddenly, a figure emerged from behind the rockery on the left side of the pavilion, almost colliding with her.
She subconsciously tried to avoid it, but instead, her feet stumbled and her whole body lurched to one side.
¡°Watch out!¡±
The other party reached out to support Qin Xin with his left arm, while Qin Xin¡¯s right hand grabbed the nearby rockery stone to stabilize her body.
Qin Xin instinctively looked at the other party, who was a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old young man in a brocade robe. He dressed in a straight and elegant style ofke blue auspicious clouds as its design, with a white jade ribbon embedded in his waist. He was tall and noble, with a gentle smile on his lips that was as warm as the sun.
The young man in blue was also looking at Qin Xin, feeling as if she was like a lotus rising from clear water as her slightly red eyes looked pitifully at him, although she wore a married woman¡¯s hairstyle, there was a hint of pure charm, bright and moving.
What a rare beauty!
The blue-clothed male secretly admired, and inevitably, took a few more extra nces, even forgetting to loosen the hand holding Qin Xin¡¯s left arm.
Qin Xin locked eyes with him and naturally saw the amazement in the other person¡¯s eyes, his gaze burning, the way a man would look at a woman.
***
Chapter 416
Chapter 416
Looking at the other person¡¯s clothes, Qin Xin knew that this person was either a respected individual or a nobleman.
¡°Many thanks, Your Excellency.¡± Qin Xin smiled faintly, looking generous but also no coyness could be seen.
The blue-clothed gentleman released Qin Xin¡¯s arm and retreated half a step as he gently asked, ¡°Thedy did not bruise herself; did she? It¡¯s all because I was too reckless.¡± His voice was as pleasant as the sh of jade.
¡°This young master is too polite; it was I who was in the way.¡± Qin Xin said with a smile, and secretly praised: what a handsome gentleman!
For a moment, Qin Xin remembered the gentle and refined Gu Jing of the past. Gu Jing used to be such a handsome and graceful gentleman, but now¡
Thinking of the current temperamental Gu Jing, a haze shed across Qin Xin¡¯s eyes and her heart felt heavy.
The blue-clothed gentleman took out a moon-white handkerchief from his sleeve and handed it to Qin Xin, adding, ¡°Madam, your hand ¡¡¡±
Qin Xin followed the other person¡¯s gaze and realized that her right hand had been stained with some dust and moss because she grabbed the fake mountain stone.
¡°Thank you, young master.¡± Qin Xin took the handkerchief and wiped it gently on her fingertips, the handkerchief still had the temperature of the person. It was warm, causing an indescribable ripple in her heart.
She was about to return the handkerchief to the other party when Shu Xiang hurried over, as she shouted. ¡°Miss¡¡±
Qin Xin no longer cared about the blue-clothed gentleman, and immediately turned her gaze to look in the direction of the temple, and saw Qin Jiuing out with Old Madam Qin.
She hurriedly said ¡°Excuse me¡± to the blue-clothed gentleman, then quickly walked towards Old Madam Qin and the others, eagerly shouting, ¡°Grandmother!¡±
However, this time Old Madam Qin did not even look at Qin Xin and walked past her without a single nce. When Qin Xin wanted to get closer, she was stopped by the Marquis of Zhongyi¡¯s maidservants, so she could only watch as Old Madam Qin and Qin Jiu got into the carriage.
Soon after, the Qin family¡¯s carriage drove away.
Qin Xin was left standing alone in the rustling autumn wind looking weak and pitiful as tears were about to fall down her delicate face, her slender figure looked like a delicate flower that was fragile and frail, attracting pity from others.
¡°Are you alright?¡± At some point, the blue-clothed gentleman walked to Qin Xin¡¯s side, his voice even gentler, ¡°Don¡¯t be too upset, it will hurt your soul and your body.¡±
¡°Letting the gentleman see something embarrassing¡¡± Qin Xin whispered as she tightly clutched the moon-white handkerchief, and her body stiffened. ¡°My grandmother disliked me for marrying poorly¡and my third sister has misled her, but this marriage is a deal between my parents¡¡±
Halfway through her words, Qin Xin bit her lip to silence herself again, as if she felt she had made a slip of the tongue.
She curtsied to the blue-clothe gentleman and shyly said. ¡°Young Master, I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡±
With the help of Shu Xiang, she entered the carriage and hurriedly left Jingxin Temple.
The blue-clothed gentleman neatly opened the folding fan in his hand and slowly fanned it, sighing, ¡°Since ancient times, beauties have either had thin red faces, or their fates have been ill-fated.¡±
A young servant in green silently walked to the blue-clothed gentleman and whispered. ¡°Third Master, that is the second miss of the second house of Marquis of Zhongyi. The emperor once bestowed a marriage on her hand to the second prince, and thenter¡¡±
The servant exined Qin Xin¡¯s identity in detail.
The blue-clothed gentleman known as ¡°Third Master¡± raised his eyebrows, and the hand folding the fan had stopped, revealing a bit of interest on his handsome face.
¡°Interesting.¡± The Third Master smiled yet not a smile as he continued to fold his fan again.
The carriage ahead had already turned right at a fork on the road several feet away, and Qin Xin naturally could not hear the other party¡¯s words as she returned to the Second Prince¡¯s Mansion with a heavy heart.
As soon as she stepped out of the carriage, she saw a young chambein waiting a few steps away, the young chambein did not even curtsy to Qin Xin, and just said in a shrill voice, ¡°Concubine Qin, His Highness has asked the concubine toe over.¡±
Qin Xin¡¯splexion slightly changed and hide the moon-white handkerchief in her sleeve pocket as she answered and followed the young chambein to the outer study.
¡°How did it go?¡±
There was neither a greeting nor deep concern that could be heard from Gu Jing, and his first question was this.
Qin Xin: ¡°¡¡±
Qin Xin felt anxious and uneasy at the same time and was feeling even colder. She could only put the me on Qin Jiu, saying. ¡°Your Highness, because Qin Jiu is there, I wasn¡¯t able to talk to Grandma¡¡±
¡°Pak!¡±
Gu Jing grabbed a cup and threw it viciously towards Qin Xin, brushing against the side of her sleeve before falling heavily behind her, sshing tea and broken porcin in all directions.
Qin Xin was so scared that she shrank but didn¡¯t dare to hide. Next, she heard Gu Jing coldly said.
¡°Useless!¡±
Qin Xin looked at the familiar yet unfamiliar man in front of her, making her heart as cold as ice.
Gu Jing had changed. He was no longer the noble and elegant Second Prince he once was, no longer the man she had once adored.
Qin Xin could not help but touch her sleeve pocket, remembering the elegant and noble blue-clothed gentleman she met in front of the temple gate, her eyes slightly drooping.
Meanwhile, the more Gu Jing thought about it, the more agitated and distraught he became, causing his heart to be restless.
Recently, he had trouble with everything.
This trip to Jinzhou to suppress the bandits cost a total of hundred thousand taels. In addition, as soon as the case of Taipusu came out, various ounts were involved which also means that since there was a slight change everything else may be affected. Gu Jing was now afraid that this matter would implicate him, so even if he had made meritorious services in suppressing the bandits this time, he dared not asked the emperor for credit.
And this Qin Xin could not help him at all. She used to have prophetic dreams in the past and used to have Marquis of Zhongyi behind her, but now, Qin Xin could only hinder him!
She waspletely useless!
***
Chapter 417
Chapter 417
Gu Jing was extremely disappointed with Qin Xin and couldn¡¯t help but express his anger, ¡°You can¡¯t even handle such a trivial matter!¡±
¡°Didn¡¯t your grandmother always love you the most? Why don¡¯t you ask her nicely with affection?¡±
As far as he knew, Old Madam Qin had always been simple-minded and soft-hearted. If Qin Xin could persuade her to fill that hole with property from the eldest house, his predicament would naturally be solved.
Don¡¯t you have one yourself?! Qin Xin¡¯s hand tightly clenched into a fist under her sleeve, and her nails sank into her tender palm, recalling the humiliation Qin Jiu and Old Madam Qin had inflicted on her.
Suddenly, fire surged up in her heart.
She knelt and begged, putting her face down in front of Qin Jiu and Old Madam Qin, allowing them to humiliate her. She did her best for him, but what did he give her in return?!
On impulse, Qin Xin could not help but talk back, ¡°Gu Jing, do you think you¡¯re still the same glorious Second Prince from before? You look down on me, but what can you do, you still have to rely on me to cover up for you ¡¡¡±
These words went straight to Gu Jing¡¯s sore spot, reminding him of the threat Qin Xin had made to him that day in the public hall.
Gu Jing only felt all the blood in his body rush to his head, and without thinking, he raised his hand and pped her.
¡°pped!¡±
The sound of a crisp p echoed in the air, while the inner servant in the corner shrunk his neck and hung his head, pretending that he did not see or hear anything.
¡°Get out!¡± Gu Jing furiously pointed outside the house, ¡°Get out of here!¡±
Gu Jing¡¯s heart was beating like a drum, feeling as if his past self was simply blind that he falls in love with such a woman.
¡°¡¡± Without saying a word, Qin Xin covered her red and swollen face from Gu Jing¡¯s p, turned around, and left the study room.
This was not the first time Gu Jing had hit her, and though she had a glimmer of hope before, this time it had disappearedpletely.
This kind of Gu Jing was not worthy of her nostalgia at all and not worthy of her heart!
Qin Xin, who had gone out from the outer study met Shu Xiang¡¯s worried eyes, and cried out with concern, ¡°Miss!¡±
However, Qin Xin ran past Shu Xiang and moved towards the direction outside the mansion without turning back, let alone a trace of nostalgia.
Qin Xin ran faster and faster until she was panting heavily before stopping.
The people she passed through also saw the five fingerprints on her face and pointed at her, but Qin Xin did not see nor was she aware of this.
She stood there with a nk expression on her face, unsure where she could go.
She did not know how long she had been standing there before moving towards a familiar road, walking through three or four streets before finally arriving at the Marquis of Zhongyi¡¯s residence.
Qin Xin stood at the door for a long time before finally summoning the courage to knock on the corner gate.
The concierge looked at Qin Xin awkwardly, ¡°Second Miss, Old Madam will not see you.¡±
Qin Xin lowered her head and swallowed her anger as she said. ¡°You go to inform grandmother that ¡¡ that I have nowhere else to go.¡±
In her two lifetimes, apart from Lingnan, this was the ce she was most familiar with, and now that she had nowhere else to go, she had no choice but to return.
She deliberately showed the red five fingerprints on her face, trying to get the concierge to ry the message to Old Madam Qin and soften the old madam¡¯s heart.
The concierge had no choice but to send another person to Ronghe Hall to inform them, Qin Xin waited and waited outside the door, and what she waited for was yet another refusal, ¡°Second Miss, Old Madam said you can go back to wherever you came from.¡±
p!
Qin Xin felt that she had been pped hard in the face again, and the sympathetic gaze from the concierge made her feel both ashamed and resentful.
All she could do was walk.
The slender and thin figure walked amidst the seething autumn wind that blows the fallen leaves on the ground, and looks like it would also blow her away.
She wandered alone on the road, lost in thought, and before she knew it, it was dark, the sky had already dimmed, and a faint curved moon was faintly visible.
Seeing that the curfew was approaching, there were fewer people on the streets, and the houses and shops along the streets were lit up withnterns.
Qin Xin felt as if she had been abandoned by the entire world, was all alone, and this made her heart sink and a mist loom in the rim of her eyes.
Suddenly, a ck-painted t-top carriage stopped beside her.
Qin Xin subconsciously turned her head to look, and saw that the curtains of the carriage window had been raised by a fan handle, and revealed a handsome and gentle face, the very same blue-clothed gentleman she had encountered at the Jingxin Temple today.
Qin Xin: ¡°¡¡±
Qin Xin¡¯s eyes slightly widened as she looked at the other party in surprise, not expecting to meet him twice in just one day.
Thump, thump, thump!
Qin Xin¡¯s heartbeat elerated, and her heart which was originally like a stagnant water seemed to have flowed into a living spring, and her foggy eyes shimmered with a faint light.
¡°Madam, what a coincidence.¡± The third master smiled slightly, showing even more gentleness, making people feel good looking at him. ¡°May I give the madam a ride?¡±
Qin Xin stared at him in a daze, unsure whether she heard him or not.
Seemingly afraid that Qin Xin would be scared, the third master added, ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand, madam, I¡¯m not a bad person, myst name is Gu, and my first name is Xi.¡±
Gu Xi? Qin Xin¡¯s eyes slightly widened once again. Wouldn¡¯t he be Wang Yu¡¯s third son?
Gu Xi got off the carriage and elegantly extended his hand to Qin Xin as a gesture of invitation.
As if she were under some kind of bewitchment, Qin Xin stretched out her hand and entered the carriage.
Immediately thereafter, Gu Xi also got on the carriage, the curtain fell, and the driver who drove the carriage whipped the horse to start moving.
The carriage galloped forward on an open street and disappeared into the night.
***
Chapter 418
Chapter 418
October nights were pleasantly warm and cool, especially the cozy air that blows inside the house, making people feel refreshed.
However, Qin Jiu was not interested in enjoying a peaceful night and instead struggled with the needle and thread.
As a bride to be married, Qin Jiu was happy, and there was no need for her to worry about dowry or anything else. Since Gu Zezhi was a county king, her wedding dress was also regted and prepared by the imperial n. Originally, she should not have done anything, but Empress Wei said that she should embroider shoes to honor her mother-inw during the marriage ceremony.
Qin Jiu¡¯s needlework was very bad. At most, she has embroidered forehead belts, hairbands, and handkerchiefs, all of which were the simplest embroidery. For this pair of shoes, she has been struggling for several days, yet the soles were barely passable, and the stitches on the shoe surface were zigzag; anyone would see it would feel dizzy, and her hands were already numb.
In short, Qin Jiu¡¯s embroidery skills were not good, and she was far from the ancientdy who had learned women¡¯s embroidery when they were young, so she used cross-stitch, applique embroidery, and bead embroidery topensate for her strengths and weaknesses.
The pattern was drawn with Du Ruo¡¯s help, and this same master, was also the one who picked the embroidery threads. As she followed Du Ruo¡¯s pattern, she felt she was just a tool man with a confused mind.
Qin Jiu also felt that it was too difficult for thesedies in ancient times, not only did they have to learn zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting, but also has to learn embroidery, not to mention, making clothes, and shoes. Just the embroidery alone, there were so many stitches, and the red threads had more than a dozen types, which made Qin Jiu almost suspect that she was colorblind.
After spending more than half a month, she finally finished embroidering three red plums on one shoe, and she already felt that her needlework had advanced through the leaps and bounds. It was already at the end of October, and the weather was increasingly colder.
On the first day of November, news came from the pce that Imperial Consort Fang was seriously ill and wanted to call her grandchildren to apany her to the Jiuya Garden on the outskirts of the capital.
Originally, this matter was only casually mentioned by Qin Zening after he returned because the illness of Imperial Consort Fang caused a lot of trouble, and the entire Jiuya Garden was disturbed.
Qin Zening was quite disdainful of Imperial Consort Fang, saying that she only dares to make such a fuss because of the emperor¡¯s good temper.
The emperor epted Imperial Consort Fang¡¯s request and sent several imperial physicians to Jiuya Garden, resulting in Gu Xi and his sister staying with Imperial Consort Fang.
On the day of the winter solstice, Qin Jiu went to the pce and heard Empress Dowager Liuining about this unhappily.
¡°She¡¯s been given good food and drink for more than ten years, yet she is still afraid that the emperor and this dowager will treat her poorly?!¡±
¡°Pretentious! If you want to be filial, why didn¡¯t youe to the capital a few years ago to honor ¡®that one¡¯ at the Jiuya Garden!¡±
Although Empress Dowager Liu did not name anyone from beginning to end, everyone present knew who she was referring to just by the words ¡°Jiuya Garden,¡± and probably only Imperial Consort Fang from Jiuya Garden could make Empress Dowager Liu so worked up.
Since ancient times, there has been a saying that ¡°winter solstice is as big as the year¡±*. Today is the winter solstice, and Empress Dowager Liu held a small feast in the Shouning Pce, inviting Empress Wei, several high-ranking concubines, princes, and princesses, as well as nobledies, making the hall very lively as people chatted andughed.
(*as important as Chinese New Year)
As soon as Empress Dowager Liu casuallyined, a few of the concubines present could not wait to join in and voice out with their coquettish voices. ¡°Empress Dowager is right. They, ah, are using the heart of a viin to judge the belly of a gentleman*!¡±
(*use a humble mind to guess a person of noble character)
¡°The Empress Dowager has given them a great deal of generosity; how can she bepared to some people!¡±
¡°¡¡±
The room was full of blue-blooded nobles, so the ¡°young transparent¡± Qin Jiu huddled in a corner, peeling oranges, and eating them.
Tribute oranges were delicious, sweet, sour, plump, and tasty.
While eating, Qin Jiu was busy listening to the gossip. She has been cooped up at home for a month working on her embroidery, so now she feels that as long as she could go out, she could go anywhere, even if it was the pce that was boring before, has be much more interesting now.
Empress Dowager Liu has a few cats here; these cats were usually taken care of by the pce servants, so they were not afraid of people and could stay wherever they wanted. There was a long-haired cat with mandarin-like eyes on the small square table next to Qin Jiu.
Every time Qin Jiu went to get the fruit from the fruit bowl behind the cat, it would sneak up on her with its cat¡¯s paws and give her a light pat behind her hand. Qin Jiu was patted a few times before she could eat.
When Qin Jiu had eaten enough, she harassed the cat, touched its head, patted its paws, and lifted its chin, causing the previouslyzy cat to be excited. Its round eyes widened and its fluffy tail happily swung back and forth.
Qin Jiu was having fun when she suddenly heard a female voice beside her respectfully reported, ¡°Empress Dowager, His Highness the Second Prince and Concubine Qin havee.¡±
The atmosphere inside the hall underwent a subtle instantaneous change.
Everyone knew that ever since Yun Guang¡¯s incident, Empress Dowager Liu was not as cordial to the Second Prince as she had been.
Empress Dowager Liu frowned in disgust, but no matter how disappointed she was with Gu Jing, Gu Jing was after all her grandson, but it was not the same for Qin Xin, so she could not help but think: what is Qin Xin doing here? Gu Jing is so careless, bringing a concubine into the pce.
Empress Dowager Liu didn¡¯t give Gu Jing any face at all and directly said, ¡°Let them go back.¡±
Noble Consort Liu¡¯splexion changed, and she hurriedly rounded up the situation by saying, ¡°Mother, the second prince is also very filial, and today is the winter solstice, so he specially came to give you a peace offering.¡±
Hearing that today was indeed winter solstice, Empress Dowager Liu did not want to make a scene and reluctantly nodded in response.
Empress Wei stared coldly from the sidelines while sipping her tea.
After brief silence, the others in the hall started chatting and joking separately.
Soon, the pce maid who came to report went out and led Gu Jing and Qin Xin.
***
Chapter 419
Chapter 419
Qin Xin was a step behind Gu Jing, her gaze downcast, but she already saw Qin Jiu, and Qin Jiu saw her.
Qin Xin¡¯s eyes flickered slightly. It had been over a month since theirst meeting at Jingxin Temple, and Qin Jiu looked even more beautiful, with her bright eyes and white teeth, a slight blush on herplexion, and her slightly curled cherry lips were extremely beautiful, plump, and radiant, like mature cherries, pure, and delicate.
It¡¯s clearly the winter solstice, but she seems to be standing in the bright spring, while she¡
Qin Xin¡¯s eyes dimmed as she followed Gu Jing forward as if nothing had happened.
¡°Greeting Imperial Grandmother.¡±
¡°Greeting Empress Dowager.¡±
Gu Jing and Qin Xin both greeted Empress Dowager Liu.
Empress Dowager Liu was neither cold nor hot, she did not look at the two of them.
She slowly took a shallow sip of the hot tea before saying, ¡°You¡¯re excused.¡±
Gu Jing also knew that Empress Dowager Liu was annoyed with Qin Xin, but he couldn¡¯t do without Qin Xin, after all, everyone knew that he favored Qin Xin.
Immediately, a pce servant brought a chair for Gu Jing, who lifted his robe and sat down, while Qin Xin, who was just a concubine, just like a subordinate, so naturally, there was no ce for her to sit here, and could only stand with her head hanging down behind Gu Jing¡¯s right side.
Consort Liu frowned slightly, feeling unhappy. She felt that Gu Jing became increasingly disobedient as he grew older. Why was he so obsessed with Qin Xin, such a fox seducer!
However, she only has one son, and she was also counting on this son of her to make his mother elevates her position in the future, so she could only help her son speak. ¡°Imperial Mother, this consort saw that the second prince lost weight after he came back from Minzhou. The winter solstice is a festival of ¡®peace and tranquility¡¯, second prince should eat more dumplings at your grandmother¡¯s pce to get rid of illness and cold, so you can be healthier in theing year.¡±
Empress Dowager Liu looked at Gu Jing and also saw that he had lost weight, thinking how hard it was for him to suppress the bandits in Minzhou immediately after he was stabbed by Yelu Luan, her heart immediately softened. ¡°Being able to eat is a blessing, and it¡¯s time to eat a few more mouthfuls of dumplings.¡±
Seeing this, Noble Consort Liu secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and her gaze fell on Qin Xin¡¯s small abdomen as she asked, ¡°Second Prince, it¡¯s been a while since Concubine Qin entered the mansion, is there any good news?¡±
Noble Consort Liu was really in a hurry, the age difference between the third and second prince was only a few months. The third prince was given another side concubine by the emperorst month, and if the third prince gave the emperor his first eldest grandson, the emperor would probably no longer look at the second prince.
In addition, this foxy woman, Qin Xin, was a bit strange; it has been six months since she passed the gate, but there was still no good news. Her stomach was disappointing!! Noble Consort Liu has already considered whether to send another concubine to the second prince¡¯s mansion since the filial piety period of Princess Fang Hanjun had not yet passed.
Gu Jing¡¯s face turned ugly all of a sudden, feeling that the people around him were all casting strange gazes at him, either suspiciously, scrutinizingly, or yfully, as they exchanged whispers with each other.
Gu Jing said perfunctorily, ¡°Mother consort, there¡¯s no rush, Qin Xin has only passed through the gate.¡±
In the ears of Empress Dowager Liu and Noble Consort Liu, they only felt that Gu Jing was speaking for Qin Xin. Empress Dowager Liu was even more disappointed, while Noble Consort Liu was annoyed and even more determined to quickly select another courtdy who was good at child rearing and sent her to the Second Prince¡¯s Mansion.
Meanwhile, Gu Jing was like sitting on pins and needles, he was annoyed and felt loath, wishing to throw his sleeves and leave immediately, but this was Shouning Pce, he could only endure, and suppress himself¡
Qin Xin on his right, felt a tightness on her left wrist followed by a piercing pain.
Even without looking, Qin Xin knew that it was Gu Jing pinching her again. She gritted her teeth and endure it as her gaze couldn¡¯t help but look at Qin Jiu who was diagonally across from her. Qin Jiu wasn¡¯t looking at Qin Xin, she was happily ying with the cat.
In less than one cup of tea, Qin Jiu sessfully coaxed the cat onto herp. She was tickling the cat¡¯s chin with her fingertips, inexplicably thinking of the feeling she felt on Gu Zezhi¡¯s chin that time, and immediately her eyes were filled with light and full of smile.
She was in the springlight, while before her own eyes, it was pitch-ck.
Qin Xin only felt that her heart seemed to have something that surged up and flooded over her head, and she fell backward in a blur ¡¡
Others around them saw it as well, and a few noblewomen let out a gasp.
Gu Jing was also startled, and after a moment¡¯s stupefaction, he hurriedly got up, made a nervous look, squatted down to hold the unconscious Qin Xin in his arms, and shouted, ¡°Xin¡¯er. Xin¡¯er, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡±
Empress Dowager Liu frowned as she looked at Qin Xin, whose eyes were closed tightly, and regretted letting her in, whispering, ¡°Bad luck.¡±
The day when Yin and Yang alternated during the winter solstice was a blessing bestowed by heaven. However, Qin Xin insisted on staying in her Shouning Pce today, which made Empress Dowager Liu feel ufortable:
Knowing Empress Dowager Liu¡¯s thoughts, Feng momo whispered, ¡°Empress Dowager, will this servant send someone to ask for an Imperial Physician?¡±
She could not just throw someone out; it would even be uglier and unluckier to watch.
Empress Dowager Liu nodded slightly.
Feng momo sent someone to invite the imperial physician and at the same time ordered the pce maid to help Qin Xiny next door.
Gu Jing hesitated to follow when Noble Consort Liu wink at him, so he sat down.
These nobledies also notice the exchanged nces between mother and son, and thought: The second prince still has a deep affection for Qin Xin just as before, no matter who bes the second prince¡¯s consort, would not she be waiting alone in an empty boudoir?!
Empress Wei was smiling from beginning to end, not even bothering to care what tricks Qin Xin and Gu Jing were ying. This was Shouning Pce; everything was decided by Empress Dowager, and it was not her turn to meddle.
Empress Wei smiled and said to Empress Dowager Liu, ¡°Imperial Mother, I heard Madam Xiao say the other day that in Jiangnan, there is a custom of eating adzuki bean porridge at the winter solstice to ward off epidemics and ghosts, so the adzuki bean porridge is also called the winter solstice porridge. I let the Imperial Kitchen cook some winter solstice porridge as well, would you like to try it out, Imperial Mother?¡±
Empress Dowager Liu was old and enjoyed eating sweet food as well as the custom of seeking good fortune and avoiding bad luck, so she immediately smiled and agreed.
Everyone present had a share, all of them ate the sweet winter solstice porridge but before they could finish eating the porridge, the imperial physician next door came in to report to Empress Dowager Liu.
Empress Dowager Liu does not really care whether Qin Xin was okay or not, but the imperial physician said, ¡°Congrattions Empress Dowager, Concubine Qin is pregnant. It¡¯s been about a month.¡±
***
Chapter 420
Chapter 420
The hall fell into sudden silence, and the people around them who were eating porridge forgot to eat for a moment, as they exchanged nces with different expressions and finally looked at the second prince Gu Jing.
Gu Jing: ¡°!!!¡±
Gu Jing was about to jump up, almost blurting out to ask the imperial physician what he was talking about, but ultimately, he restrained himself.
Meanwhile, Consort Liu was overjoyed, she hadn¡¯t mentioned having a child and yet now the child was here.
She felt that this winter solstice was really a blessing from heavens, and put her palms together as she recited to Buddha before she said pleasantly to Empress Dowager Liu. ¡°Imperial Mother, this consort thinks that the child in Qin Xin¡¯s womb is a blessing. It¡¯s a great blessing to have four generations under one roof.¡±
Turns out, it was not bad luck; it was good luck. Empress Dowager Liu also had a happy expression on her face, which was evident in her eyebrows and eyes.
Although the child in Qin Xin¡¯s womb was born to amoner, it was at least the first child of this generation. As Consort Liu said, having four generations together was a great blessing.
Only Gu Jing¡¯s face was livid and extremely ugly. He hesitated to speak but did not say a word at the end.
Everyone thought that Gu Jing was worried about Qin Xin¡¯s body, only Qin Jiu could see something amiss.
Qin Jiu stroked the cat¡¯s fur with raised eyebrows full of interest as she thought to herself: Ai, the second prince doesn¡¯t seem very happy, shouldn¡¯t this be a big happy event?
Was Gu Jing a DINK*?
(*family voluntarily choose not to have children)
Qin Jiu identally started to run her imagination wild, and the cat on herp began to purr in ecstasy.
Empress Dowager Liu was in a much better mood and smiled as she said to Gu Jing, ¡°A¡¯jing, go and see Qin Xin.¡±
Right after she said that she hurriedly went to ask the Imperial Physician, ¡°Imperial Physician Cheng, how is the fetus?¡±
Imperial Physician Cheng respectfully replied, ¡°Empress Dowager, Concubine Qin has a good foundation so the fetus is also stable. I willter give her a prescription to calm the fetus, she needs to take it for a few days¡¡±
These words could no longer reach Gu Jing¡¯s ears as he stood up dazedly and walked towards the next door with light steps.
In the eyes of Consort Liu and Empress Dowager Liu, they only thought that Gu Jing was too happy.
He should be, after all, this was Gu Jing¡¯s eldest son, and he has always valued Qin Xin.
The pce servant drew the curtain for him. Gu Jing took a deep breath before he walked in, his feet were unprecedentedly heavy, and every step was so difficult.
When he looked at Qin Xin, who was reclining on the couch, hatred surged in his eyes so much that he almost swallowed Qin Xin.
How dare she, how dare she!!!!
Qin Xin touched her t abdomen and smiled faintly as she said coquettishly, ¡°Your Highness is here, Imperial Physician Cheng said that this concubine is pregnant. Is Your Highness happy?¡±
With that, she sat up and said meaningfully, ¡°Empress Dowager is still outside, right? Concubine was rude just now, I have to go and make amends to the Empress Dowager.¡±
Herst two sentences were a reminder to Gu Jing that Empress Dowager Liu was outside, and that if he did not want his secret to be known to everyone, he better know the limits of what he would say and how to behave appropriately.
Gritting his teeth, Gu Jing tried hard to control his raging anger as he walked towards Qin Xin. He then sent out several pce servants and attendants who were serving on the side hall.
The moment the curtain fell, Gu Jing¡¯s face instantly darkened, like a wild beast rushing toward Qin Xin, hisrge palm pinched Qin Xin¡¯s slender and fragile neck, and tightened his long and powerful fingers ruthlessly¡¡
¡°Bitch.¡± Gu Jing said in a hateful voice, his voice seeming to be squeezed out from between his teeth, his eyes bursting with burning mes, his blood roaring and rushing violently through his veins, wanting to vent the evil fire in his heart.
At this moment, Gu Jing wished to kill Qin Xin.
¡°Ah ¡¡¡± Qin Xin couldn¡¯t catch her breath as her hands tried hard to break his fingers, but it was like his hands were made of cast iron, she couldn¡¯t break them at all.
Her neck was pinched tightly and she could not make a sound, making her breathing increasingly difficult. She could only struggle to kick Gu Jing with her feet.
Gu Jing was a person who practiced martial arts, this strength of Qin Xin was just like a child to him, not worth mentioning at all as he easily avoided Qin Xin¡¯s kicks.
Die! Gu Jing only had this one thought in his mind as his handsome features became ferocious.
Qin Xin struggled harder, her elbow fighting to hit the teacup by the couch ¡¡
¡°Bang!¡±
The teacup fell to the ground, producing a crisp and loud sound.
This sound naturally also reached the people outside, and a pce maid¡¯s worried voice faintly came from outside the curtain, ¡°Your Highness ¡¡¡±
Gu Jing suddenly calmed down, his face still livid while his eyes dark and mad.
He let go and suppressed his anger, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I identally bumped into something, no need toe in.¡±
The pce maid outside the curtain respectfully answered and stopped talking, only vaguely hearing the sound of Empress Dowager Liu, and the others talking andughing from the direction of the main hall.
The outside of the curtain was bustling, while the inside of the curtain was silent.
Qin Xin covered her neck, gasping heavily to breathe. Her pure white neck was adorned with blue and purple fingerprints, making it appear terrifying.
Qin Xin quickly recovered and looked at Gu Jing with a look of resentment in her eyes.
***
Chapter 421
Chapter 421
Her body shrank back as she spoke rapidly, ¡°Your Highness, the Second Prince, I¡¯m just a concubine, and a concubine¡¯s life isn¡¯t worth much, but I¡¯ve only just spread the ¡®good news¡¯ and yet I died in your hands, do you think that the onlookers will not think too much about it?¡± Her voice was slightly hoarse and permeated by undisguised sarcasm and threats.
¡°Your Highness is also aware of how important the emperor¡¯s eldest grandson is.¡±
¡°Does Your Highness think that the onlookers will not wonder why you would rather not have the Imperial Eldest Grandson and strangle me, your concubine?¡±
Gu Jing¡¯s pupils shrank slightly, and his eyes turned sinister again.
As if Qin Xin had seized his key point, her eyes immediately lit up astonishingly and pressed on step by step, ¡°They will say that His Highness, the Second Prince, is wearing a green hat, or ¡¡¡±
She deliberately paused for a moment, her disdainful gaze sweeping over Gu Jing¡¯s lower abdomen.
¡°Not working at all.¡±
The four words were said as light as a mosquito¡¯s whistle but it was as heavy as thunder.
Gu Jing: ¡°!!!¡±
He raised his hand high and was about to strike Qin Xin¡¯s face.
This time, Qin Xin directly stuck her face over, as she word by word said, ¡°p me! Feel free to p me, it¡¯s best to bring the people outside here¡.¡±
Gu Jing could not hit her anymore; he could only pause his hand midair, as his thin lips pursed into a straight line.
Qin Xin was right, if she died now, how should he exin to the public!
If there was an extra p mark on her face right now, he was afraid that Empress Dowager Liu and his mother consort would ask him why he had hit Qin Xin. They do not care about a mere Qin Xin, but they do care about the ¡°Emperor¡¯s eldest grandson¡± in Qin Xin¡¯s womb.
¡°¡¡¡± Qin Xin knew she had made the right bet.
She was actually far from showing such aposure; her back was dripping with cold sweat, so much that her middle coat was soaked.
Based on Qin Xin¡¯s understanding of Gu Jing, he was a person who loved his face and liked to pretend that everything was going well.
As expected, even at this moment, he still wanted to hide it!
He would rather hold his tongue than allow a slightest possibility of anyone else discovering his ws, and to him, that would be worse than letting him die!
In the past, she loved him deeply, so she was willing to tolerate everything about him, whether it was his strengths or weaknesses, but now¡ª¡ª
It was Gu Jing who had treated her unjustly in the first ce, so do not me her!
Thinking about her life after she married the Second Prince¡¯s Mansion, Qin Xin hardened her heart and left thest point of guilt behind her head.
¡°¡¡¡± Gu Jing red at Qin Xin without blinking as the veins in his neck throbbing while his fists clenched tightly, and his knuckles cackling.
He wished he could devour Qin Xin alive, but he could only endure it.
He used to love Qin Xin so much, even after Empress Dowager Liu harbored grudges towards him. However, Qin Xin has disappointed him time and time again, and now she even has an affair and is pregnant with a bastard child!
Qin Xin had actually done this to him!
Gu Jing slowly and with difficulty questioned, ¡°Whose is it?¡±
Whose bastard was that?!
¡°It¡¯s not important.¡± Qin Xin straightened her cor to hide the bruise caused by Gu Jing and used this action to hide her nervousness.
She was afraid and uneasy, but it was no use being afraid or anxious. At this point, she had no other way to go, and could only follow this path.
She knew that even if Gu Jing would not kill her today because of his concern for Empress Dowager Liu outside, but after returning to the mansion after some time had passed, it would still be easy for him to kill her a violent death.
Even if she died inexplicably at the Second Prince¡¯s Mansion, there would be no one to avenge her, and she was afraid the Qin family would instead gloat and apud her death.
The only one who could save her was herself, and if she wanted to keep this child, she must convince Gu Jing.
¡°Not important?¡± Gu Jingughed back in anger. His voice was as cold as that of ice.
Qin Xin said in a seemingly calm tone, ¡°The Emperor wants his eldest grandson, and you, Your Highness, also need a child, don¡¯t you?¡±
¡°¡¡¡± Gu Jing could not speak as if he had been pinched, speechless.
The importance of a heir goes without saying, both for themon people and the royal family.
Seeing this, Qin Xin makes up her mind. Knowing that she had once again grasped Gu Jing¡¯s weakness, she told herself that she understood Gu Jing, and she could definitely persuade him.
¡°Aside from this one in my womb, where else would Your Highness want to get a child from?¡± She touched her t belly and looked at Gu Jing smiling. If Gu Jing wanted to have the emperor¡¯s eldest grandson, he had to have a woman, but would he dare let others know of his secret?
Gu Jing: ¡°!!!¡±
Qin Xin added, ¡°Whether what I said is justified or not, Your Highness can think about it.¡±
¡°This child has actuallye at just the right time, he will be the ¡®rightful¡¯ royal eldest grandson, Your Highness, don¡¯t you think so?¡±
Qin Xin raised her eyes and met Gu Jing¡¯s eyes.
Gu Jing stood motionless on the spot, with only those sinister eyes flickering brightly and darkly, recalling everything from six months ago in his mind.
If not for Yelu Luan, how would he have ended up in this situation!
This was a humiliation that no man could bear, all of which were brought to him by Yelu Luan and Qin Xin, as well as that wild man¡
Gu Jing narrowed his eyes, releasing a thick murderous intent all over his body.
For a moment, Qin Xin almost thought that he would pounce on her regardless, making her heart shrink violently.
However, Gu Jing did not, and with a heavy flick of his sleeve, he opened the curtain to go out by himself.
When the curtain fell again, Qin Xin¡¯s tense body rxed and took a long sigh of relief.
She knew she had once again made the right bet.
***
Chapter 422
Chapter 422
Her period has always been on date, but this month, it was a bitte, so she was more or less sure of her condition. Because of this, she was worried these days but now with this sudden change, she decided to do something for herself and give the child in her womb a fight.
Qin Xin knew that she would not die for the time being, and was only relieved for a moment as her heart was slowly pounding again. She had only got through this for the time being, and she knew that Gu Jing would probably not be able to touch her until the baby was born. Subsequently, she had to prevent Gu Jing from killing the mother while keeping her son next to him.
Thinking about it, Qin Xin¡¯s eyes became increasingly deeper as her palm was tightly pressed against her lower abdomen. Being a mother has given her strength, and, for the sake of this child, even if this was a thorny road, she must walk it down.
On the other hand, Gu Jing was back in the main hall.
As soon as Empress Dowager Liu saw Gu Jinge out, she smiled and asked, ¡°A¡¯Jing, how is Miss Qin?¡± Empress Dowager Liu, still did not like Qin Xin, so she referred to her as Miss Qin, but she hoped that her great-grandson in Qin Xin¡¯s womb would be well.
Gu Jing smiled and sped his hands at Empress Dowager Liu. ¡°Thank you for Imperial Grandmother¡¯s love and care, Qin Xin, and ¡¡ the child is well. People are always in good spirits Imperial Grandmother¡¯s pce, this is really a blessed ce.¡±
He had a gentle smile on his face and talked as if nothing happened.
Other concubines also chimed in with a few pleasing words, creating a joyous atmosphere.
However, Qin Jiu, who was stroking the cat not far away noticed with her sharp eyes that Gu Jing who seemed to be happily talking and lively, clenched his fists tightly and soon hid them in his sleeve.
Qin Jiu: ¡°¡¡±
Qin Jiu stared at his cuffs and blinked with interest.
Interesting.
These two, Gu Jing and Qin Xin were acting strange.
What kind of secret were they hiding?
Previously, when her eldest brother Qin Zening went to check the physician who had treated Gu Jing, that physician had long since disappeared. It was in June when he identally fell into a ditch and died while visiting another physician at night.
This was quite a coincidence!
¡°Meow!¡±
The cat on her knee was getting tired from all the rubbing and pped Qin Jiu¡¯s hand with its paws before jumping off herp, with its long-haired tail raised high.
Qin Jiu¡¯s gaze from the cat fell to Gu Jing who was a meters away from her.
Originally, she only suspected that there was something wrong with Gu Jing; however, when she learned about the physician¡¯s death, her suspicion increased even more, and now, she was certain.
Thinking about it carefully, when Qin Xin felt unwell and happened to faint in Shouning Pce was a bit of a coincidence, but judging from Gu Jing¡¯s appearance, he clearly had no prior knowledge, which made it even more suspicious.
Interesting, just too interesting!
Empress Dowager Liu, Concubine Liu, and the concubines were still talking to Gu Jing about some precautions for pregnant women. Imperial Consort Liu even recalled the past, saying that Gu Jing used to be a well-behaved baby in her womb.
Regarding this kind of topic, unmarried girls such as Qin Jiu were unable to say anything, so when Empress Wei saw this, she sent them away to y by themselves with a smile.
The girls were all eager to do so, and one by one, they got up and answered, including Qin Jiu.
As soon as she left, the cat that had previously ignored her chased after her again, and rubbed itself against the side of her skirt. Qin Jiu leaned over and picked up the haughty white cat just in time to hear Empress Dowager Liu say to Empress Wei with deep emotion. ¡°Empress, it¡¯s the first one of this generation, and no matter if it¡¯s a boy or a girl, it¡¯s all good.¡±
¡°The emperor must be happy too, in just a blink of an eye, the emperor will soon be a grandfather¡¡±
Qin Jiu went out with the cat in her arms, and the words that followed were inaudible.
At Princess Xinan¡¯s suggestion, unmarried girls visited the imperial garden.
The winter solstice represents the official arrival of winter. The oing cold wind was chilly, and even after putting on a cloak, it cannot block the chilling wind. Qin Jiu suddenly felt that the proud cat in her arms was useful, it was much warmer than a hand stove, and kept at a constant temperature without getting too hot!
She gently hugged the proud and delicate cat, fearing that it would be displeased and leave her behind, so she also instructed the apanying pce servant to fetch small dried fish, which thetter went ahead to retrieve.
The winter in the Imperial Garden was another scene in which the flowers withered while the wintersweet and camellia bloomed proudly against the cold wind.
They chose a flower hall next to the wintersweet grove and sat. Princess Xinan, as the host, suggested ying with the girls, such as throwing pots, Goku, Shuanglu, and Shuo Fu, and started ying in twos and threes.
Qin Jiu had never been able to y with them before, so she casually sat down in the corner holding the cat and waiting for the pce servant to bring her dried fish.
Before the pce servant arrived with the small dried fish, she noticed a silhouette at the corner of her eye.
¡°I didn¡¯t expect Qiuqiu to like you so much?¡± Fang Hanjun smiled as she sat down beside Qin Jiu with a familiar tone.
After Empress Wei¡¯s urgingst time, Qin Jiu also asionally went into the pce to talk to Fang Hanjun, strolled around the garden, read books, and did other things. Empress Dowager Liu pitied her granddaughter and was happy that two young girls of simr age interacted more; after all, her granddaughter was not familiar with the capital.
Qin Jiu boasted unashamedly, ¡°I¡¯m a person who has always been liked by animals, even the puppies at Aunt Empress¡¯s pce also like me.¡±
¡°Meow!¡± The cat purred after what she said while the Mandarin duck¡¯s eyes widened, not sure if they were agreeing or dismissing her.
Fang Hanjun was so amused that she could not help but smile slightly, looking at Qin Jiu with a sh of envy in her eyes.
At this time, the pce servant who had gone to fetch the dried small fishes came back, and she not only brought the fragrant dried small fish but also brought over an extra box of fish food.
The cat immediately let out a sweet purr when it smelled the scent of the dried small fishes and took the initiative to rub its head towards Qin Jiu¡¯s palm.
***
Chapter 423
Chapter 423
Qin Jiu burst outughing and fed it a small dried fish when Fang Hanjun suddenly asked, ¡°I heard from my imperial grandmother that your wedding date has been set.¡±
¡°Yes.¡± Qin Jiu nodded naturally and unrestrainedly, ¡°Madam Xiao asked the astronomer to choose a date.¡±
¡°Congrattions, it¡¯s a pity that I can¡¯t go to your residence to congratte you that day.¡± Fang Hanjun said regretfully. She still observed her filial piety; therefore, it was inconvenient to congratte Qin Jiu.
Qin Jiu joked, ¡°If you can¡¯te, I¡¯ll just ept the red envelope.¡±
The cat gave a contemptuous look; seeing this, Qin Jiu stretched her fingers and lightly flicked the cat¡¯s forehead. The cat got angry immediately and did not want the dried fish anymore as it ran away.
Fang Hanjun looks at Qin Jiu¡¯s joyful side profile, and pinches her handkerchief as she seems to be a little hesitant, and finally could not help but lower her voice and ask, ¡°Xiao Jiu, I¡¯ve always wanted to ask, do you mind?¡± She pauses for a moment, ¡°I mean, the matter of the Duan Wang couple¡¯s divorce.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± Qin Jiu met Fang Hanjun¡¯s eyes calmly, her eyes looking like a clear spring and bright moon.
Fang Hanjun was stunned and asked again, ¡°Why?¡±
Without hesitation, Qin Jiu said, ¡°Marriage is not all there is to life.¡±
¡°Whether it¡¯s a man or a woman, there¡¯s no need to condemn yourself, since you can¡¯t live with it anymore, just separate, and be freer alone, go wherever you want.¡±
Thinking that Madam Xiao was in a much better mood after her trip to Jiangnan, Qin Jiu felt slightly tickled.
Fang Hanjun looked at Qin Jiu seriously, and seeing that her eyes were clear and every word she said came out from her heart, unlike those people who were superficial but actually looked down on her mother, her heart swirled with extremely strong andplex emotions.
Clutching the handkerchief tightly her eyes darkened like the bottomless abyss and her voice hoarse, ¡°But the people thinks that a woman who wants divorce and leaves is an outcast and has no womanly virtue.¡±
Qin Jiu shrugged her shoulders, ¡°The people wants to be an emperor.¡±
The question was, could they be the emperor?
So, what does it matter what the people thinks!
¡°¡¡¡± Fang Hanjun¡¯s eyes widened.
Qin Jiu smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s good that Madam Xiao is happy, what does it have to do with the people?! Will they be able to give her silver to spend, or will they be able to suffer and be aggrieved on her behalf?¡±
Madam Xiao has money, a house, and a son and she does notck anything. Besides adding obstacles to her life, Duan Wangye, the scumbag was nothing but a nuisance to her¡ No, Duan Wangye lets his cheap son kill Madam Xiao.
Qin Jiu suddenly remembered a phrase she once read on the Inte: marriage? The kind that kills people!
With subtle expressions, she cupped the teapot in her hand and took two sips of tea.
Fang Hanjun: ¡°¡¡±
Fang Hanjun fell silent, seemingly preupied.
When she did not say anything, Qin Jiu also did not speak anymore, as she continued to drink the hot and fragrant flower tea that instantly warmed her body.
At this time, the spineless greedy cat turned its head back and crouched at Qin Jiu¡¯s feet, looking up at her with beautiful cat eyes unblinking and waiting for her to feed her.
Qin Jiu deliberately did not look at it, so the greedy cat changed its position and continued to stare at her, stare at her, and stare at her.
Just when Qin Jiu was about to surrender, she heard Fang Hanjun suddenly say, ¡°Xiao Jiu, you know my situation too, right?¡± Her voice slightly tensed.
While Qin Jiu and Fang Hanjun spent time together, thetter never mentioned anything about her family affairs, so Qin Jiu never asked either.
Now that Fang Hanjun mentioned it, Qin Jiu nodded, ¡°I don¡¯t know much.¡±
Fang Hanjun knows that Qin Jiu has only returned to the capital for a year, and she does not know much about these noble ns and imperial affairs. Until now, Qin Jiu was out of ce among noble women in the capital, but she seemedpletely indifferent and did not attempt to integrate herself to them and just enjoy herself, as she handled the situation calmly.
Truth was, Fang Hanjun was surprised. After spending these months together, she realized that Qin Jiu was a little different, so today she could not help but say these things to her.
¡°For as long as I can remember, my father has had concubines¡.¡±
Fang Hanjun spoke slowly, her voice hoarser while her eyes were slightly dazed and her thoughts seemed to go back to the past.
***
Chapter 424
Chapter 424
Fang Hanjun spoke slowly, her voice hoarser while her eyes were slightly dazed and her thoughts seemed to go back to the past.
¡°Although my mother is a noble eldest princess, due to thete emperor¡¯sst decree she cannot live elsewhere. For so many years, I have watched her spend her days in tears, growing more and more emaciated with each passing day, I once persuaded her to divorce, but we mother and daughter have no support in Yuzhou, and obstacles are all over the ce.¡±
¡°Because my mother proposed to divorce once, the people of Yuzhou all pointed their fingers at her, saying that she didn¡¯t abide by the ways of women, that she was disobedient and shameless, and once when my mother and I went out to offer incense, some people even threw vegetable and melon peels at her, and the curses were even more intolerable to the ears ¡¡¡±
Although her mother was the eldest princess, in Yuzhou, the status of the eldest princess was not honorable, but a burden and bondage.
¡°Later, Mother never went out again, she began to lose her hair inrge quantities, she did not eat or drink, she could not sleep at night, and a few times she tried to kill herself, but she was saved by those servants around her ¡¡¡±
However, in the end, her mother left after all, and to her, this was probably relief. Fang Hanjun¡¯s eyes glistened with faint tears as she raised her eyes to look outside the flower hall at the withered branches swaying in the cold wind.
Qin Jiu¡¯s eyebrows twitched and thought: Could it be that Eldest Princess Yongle was suffering from depression?
Fang Hanjun withdrew her gaze and looked at Qin Jiu again, ¡°Xiao Jiu, have you ever thought that like father, like son, what if Uncle Zezhi is just like Duan Wangye?¡±
Her eyes were clear and dark, unclear if she was talking about Duan Wangye and Gu Zezhi, or her father, Dong Pingbo.
Qin Jiu replied decisively, ¡°No.¡±
She trusted Gu Zezhi. Although her golden thigh was ckbellied, he was also a proud person.
Sometimes she felt that Gu Zezhi was like a mand flower blooming at night; looking gorgeous on the outside, but actually poisonous.
Thinking about Gu Zezhi, Qin Jiu¡¯s expression brightened up, and were filled with smiles as if the starry sky was reflected in her eyes, dotted with stars, and overflowing with light.
Fang Hanjun stared at her for a moment before she suddenly stood up, startling the cat and nimbly burrowing under Qin Jiu¡¯s chair.
Qin Jiu: ¡°?¡±
She always felt that there was something indescribably strange about Fang Hanjun today.
Fang Hanjun blinked at her and suddenly smiled, the original mncholy and sentimentality dissipating in an instant.
It felt like the clouds were parting and the sky was clear.
¡°Follow me.¡± Fang Hanjun walked towards the outside of the hall.
Qin Jiu¡¯s strange feeling grew stronger and felt that something happened that she did not know so she curiously followed Fang Hanjun.
After leaving the flower hall and bypassing a rugged rockery, the front suddenly opened. The winter sun shone straight into her eyes, and the cold wind brought a noisy sound.
Theke in front was sparkling, and Gu Zezhi, dressed in a purple robe, was standing under a withered willow tree, seven or eight feet away from theke.
In theke, the goose-yellow figure was floundering and shouting.
¡°Help!¡±
¡°Master Gu¡¡±
¡°Help me ¡¡ um.¡±
She sank and floated in theke, her small face half-lifted while her hair was already soaked and was sticking to her face, which made her look more delicate and a pitiful beauty, added by her delicate voice, she did not look like she was in a difficult situation.
From a distance, Qin Jiu recognized that the one in the water seemed to be the cousin of the county princess of Wang Yu.
As far as the eye could see, except for two of them, there was no one, theke was empty, and only those flowers and trees swaying with the wind.
There was no need for her to try, just by looking; she knew how cold theke was in winter.
So, in the middle of winter, what was this Miss Tang doing foolishly in theke?
Qin Jiu remembered those novel passages she had read before¡ was this the infamous porcin?
Gu Zezhi was standing there with his hands behind his back as the cold wind blew the willow branches across his shoulders from time to time.
Casually brushed the willow branch, Gu Zezhi turned around and happened to see Qin Jiu shrinking in the cold wind.
¡°Xiao Jiu.¡±
Gu Zezhi, who had originally been expressionless, smiled, like a spring breeze brushing over the frozenke. His eyebrows and eyes suddenly softened, giving off a beautiful and radiant glow.
He smiled and walked towards Qin Jiu.
***
Chapter 425
Chapter 425
¡°Big brother!¡± Qin Jiu smiled even more brightly than he did, her gaze falling on the purple hair band in his bun.
¡°Uncle.¡± Fang Hanjun knelt and curtsied to Gu Zezhi, her eyes showing respect and envy.
Qin Jiu was right, Gu Zezhi was not like Duang Wangye nor was he as sentimental or fickle as his father.
¡°Save¡¡± the girl who fell into theke was already out of energy and could not make any more sshes as her body slowly sank.
Fang Hanjun gave the other party a look and asked, ¡°Uncle, aren¡¯t you going to save her?¡±
Gu Zezhi said as a matter-of-fact, ¡°I¡¯m about to get married.¡±
Qin Jiu nodded in agreement and held Gu Zezhi¡¯s hand.
The three of them continued talking by themselves and none even nced at the drowning person in theke again, as if she did not exist at all.
Gu Zezhi looked at Fang Hanjun and asked with a raised eyebrow, ¡°You purposely called me here just to show me this?¡±
Fang Hanjun said, ¡°Uh-huh.¡±
Qin Jiu always felt that things seemed to be developing in a very strange direction and sure enough, it was because Fang Hanjun had something going on.
Gu Zezhi had since seen Qin Jiu¡¯s doubts and whispered to her about what had happened.
The reason why Gu Zezhi appeared here was because Fang Hanjun said that she had to see him for something important.
Fang Hanjun¡¯s mother, Princess Yongle, was the emperor¡¯s full-blooded sister and also Gu Zezhi¡¯s cousin.
Yongle was a beautiful woman who suffered unhappy fates, leaving only one daughter, Fang Hanjun. For this reason, Gu Zezhi took great care of this niece.
Because Fang Hanjun said that she wanted to talk to Gu Zezhi about Yuzhou, Gu Zezhi came over. Unexpectedly, after waiting for a while Fang Hanjun did note and instead, it was Tang Fengchun, County Princess¡¯s cousin who came.
Gu Zezhi pointed to the handrail of a nearby water pavilion and said, ¡°She fell from here.¡±
His expressions and tone were as gentle as ever, in sharp contrast to Tang Fengchun, who was currently sshing in theke.
Unlike earlier, when she looked pitiful asking for help while looking like she was struggling, Tang Fengchun was now a sorry cut figure as she floated up and down in theke as if she could no longer hold on.
Coincidentally, several people suddenly poured out of nowhere, shouting in chorus. ¡°Miss Tang!¡±
¡°County Princess, Miss Tang fell into water!?¡±
¡°Quickly, get into the water and save her.¡±
¡°¡¡±
Right after the sound of ¡°plop, plop¡± could be heard twice in session, two momo¡¯s jumped into the water and quickly swam towards Tang Fengchun who was still sshing in theke as her cries became increasingly weak.
Meanwhile, Fang Hanjun did not seem to notice this spectacle at all. Her eyes stared nkly at Gu Zezhi under the sunlight, and her gaze became subtler.
Qin Jiu looked in the direction Gu Zezhi pointed and saw at a nce that the water pavilion¡¯s handrail was broken. She casually muttered, ¡°This pce should be repaired.¡±
Soon, Tang Fengchun who was drowning was carried ashore by the two momo¡¯s. She was thoroughly soaked, her face was so pale because of the coldke water, while her lips turned purple and her whole body was trembling like a flower that was about to fall off after being hit by the rain and wind.
A maidservant with a pale face draped a thick cloak on Tang Fengchun as she repeatedly called out ¡°Miss.¡± Tang Fengchun who was kneeling on the ground lowered her head as she coughed repeatedly, her long messy bun was scattered against her face dripping with water.
Princess Duan Rou did not even look at Tang Fengchun as her gaze was sharply directed toward the three people on the shore, Qin Jiu, Gu Zezhi, and Fang Hanjun.
She was not a fool, just after a moment¡¯s thought, she figured out the whole story, and this made her eyes darkened as she red fiercely at Fang Hanjun with eyes that seemed to carry knives.
Princess Duan Rou stood still as Fang Hanjun moved and strode towards her.
¡°Han¡¡±
Princess Duan Rou had just uttered a word when she heard a ¡°p¡± sound,te to react that Fang Hanjun had raised her hand and pped her, interrupting her words.
¡°¡.¡±
County Princess Duan Rou was dumbfounded by Fang Hanjun¡¯s p and could not react for a moment, as well as the servants around her. All were dumbfounded and could only watch as a clear five fingerprints appeared on Princess Duan Rou¡¯s fair face, making it swollen and red.
The most shocked of them was Princess Duan Rou herself, if it wasn¡¯t for the pain on her cheek, reminding her that Fang Hanjun had hit her, she would not have dared to admit it!
She¡¯s got a lot of nerve!
Who was Fang Hanjun? She was nothing; although she was the daughter of the eldest princess, Yongle, she and her mother were merely hostages. Anyone can step on them!
To a County Princess like her, Fang Hanjun was like an ant that could be easily crushed to death by her hands, and yet this very ant was trying to climb on her head. How can she swallow this humiliation?
Princess Duan Rou took half a step forward and raised her right hand to retaliate, but¡ª¡ª
¡°p!¡±
Another heavy p hit Princess Duan Rou¡¯s face, and the person who hit her was still Fang Hanjun.
Even Tang Fengchun, who had just been rescued from the shore, was dumbfounded, subconsciously shrinking as if she were the one Fang Hanjun was beating.
Fang Hanjun faintly reminded, ¡°Duan Rou, this is the capital, don¡¯t tell me what to do.¡±
The scene before her waspletely beyond Qin Jiu¡¯s expectations; if not for Gu Zezhi holding her hand, she was afraid that she would have already apuded Fang Hanjun.
Awesome, just awesome!
County Princess Duan Rou: ¡°!¡±
***
Chapter 426
Chapter 426
County Princess Duan Rou was even more furious. She had lived a smooth life since she was born, and in Yuzhou, who did not know that she was Wang Yu¡¯s beloved first daughter, even her father, mother, and concubines neverid a hand on her.
This was the first time in her life that she had been beaten!
Princess Duan Rouughed angrily and her eyes were cold.
Did Fang Hanjun think that since this was the capital and now had the backing of the Empress Dowager and the emperor, she could do nothing to her?!
Covering her red and swollen face from Fang Hanjun¡¯s p, County Princess Duan Rou looked at her with a condescending look, as she said. ¡°Fang Hanjun, aren¡¯t you afraid that Auntie Yongle¡¯s spirit will not be able to rest in peace in heaven?¡±
Her eyes were sharp and vicious as she threatened her, so what if she were in the capital, Fang Hanjun would not be able to think of causing trouble!
¡°Then you can just say it.¡± Fang Hanjun¡¯s expression was icy cold and her eyes looked like they were frozen,pletely different from her usual gentle appearance.
¡°You can tell everyone that I was married off by your father in Yuzhou, and not only did I lose my virginity, but I also lost my virginity during my filial piety!¡± Fang Hanjun slowly uttered shocking words without even batting her eyebrows, looking so calm and collected.
County Princess Duan Rou: ¡°!!!¡±
County Princess Duan Rou was once again dumbfounded and confused.
What Fang Hanjun said and did today waspletely beyond her expectations, and Princess Duan Rou waspletely at a loss as to what exactly Fang Hanjun was thinking.
How dare she, how dare she say it in front of so many people!
Was she not afraid of people poking her?
Was she not afraid of people knowing that she had lost her virginity and would never be able to get married in this life?
Was she not afraid that, like her mother, she could only stay in a corner and never dare to go out again¡
It was clear that the Fang Hanjun in front of her was the same cousin she had grown up with, but, at this moment, Princess Duan Rou felt as if she had never known this cousin.
Qin Jiu: ¡°?¡±
Even Qin Jiu was shocked by what she heard and remembered the conversation she had with Fang Hanjun. She could not help but was flooded with an unspeakablyplex feeling.
She looked at Fang Hanjun with a calm expression.
The simple yet elegantly dressed girl in front of her released apelling burning light, causing the surrounding red plum trees to lose their color.
¡°Don¡¯t think you can threaten me for the rest of your life by holding a bit of leverage.¡± Fang Hanjun casually stroked her sleeve, her eyes showing mockery, before turning around and walking away without a care in the world.
Her slender figure appeared delicate, fragile, and resolute in the cold wind like a camellia blooming in full bloom in the wind as white as snow, elegant, and noble.
Qin Jiu took Gu Zezhi¡¯s hand and quickly chased after Fang Hanjun, walking briskly.
Princess Duan Rou looked at Fang Hanjun¡¯s back and stomped her feet fiercely, burning her heart even hotter.
True to Fang Hanjun¡¯s words, this was the capital; once Fang Hanjun was willing to take the initiative, she would have nothing to do with her.
Hateful, ashamed, and unwilling, she could only turn her anger to Tang Fengchun, ¡°Useless!¡±
¡°Can¡¯t even do such a little thing right!¡±
¡°If I had known I would have let your fourth sister follow me to the capital!¡±
Tang Fengchun hugged the cloak tightly, feeling her limbs freeze and go numb, her her whole body was cold.
She was greatly offended, but even so, she did not dare to talk back and could only stifle her voice and let County Princess Duan Rou scold her, as her wet eyshes fluttered slightly.
Under these eyshes, deep hatred was hidden in her pitch-dark eyes, which immediately flickered.
In the next instance, she again had a pitiful look, which was especially pitiful against her wet hair and slightly blue cherry lips.
Princess Duan Rou did not notice Tang Fengchun¡¯s unusual behavior at all, at this time, someone brought a shoulder cart and helped the embarrassed Tang Fengchun in, then the group headed back to the east.
Qin Jiu and the others went in the opposite directions from Princess Duan Rou and her party and had already sat down in a nearby pavilion.
After the pce maid served tea to three of them, she politely withdrew at Fang Hanjun¡¯s signal.
¡°Uncle.¡± Fang Hanjun took a sip of tea before continuing, ¡°I didn¡¯t lie to you, I really do have something to tell you.¡±
Gu Zezhi raised his eyebrows and asked, ¡°Did Wang Yu ask you toe to the capital?¡±
Fang Hanjun nodded, her expression showing perseverance and determination.
The conversation she had just had with Qin Jiu in the flower hall was not a momentary feeling, but her first step in testing them out. Rather than testing Qin Jiu, she was trying to figure out what kind of person Gu Zezhi was from Qin Jiu¡¯s mouth, and Qin Jiu¡¯s attitude towards Madam¡¯s Xu divorce, to some extent also represents Gu Zezhi¡¯s attitude.
And just now, Tang Fengchun in the water has been her second test. It was not until she saw Gu Zezhi¡¯s reaction that she was sure that they would be worthy of her trust, so she no longer hesitated and went straight for it.
Fang Hanjun locked eyes with Gu Zezhi, who was on the other side of the stone table, and had no intention of avoiding Qin Jiu, saying, ¡°Even if the emperor did not ask for me toe here, Wang Yu is still nning to send me to the capital.¡±
¡°Wang Yu was afraid that I would be disobedient, so while I was still in mourning, he engaged me to marry in Yuzhou.¡±
Qin Jiu: ¡°??¡±
The corner of Fang Hanjun¡¯s mouth was hooked into a sneer.
***
Chapter 427
Chapter 427
At that time, her mother, Yongle, had died for less than a month, while her father followed Wang Yu¡¯s lead in everything.
¡°Marriage¡± was just a nice way to say it, but it was just a marriage agreement without three books and six rituals, held in the hands of Wang Yu.
Later, the emperor sent someone to Yuzhou, and Wang Yu pushed her to the capital confidently.
¡°Wang Yu asked me toe to the capital first and follow orders.¡± Fang Hanjun said calmly and clearly.
Wang Yu asked her to marry, so she got married. In Yuzhou, she was just a little bird with broken wings and was unable to resist Wang Yu. Therefore, instead of waiting to die in Yuzhou, she might as welle to the capital to fight.
For her mother and her, Yuzhou was like hell on Earth.
Her mother always wanted to return to the capital, and she had always dreamed of it, yet she could no longer do so.
She remembered that when she was five years old, the emperor ordered someone toe and secretly take her and her mother back to the capital.
However, Yuzhou was Wang Yu¡¯s territory, and countless people were watching her and her mother¡¯s movements, so they were discovered before they had the chance to leave the city walls.
All those people who came to pick them up were dead, and Wang Yu had her mother watch with her own eyes, as they were being dismembered in the street by the horses.
After that, to break her mother¡¯s mind and obediently serve as a hostage in Yuzhou, at the authorization of Wang Yu, and with the consent of her father, they also let someone¡
Fang Hanjun gritted her teeth in hatred.
From then on, they took control of her mother and stayed in Yuzhou quietly, never daring to leave again.
Her mother was like a flower slowing wilting¡
She was the first to discover her mother¡¯s body on that day.
Her mother hangs herself from the beam.
To this day, she vividly remembers the scene, her mother in a white dress, and her body swaying slightly in mid-air ¡¡
She knew that her mother had deliberately let her be the first to discover her body; it was her mother¡¯s way of saying to either die or leave Yuzhou.
Her mother died, but Fang Hanjun was not sad; she knew that her mother was finally free.
Sheter followed Wang Yu¡¯s instructions and came to the capital.
When she first arrived at the capital, she was unfamiliar with the ce and life. She did not know who she could trust, and so she did not dare to act rashly. She did not even dare talk to the emperor or the empress dowager.
She knew that the emperor and empress dowager were kind to her, but she also knew well that their kindness came from their guilt towards her mother. She was also wary of the emperor and empress dowager, and she knew better than anyone about how unreliable the so-called family rtionship was.
She just waited and watched patiently for a few months, and thenter, County Princess Duan Rou, Gu Xi, and Tang Fengchun also arrived at the capital.
County Princess told her what Wang Yu wanted her to do.
¡°Wang Yu wants me to marry again, to the second prince.¡± As she said this, Fang Hanjun showed cynical interest. ¡°They feel that with the information they have against me, even if I marry the second prince I still can¡¯t escape from their hands and can only obey Wang Yu.¡±
¡°Duan Rou told me to do anything I want for the time being, I just need to be good and wait for the one-year filial piety period to end, and not offend the Second Prince during this period and my marriage will be arranged by them.¡±
Although Empress Dowager Liu had never mentioned to her that she intended to betroth her to the Second Prince, Fang Hanjun had overheard Empress Dowager Liu¡¯s conversations with her confidant in private and knew that the Empress Dowager had originally intended to do so, but somehow the Empress Dowager had changed her mind again.
Fang Hanjun pretended not to know and waited for the development of the situation, until two days ago, Duan Rou quietly came to find her again.
¡°Two days ago, Duan Rou told me to lure Uncle to theke in the middle of the day.¡±
Fang Hanjun could also guess why Duan Rou was looking for her because Gu Zezhi would not be on guard against her so she asked her toe step in. Fang Hanjun also was interested in trying Gu Zezhe so she agreed.
Fang Hanjun¡¯s gaze moved from Gu Zezhi to Qin Jiu, staring into her eyes she said, ¡°You said just now that it¡¯s no big deal to divorce, as long as you¡¯re happy, isn¡¯t that right?¡±
Qin Jiu nodded seriously, ¡°Of course.¡±
¡°A man who was bitten by a poisonous snake is going to be tied to the snake for the rest of his life, that¡¯s a loss.¡±
What could be more terrifying and creepier than ¡°dancing with snakes¡±!
Fang Hanjun smiled and nodded, ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±
Fang Hanjun probably also felt that it was a bit unseemly to talk about divorce with an unmarried couple who were getting married next month, so she added. ¡°Uncle is very good.¡±
He was different from his father, her father, the second prince and Wang Yu.
Fang Hanjun smiled and winked at Qin Jiu.
Qin Jiu also smiled, smiling triumphantly as if Fang Hanjun had praised her instead.
She felt that she should be humble, so she said casually. ¡°You are too kind.¡±
Correspondingly, this sentence identally stepped on the tail of the cat.
Someone raised an eyebrow and asked in azy voice, ¡°I¡¯m not good enough?¡±
¡°Good, how can it be bad!¡± Qin Jiu immediately said a series of sweet words alertly, coaxing Gu Zezhi. ¡°You are the best!¡±
As she spoke, she smiled even more cheerfully, leaning slightly toward his side, and naturally nestled against his shoulder.
Through severalyers of fabric, she felt his warm body temperature seeping through the material, ironing her to warmth, and a thought could not help but pop up in her mind: He¡¯s much easier to use than the cat!
Gu Zezhi knew that she was cold, and with both hands, he covered her small hand in his palm and ordered the pce servant outside the pavilion to fetch a hand stove as he nced sideways at Qin Jiu, as if telling her she knew that she was afraid of cold but she did not know how to bring a hand stove out.
Qin Jiu had an innocent look on her face. She brought a ¡°stove¡± with her but that ¡°stove¡± had legs and could run!
***
Chapter 428
Chapter 428
Looking at this beautiful pair, Fang Hanjun¡¯s eyes softened with shallow ripple.
She knew that Qin Jiu had been secretly exchanged with her nanny¡¯s daughter from childhood. As a daughter of a marquis, she grew up in a humble and shabby house and suffered humiliation; if she was an ordinary person, she might have inner demons, but Qin Jiu was so open-minded.
The existence of Qin Jiu gave Fang Hanjun hope as if telling her that even if she was bitten by a wolf in the first ten years or so of her life, that was nothing. The rest of her life was still long and there may have been more sunshine!
Fang Hanjun hooked her lips, her eyes calm.
She took another sip of tea before she added in a low voice, ¡°This matter ¡¡ don¡¯t tell grandma about it yet.¡±
When she was in Yuzhou, she felt resentment in her heart, but more than that, she resented thete emperor and hated Wang Yu even more than her father.
She knew that, over the years, the emperor had never given up on taking them away. Not only had he secretly sent people to rescue them up in Yuzhou several times, he even suggested to Wang Yu that as long as they let the mother and daughter return to the capital, he would also let the imperial consort go to Yuzhou, but Wang Yu refused.
At that time, her mother was already devasted, and after watching the soldier die for them, she did not want to implicate those people anymore. For the emperor, Yuzhou was already beyond his reach, and, without her mother¡¯s cooperation, not to mention, they were tightly controlled so they could never be rescued.
Sheter learned that the emperor had be seriously ill because of her mother¡¯s death, and that the empress dowager was too old to be stimted again.
Gu Zezhi responded and added, ¡°This matter cannot be hidden from the Empress Dowager.¡±
Although there were not many people present earlier, and even if their mouths were sealed, there might be people hiding in the dark corners.
¡°¡¡ ¡± How could Fang Hanjun not know this. She could only lower her gaze and pick up the teacup again.
At this time, the pce servant, who had gone to get the hand stove, returned and reminded. ¡°County King, third Miss Qin, the banquet is about to begin.¡±
Fang Hanjun was still observing her filial piety so she could not participate in such a lively banquet. She said, ¡°I¡¯ll enjoy the plums here for a while longer, the two of you go and enjoy the banquet.¡±
Gu Zezhi and Qin Jiu went back to the Shouning Pce.
Qin Jiu, with one hand holding the hand stove while the other holding Gu Zezhi¡¯s warm hand could not help but say. ¡°Brother, what exactly does Wang Yu want?¡±
Gu Zezhi hit the nail on the head when he said, ¡°Stir up the water to muddle through.¡±
Qin Jiu blinked, feeling as if a thunderstruck crossed her heart, and spoke. ¡°Wang Yu wants to rebel?¡±
Thinking again of Wang Yu in the novel, Qin Jiu¡¯s expression became extremely subtle.
Gu Zezhi just smiled and said nothing.
Gu Zezhi suddenly changed his words, ¡°Gu Chenzhi intended to have Duan Rou¡¯s cousine to the capital.¡±
Qin Jiu subconsciously stopped in her tracks.
The two happened to arrive outside the Shouning Pce.
Qin Jiu immediately realized the rtionship between Wang Yu and the emperor.
Turns out that it was not about luck with women ah!
Once the cousin of Wang Yu marries Gu Zezhi, would the emperor still trust Gu Zezhi as much as he does now?
This was probably Gu Chenzhi¡¯s intention, he wanted to cut off Gu Zezhi¡¯s future, he wanted Gu Zezhi to return to the Western border, and wanted Gu Zezhi to bow down to him.
Gu Zezhi pulled Qin Jiu and continue walking forward, ¡°Wang Yu is a smart man, of course, he knows this and knows that Gu Chenzhi is ying tricks with him, but this is good for him.¡±
¡°Wang Yu wants the emperor to think that the Duan Wang fu is showing favor to Wang Yu, forcing the emperor to take action against Duan Wang, either to ignore or question Duan Wang, to use this to push the Duan Wang fu to King Yu¡¯s side.¡±
Qin Jiu: ¡°¡.¡±
Qin Jiu understood.
Wang Yu and Gu Chenzhi were ambitious and had their agendas, so they do not mind ying mind games with each other.
And Gu Zezhi was their bargaining chip in this game.
Regardless of the result, Wang Yu and Gu Chenzhi would not suffer any loss; at most, they would simply lose a piece of chess.
¡°Pathetic.¡± Qin Jiu looked at Gu Zezhi sympathetically and shoved the hand stove to Gu Zezhi, ¡°Warm your hands.¡±
After Qin Jiu sent out the stove, she regretted it immediately.
So cold.
She silently counted from one to three and then stared at him coquettishly, trying to get her hand stove back.
Gu Zezhi bent his head to look at her and reached out to scratch her nose, ¡°Your sympathy is too short!¡±
His face was getting closer, and his beautiful phoenix eyes reflected her small face, as his warm breath sprayed onto her face, making her breathing slightly rapid.
As he approached, his shadow had enveloped her.
Qin Jiu did not dare to move a muscle as her heart was beating faster and for a moment she thought he would kiss her, but he finally stopped and raised his hand to straighten her cloak as he said with a smile. ¡°Go inside.¡±
He said in a low, inaudible voice, ¡°Fifty days to go.¡±
Qin Jiu could not help butugh, and let him shove the hand stove into her hand again.
The two of them continued to walk forward again, and when they were about to enter the hall, Qin Jiu suddenly thought of something and whispered to his ear, ¡°Qin Xin is pregnant, The imperial physician said that it should be a month.¡±
Gu Zezhi raised his eyebrows.
Seeing that he was unaware of the situation, Qin Jiu told him about what happened just now when Qin Xin fainted and then called the Imperial Physician.
Qin Jiu crooked her little face and added in a small voice, ¡°I¡¯m getting the impression that Second Prince and Qin Xin are very strange ¡¡¡±
She frowned slightly and looked at Gu Zezhi again with a burning gaze, saying,¡±Last time when the Second Prince was injured, the doctor who looked at him died. This injury is not right! Have you already guessed it ah¡¡¡±
***
Chapter 429
Chapter 429
Gu Zezhi almost choked on his saliva, and could not help but raise his hand to smooth out the creases between her brows, but before his fingertips could touched the center of her brows, Xiao Kouzi walked up to them and whispered, ¡°Third Miss Qin, the Empress has asked you to go over.¡±
Gu Zezhi smiled slightly at Qin Jiu and told for her to go.
Qin Jiu gestured to him and asked him to enter the hall first before she followed Xiao Kouzi to the west side hall, where Empress Wei stood by the window. The window was opened, allowing the cold wind came through it, but she did not seem to feel chills.
Empress Wei looked at Qin Jiu with aplicated expression as she asked confusedly, ¡°Xiao Jiu, were you there just now?¡±
Of course, Qin Jiu knew what Empress Wei was asking and nodded in response.
Empress Wei sighed sadly, ¡°This child, Hanjun, has such a strong nature.¡±
¡°She was acting like this just now out of anger and not thinking about herself¡¡±
Earlier when Fang Hanjun pped the County Princess Duan Rou, and said those words in front of many people, naturally it reached Empress Wei¡¯s ears.
Although Empress Wei immediately issued amand, she knew that this matter was impossible to conceal.
She could only hide it from Empress Dowager Liu for the time being and then slowly talk to her after today¡¯s small banquet.
Empress Wei let out a faint sigh, as her brows furrowed slightly, and felt heartbroken, shocked, angry, and worried.
¡°This world is difficult for women.¡± Empress Wei¡¯s voice was slightly gloomy.
Although Fang Hanjun has the Emperor and Empress Dowager¡¯s backing in the capital, most people do not dare to gossip in front of her, but they cannot prevent the rumors from spreading outside. She was still young and was in her prime, but after today, she¡¯s afraid she¡¯ll have to bear this weight for the rest of her life¡
Thinking of Princess Yongle who died young, Empress Wei felt even more suffocated.
Qin Jiu: ¡°¡.¡±
Qin Jiu pursed her lips and remained silent.
Fang Hanjun and the original owner were a bit simr. The original owner was married to a fool in the novel, and this matter has always been a knot in her heart. It was the handle that others used to manipte her, making her even more inferior and unable to hold her head up¡
This was ancient time of strict etiquette.
Outside the window, the branches were full of snow-white plum blossoms like clusters of snow piled up in the treetops as the sunlight pours down in the cold wind, the branches of the plum blossoms slightly swaying glowing with a crystalline luster.
The cold wind rustled while the snow plum was standing proudly, and the fragrance of flowers overflowed.
Qin Jiu reached out and plucked a white plum from the branch, saying, ¡°Auntie, Han Jun is not an impulsive person. She did think about the consequences before she did this.¡±
Fang Hanjun¡¯s move today carried the determination to break through the fire and sink the ship. Although it would hurt her, she dug up the rotten flesh of the wound in one fell swoop, and from then on, she was able topletely break free from the constraints of Wang Yu.
Otherwise, she would be ckmailed for this secret for the rest of her life, and would only be forced to serve Wang Yu repeatedly and be shrouded in Wang Yu¡¯s shadow until the end.
Of course, Empress Wei also knew this and was silent as she looked at the delicate white plum in Qin Jiu¡¯s hand.
Wang Yu was hoarding troops in Yuzhou, and they had always known about his ambitions.
The emperor wanted to issue a decree to directly take down Wang Yu, which would greatly please the people; however, things in this world were not simple. It was not like two children fighting; when they got angry, they could just rush up to punch and kick him.
The emperor may have sat in that seat, but he could not do whatever he wanted. Every decision he made would affect all aspects of the Great Qi.
Wang Yu hoarded hundreds of thousands of soldiers in Yuzhou, and if he wanted to capture him, he must mobilize troops.
However, in recent years, the Great Qi Dynasty faced constant internal and external problems and has been engaged in continuous wars. Not only was the national treasury empty but the troops also weakened. Over the years, countless soldiers have died in battle, and Yu family¡¯s tragedy has not been an exception.
The Qi Dynasty had to face internal and external problems, as well as natural and man-made disasters in various ces, while, although Yuzhou was a small ce, Wang Yu focused on hoarding troops there to build up his strength.
The person who understood the difficulties of the emperor the most was Empress Wei. The reason why the emperor¡¯s dragon body has weakened to this extent was also closely rted to do with exhaustion all these years.
As the Empress thought of these things, her heart became heavier thinking about Qin Jiu, this young girl. She did not want her to hear about these important family and national affairs.
In her opinion, all her niece needed to do was to be a happy bride.
Her Xiao Jiu was getting married next month!
Empress Wei hooked her lips into a smile, raised her hand to gently stroke Qin Jiu¡¯s temples, and said it with a loving expression. ¡°Xiao Jiu, Tang Fengchun is ying this kind of trick and thinks that everyone else is a fool, so don¡¯t need to worry or take it to heart.¡±
Qin Jiu nodded obediently, smiling with arched eyebrows, looking very sweet and cute.
The smile on Empress Wei¡¯s face became even stronger, and when Xiao Kouzi coughed lightly in reminder, Empress Wei patted Qin Jiu¡¯s hand and said, ¡°It¡¯s almost time, you should enter the banquet first.¡± Empress Weiter entered the banquet with the Emperor and Empress Dowager Liu.
Qin Jiu followed Xiao Kouzi out again and was taken to her seat, facing Gu Zezhi on the other side with a distant smile.
***
Chapter 430
Chapter 430
Soon after, the pce hall became even livelier. Today¡¯s small banquet was considered a family banquet, with most of the guests being princes, princesses, royal ns, and nobles. Everywhere they looked, there were princes and princesses in sight.
Inparison, the ssless Qin Jiu was inconspicuous little shrimp among them, as she conscientiously followed the crowd, bowing when it was time to bow, and then eating and drinking.
Empress Dowager Liu was old andcked energy. Not long after the banquet started, she returned to her pce to rest.
Halfway through the banquet, people gradually went out to change clothes and then came back, in, and out, creating a lively atmosphere. Qin Jiu who was already full of food was now sleepy and almost fell asleep after hearing the slow and leisure sound of silk and bamboo luby.
Suddenly, a young eunuch hurriedly walked up to the emperor and whispered a few words to him.
The emperor¡¯s face suddenly turned pale and anger surged in his eyes.
Only Empress Wei who was sitting next to the emperor notice his reaction causing his brows to twitch.
The next second, the wine ss in the emperor¡¯s hand was ced heavily on the table making a ¡°bang¡± sound.
The banquet, which was originally filled with chatter andughter, suddenly fell silent, and all court musicians who were ying the music stopped.
All the eyes below turned towards the emperor on the throne. Although they could not hear what the eunuch reported, they could still tell that the emperor¡¯s mood had be quite bad because of this matter.
What the hell was going on? Was it public affairs or personal?
There was silence in the hall and the air became solemn.
Many people below whispered to each other, specting on what had happened. Qin Jiu was also curious, and her drowsiness ran away in a sh, feeling refreshed.
¡°Your Majesty?¡± Empress Wei approach with concern, and when the emperor raised his hand, signaling her to be silent, she did nothing else.
The emperor opened his mouth and announced, ¡°The second prince is not young, I¡¯ll take today to give him a marriage, giving Tang Fengchun, the daughter of Tang Zhengde, themander of the Yuzhou guards, as the rightful consort, with the Astronomer Supervisor choosing an auspicious day to consummate the marriage.¡±
¡°¡.¡±
Everyone in the hall was shocked and looked at one another.
Before they could react, they heard the emperor add, ¡°The marriage will bepleted this year.¡±
There was an uproar in the hall.
A prince wedding was a big event, generally speaking, it took at least a year to prepare, but now it was less than two months until the end of the year, so this was too hasty.
As they were lost in their own thoughts, everyone could not help but also looked at the seat where Gu Jing had been. Gu Jing left the banquet at some point and has not returned yet.
It was obvious that the incident causing the emperor¡¯s sudden anger was likely rted to the second prince Gu Jing.
Everyone secretly spectes different thoughts.
After the emperor made the announcement, he no longer mentioned this matter. Empress Wei served soothing tea to the emperor, while the eunuch who came to report the matter bowed his head and withdrew.
Immediately thereafter, the melodious and pleasant sounds of silk and bamboo echoed again.
The pce banquet resumed and everyone continued to eat, drink, talk, andugh. However, it was inevitable that they were somewhat absent-minded, and their eyes continued to nce at Gu Jing¡¯s seat asionally. However, Gu Jing never returned to the banquet.
In the middle, some young gentlemen and women returned from changing clothes, and started whispering to each other with strange expressions, as if discussing a secret. This made Qin Jiu even more curious and wished she had a good ear or understood lip reading.
Before long, the banquet ended.
Gu Zezhi was summoned by the emperor, so Qin Jiu took a carriage back to the Marquis¡¯s Mansion on her own. After returning, she could not help but talk to Qin Zening about what happened, but just like her Qin Zening also looked confused and did not know what had happened.
By the time the next day, the well-informed Qin Zening inquired and came back to tell Qin Jiu and Qin Zeyu. ¡°Yesterday, when Miss Tang went out to change her clothes she identally fell into the water and was rescued by the Second Prince.¡±
Qin Jiu: ¡°?¡±
Qin Jiu¡¯s expression became extremelyplicated, why did she think this scene sounded so familiar.
So, the same plot was staged twice on the same day?
Qin Jiu was almost ready to apud Tang Fengchun.
It was winter now, she feels cold even after holding hand stove and only wished she could hide in her room every day with a charcoal basin, and yet, this Tang Fengchun actually had the determination to jump into theke twice.
This was truly a well-deserved female protagonist, and she was not afraid of pneumonia due to cold. She was really very dedicated!
Qin Jiu could not help but start thinking wildly.
Meanwhile, Qin Zening was still talking. ¡°I heard that there were three or four princes who went to change clothes at that time, and they all saw it. They said that the second prince had a close physical rtionship with Tang Fengchun. Tang Fengchun was rescued and fainted from shame¡¡±
Qin Jiu felt like she was listening to a radio drama, although she did not see it with her own eyes, but based on her shallow understanding of Tang Fengchun, her acting skills have always been good that she may even be able have a chance in the entertainment industry in modern times.
Qin Zenin sighed, ¡°The Emperor must be angry.¡± That¡¯s why the emperor gave the Second Prince and Tang Fengchun a marriage right then and there.
¡°Definitely.¡± Qin Jiu felt the same, and Qin Zeyu from the sideline was in charge of nodding in agreement.
The second prince has been jumping up and down, which had worn out the emperor¡¯sst patience.
Although it has only been a short year since she came to this era, Qin Jiu already feels that it has been a very long time, and she has bounded with the people here. They were no longer people in the novel, but living people.
***
Chapter 431
Chapter 431
As she sees it, the emperor was a soft-hearted monarch by how he repeatedly tolerated his son and only disliked what Gu Jing had done and indulge him even more, after all, he was his biological son.
Did Gu Jing not know that Tang Fengchun¡¯s idental fall into the water was a trick?
He probably knew, but still did it.
Qin Jiu: ¡°¡¡±
Qin Jiu then gestured to Qin Zening to drink tea, with a strange expression, while thetter obliged and picked up the teacup.
Ever since Gu Zezhi told her about Wang Yu and Gu Chenzhi yesterday, she remembered some description of Wang Yu in the novel. She had this gut feeling that reality and the novel did not match at all.
Until she has suddenly realized this now.
The plot of the novel was once deflected because of her appearance, but after a detour, the plot ¡°was preserved¡± and returned to the ¡°right track¡±.
In the novel, Second Prince Gu Jing also secretly conspired with Wang Yu to reim imperial power from the viinous regent Gu Zezhi.
Wang Yu was portrayed by the author as a loyal and righteous minister and fierce general. After the death of thete emperor, he was scorned by the now emperor so he had to stay away from the capital, a ce that was full of disputes, and also because he feared the emperor. After more than ten years of defending the fiefdom and governing Yuzhou well, he won the hearts of the people and military.
When Daqi was under the control of treacherous sycophants, Wang Yu responded to the call of the Second Prince and led hundreds of thousands of troops from Yuzhou to the north. At the risk of his life, he spared no effort in fighting to assist the Second Prince in rectifying the chaos, eliminating traitors, and establishing the court, bringing Daqi back to its feudal dynasty.
However, besides that, she has forgotten all the details of Wang Yu and the male protagonist Gu Jing.
When she read the novel, she always just nced through government affairs and other things, and had no intention of understanding them in detail. Therefore, after reading them, it was like a flying geese without a trace, and her memory was like that of a goldfish, forgetting them after more than a few seconds.
However, what she could be certain about was that in the novel, when Qin Xin was reborn, the male protagonist Gu Jing would not marry anyone else. He and Qin Xin, the female protagonist, were always a pair until the end of their lives!
While thinking about this, Qin Jiu was also absorbed in gossiping with Qin Zening. ¡°Big brother, actually, yesterday, I also met Miss Tang and fell into theke¡¡±
Qin Zening: ¡°?¡±
Qin Jiu then started narrating with Fang Hanjun looking for her to speak, and when Tang Fengchun fell into the water while Gu Zezhi stood by and just watched, Fang Hanjun ended up pping Duan Rou twice. As for what Fang Hanjun had said, she omitted all of them.
Qin Zeyu was dumbfounded and thought that his older sister was no fun. There was much excitement in the pce, but she did not tell him this when she returned yesterday, causing him to almost miss this news.
He could not help but sigh inwardly, as he thought how this Tan Fengchun was too capable of bending and stretching, and her speed of changing her prospect husband was too fast.
Amazing, really impressive.
Qin Zening could not help but also sigh. ¡°They picked the wrong person when they picked Gu Zezhi.¡±
Qin Zening followed Gu Zezhi on a trip to Minzhou and had some understanding of how ruthless his future brother-inw was.
If Tang Fengchun yed this kind of ssless trick in front of Gu Zezhi, was she not just showing off in front of Gu Zezhi?!
Meanwhile, Qin Zeyu had apletely different opinion.
¡°That¡¯s right!¡± He responded rather proudly, ¡°What kind of person is Third Brother Gu!¡±
His Third Brother Gu had long been blinded by his sister, and his heart was filled with only his sister! All the other vixens were just ogling the blind man, making their efforts all in vain!
Qin Jiu also nodded.
When ites to treachery, who could be more treacherous than Gu Zezhi ah!
Qin Jiu¡¯s thoughts were still on Gu Jing¡¯s joyous event, and then her thoughts jumped to Qin Xin¡¯s pregnancy. Touching her chin, Qin Jiu said with interest. ¡°So, this is a double happiness for the Second Prince!¡±
Ah, it would be great if Weibo were present. Qin Jiumented it was not enough for such a lively event to be talked about with only two or three people. It needs to be shared with tens of thousands ofizens to be livelier.
The second prince¡¯s mansion was indeed blessed with double happiness. Because of the emperor¡¯s decree granting marriage, the astronomer supervisor quickly selected several auspicious days before the Chinese New Year. The emperor picked the nearest, which was in the second half of the month.
Thus, there were only 20 days until the wedding!
The Ministry of Rites and Imperial n were immediately busy, as there were regtions for a prince¡¯s grand wedding. ording to the rules, they were supposed to prioritize the prince¡¯s marriage, so it was inevitable that they would neglect Gu Zezhi¡¯s grand wedding.
However, the emperor issued an oral edict to the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial n stating that the national treasury was out of money and that they would act at one¡¯s discretion for the prince¡¯s wedding.
Once these words came out, even if the emperor did not say anything directly, any discerning ministers who had eyes could see that the emperor was very displeased with the marriage between the second prince and Tang Fengchun.
Therefore, both the Imperial n and the Ministry of Rites had a clear idea of which was more important, and they only showed on the surface how to live up the second prince¡¯s wedding.
After the emperor issued an oral edict, he turned a blind eye on the marriage of the second prince. In contrast, he asionally inquired about Gu Zezhi¡¯s grand wedding.
After the winter solstice, the time for winter hunting was gradually approaching and so the emperor issued a decree in Jinluan Hall that, during the winter hunting period, the sixth prince would oversee the country, with the assistance of the County King.
***
Chapter 432
Chapter 432
unedited~
In court, the ministers were in an uproar.
In previous years, when hunting in winter, there had never been a prince left to supervise the country in the capital, and emperors of previous dynasties generally only had a precedent for allowing the prince to supervise the country.
Immediately, one of the old ministers jumped out and objected, ¡°Your Majesty, having His Highness the Sixth Prince overseeing the country is not in keeping with the ancestral system.¡±
Other ministers in the queue were also eager to jump at a chance; not only did they feel that it was inappropriate for the sixth prince to supervise the county, but they also felt that it was greatly inappropriate for a young man like Gu Zezhi to assist the sixth prince in supervising the country.
There were also highly respected cab elders in the court, civil, and military officials, and it was not Gu Zezhi¡¯s turn yet!
However, these people were not allowed to speak, as the emperor¡¯s next words blocked the old minister. ¡°Then we will establish the sixth prince as the crown prince, so wouldn¡¯t this be keeping the ancestral system?¡±
The emperor remained calm and rxed while the court once again exploded, and the ministers¡¯ doubts about Gu Zezhi were immediately diverted by the emperor¡¯s decision to establish a crown prince.
More than half a month has passed since the Winter Hunting Supervision of the Country was established. With so many pairs of eyes in court, nothing could go wrong. The ministers were afraid of provoking the emperor and insisted on establishing a crown prince, so they dared not persuade him again.
The turmoil was resolved by the emperor ying down the situation before it started to stir up.
When Qin Jiu entered the pce, Empress Wei was repeatedly instructing Gu Zhen worriedly.
¡°Zhen¡¯er, you¡¯ll be alone in the capital. If you are unsure about anything, you must obey your imperial uncle.¡±
¡°Your imperial mother and father should be back by the end of the month.¡±
¡°¡.¡±
Empress Wei would also be apanying the winter hunting. Although this would not be the first time Gu Zhen followed Gu Zezhi, since thest year¡¯s winter hunting, the Empress was still not at ease.
Gu Zhen responded obediently from time to time with an eager expression like a young eagle that could not wait to leave its parent¡¯s wings.
Fang Hanjun on the side, watched this scene with a smile.
Qin Jiu walked into the eastern side of the hall under the guidance of Xiao Kouzi, and after bowing to Empress Wei, she saw Fang Hanjun seriously curtsied and said, ¡°Auntie*.¡±
(*the aunt here is for maternal uncle¡¯s wife)
Qin Jiu: ¡°¡¡±
She was called a generation older by a person who was about the same age as her, and she wanted to cry without tears.
Meanwhile, Gu Zhen looked at Fang Hanjun and then at Qin Jiu, and a word also popped out. ¡°Aunt*!¡±
(*while the aunt here is the wife of father¡¯s younger brother)
As he said that he could not help but giggle himself, and Fang Hanjun seemed to be infected by hisughter and pursed her lips into a smile, with joy in her eyes.
After not seeing Fang Hanjun for a few days, Qin Jiu immediately felt a sense of rebirth from her. She seemed to have let go of the heavy burden on her shoulder and her temperament became livelier.
All right, she will be the aunt, as long as she likes it.
However¡
Qin Jiu lowered her gaze to Gu Zhen and corrected him. ¡°Call me cousin.¡±
Gu Zhen followed the good advice and immediately changed his words. ¡°Cousin.¡±
He then smiled sweetly at Qin Jiu, making it hard for Qin Jiu to maintain her straight face and smiled at him.
Empress Wei could not help butugh with them as she straightened the hem of Gu Zhen¡¯s clothes and said. ¡°Zhen¡¯er, it¡¯s time for you to go to the study.¡±
Gu Zhen obediently bowed and bid farewell to Empress Wei, and left Fengluan Pce with his close attendant.
When the curtain leading to the main hall returned to quietened, Fang Hanjun was the first to speak, ¡°Xiao Jiu, you¡¯vee at the right time, I was about to talk to the Empress about ¡ the matter of seperation.¡±
The atmosphere in the hall instantly changed subtly.
Without Empress Wei¡¯s orders, You Bai had already taken the other pce servants and eunuch out with her eye signal, leaving only Xu momo serving at the side.
Empress Wei subconsciously clenched the handkerchief in her hand and only then did she realize that Fang Hanjun hade to her today to talk about this matter.
After the pce banquet on the day of the winter solstice, Empress Wei was afraid that Empress Dowager Liu would hear about Fang Hanjun from elsewhere, so the next morning, she tactfully told Empress Dowager Liu.
Upon hearing Empress Wei, Empress Dowager Liu had palpitations andter called Fang Hanjun and kept crying. Fortunately, Empress Wei had the imperial physician wait in advance and immediately tend to Empress Dowager Liu, which helped her regain herposure.
Empress Dowager Liu was old and weak; over the past few days she has been receiving acupuncture and taking medication, gradually recovering.
It was because of this that Fang Hanjun¡¯s matter had been dyed until now.
Empress Wei sighed, ¡°It is as it should be.¡±
She spoke these words with both hatred and anger, and her eyes were filled by surging fire.
Fang Hanjun was still so young, the same age as a flower that had just bloomed, and yet Wang Yu and Dong Pingbo married her hastily to amoner son.
Empress Wei could help but look at Qin Jiu, remembering that if her niece had not escaped, she would have been betrothed to a fool by the Li family¡¯s cheap ves.
***
Chapter 433
Chapter 433
Empress Wei could help but look at Qin Jiu, remembering that if her niece had not escaped, she would have been betrothed to a fool by the Li family¡¯s cheap ves.
Just thinking about it made Empress Wei scared, this good girl was ruined because of those cold-hearted people.
Ordinary people would have feelings for a cat or a dog, let alone a living person. The Li family, Fang family, and the people from Wang Yu¡¯s pce were all inhumane!!
At this time, she heard Qin Jiu¡¯s crisp voice. ¡°No!¡±
Meeting the confused gazes of Empress Wei and Fang Hanjun, Qin Jiu said with a straight face. ¡°The so-called ¡°harmonious separation¡± means literally, ¡°harmony¡± must first be achieved before the ¡°annulment¡±.¡±
¡°As I see it, just repudiate him.¡± Qin Jiu said.
Fang Hanjun¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up like the stars in the sky shining brightly.
After a momentary confusion, Empress Wei began to think seriously.
Harmonious separation was also known as mutual consent for divorce, was base on the principle of peace in which husband and wife reach an agreement after reconciliation. A separation means that both man and woman were equal.
In contrast, the word ¡°repudiate divorce¡± carries an air of superiority; a man divorces his wife means that the man was superior and the woman was inferior and that the fault lies with the woman. And the reason why the woman was divorce was because it was her fault.
Since ancient times, ording to customs andws, it has been customary for men to divorce their wives. There was no precedent for women to divorce their husbands in this dynasty, but there was one case in the previous dynasty. At that time, when the husband betrayed the country, the princess divorced her husband under the pretext of his unfaithfulness and unrighteousness.
Fang Hanjun¡¯s separation would inevitably push her to the forefront of the storm and even she would be criticized verbally and written by those pedantic literati, at the same time, it was also the attitude of the emperor and Fang Hanjun. The fault lies in Wang Yu¡¯s pce forcing Fang Hanjun marry during her filial piety.
Therefore, Fang Hanjun must take initiative to strike first and attack Wang Yu.
After thinking about it, Empress Wei thought it was good. Turning her head, she asked Fang Hanjun. ¡°Hanjun, what do you think?¡±
Fang Hanjun nodded without thinking, ¡°Okay.¡±
She did not think too much about it as mush as Empress Wei did and only felt that it was more pleasing, otherwise, she could only hold her breath.
She had left that hellhole, and now that the emperor was backing her, what was there that she could not do!
Empress Wei immediately had someone bring her paper and brush, You Bai served these to Fang Hanjun, thetter then wrote a letter of divorce right there and then.
After she finished writing, You Bai presented the divorce letter to Empress Wei for review.
Qin Jiu¡¯s eyes darted around before she added, ¡°Hanjun, do you want to separate yourself from your father?¡±
Fang Hanjun: ¡°¡¡±
¡°Since you want to repudiate your husband, why don¡¯t you just repudiate them both at once, a daughter repudiating her father on her mother¡¯s behalf. ¡±
Fang Hanjun: ¡°!!!¡±
Fang Hanjun¡¯s cherry lips pursed slightly, her throat tightened, unable to speak for a moment, even her hands could not help but tremble.
When she was talking about her own affairs just now, she was calm and resolute, with sharp and decisive attitude like a sharp knife cutting through the mess. However, at this moment, when ites to herte mother, she could not control her emotions and her chest rose and fell violently, even her eyes began to turn red.
Qin Jiu continued, ¡°In the future, Hanjun can be recorded under the name of the Eldest Princess Yongle, following the eldest princess¡¯s surname, Gu. From now on, you will have no rtionship with the Fang family.¡± Nor does she need to be subjected to the Fang family¡¯s jurisdiction anymore.
In other words, if the Fang family were to suffer a crime that would spread throughout their entire generation in the future, it would not implicate Fang Hanjun. The emperor did not have to worry about Fang Hanjun and lightly spared the entire Fang family.
¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Empress Wei¡¯s eyes also grew brighter and brighter with Qin Jiu¡¯s every sentence, she could be sure that the Emperor would also support this proposal of Qin Jiu.
***
Chapter 434
Chapter 434
¡°Good!¡± Empress Wei smiled and stroked her palm, ¡°Hanjun will henceforth be known as Gu, Gu Hanjun, a daughter of my Gu family.¡±
Princess Yongle was already dead, and Fang Hanjun arrived in the capital with the determination to burn the boat. Now that things have happened, the emperor and the empress dowager no longer have any concerns.
Empress Wei could not wait to call eunuch Yu Ping in and asked him to inquire about what the emperor¡¯s intentions were. Based on her understanding of the emperor, she was confident that the emperor would agree.
Although Empress Wei looked confident, Fang Hanjun was still extremely nervous and could not help but look in the direction of the curtain.
Soon, Eunuch Yu Ping came back with a big smile on his face as he conveyed the emperor¡¯s message. ¡°The emperor said he will write a letter of divorce for Her Highness the Eldest Princess Yongle.¡±
Fang Hanjun: ¡°¡¡±
Immediately after hearing the emperor¡¯s answer, Fang Hanjun waspletely relieved, her beautiful face shone with exceptionally bright light, her smile was dazzling and radiant, and she was full of energy.
The nightmare she had in the first half of her life was finally ending.
Fang Hanjun looked at Qin Jiu next to her and reached out to grab her hand heavily, silently expressing her gratitude.
If it were not for Qin Jiu¡¯s proposal, who would have thought of it!
Fang Hanjun calmed her nerves, and thanked Qin Jiu, ¡°Thank you, auntie.¡±
Qin Jiu: ¡°¡¡±
E¡why is Gu Zezhi¡¯s generation so senior!
Looking at her little niece¡¯s troubled face, Empress Wei could already guess what she was thinking, and could not help butugh.
The atmosphere inside the hall rxed as if suddenly entering early warm spring from cold winter, as everyone spoke andughed happily.
On that day, the emperor personally wrote a letter of divorce on behalf of Princess Yongle and officially announced to the court: that Princess Yongle had divorced her husband and her daughter would change her surname to Gu and would be conferred Princess Anya. She was also given a jade certificate and was separated from the Fang family.
This incident caused a shock and uproar in court.
Everyone knows that the emperor dislikes the Fang family, and even more, Dong Ping. As the emperor objects to his marriage with herte sister, Princess Yongle.
However, in this matter of marriage, it was the order of the parents which was thete emperor, the father of Princess Yongle, and the monarch. Thus, whoever he wanted to marry his daughter to, or even someone else¡¯s child, no one would question him!
Someone immediatelyined to the emperor, especially several princes from the royal n who found this absurd. The imperial envoys also came forward one by one, expressing their opposition, saying that there was never a precedent for a woman to divorce her husband in this dynasty. They even mentioned how a child of the Fang family wanted to change her surname; this was simply too shocking.
Some people even said with righteousness that the eldest princess was a royal princess and should be the role model for women, so how could she be so unfaithful and unvirtuous?
Moreover, the eldest princess has already passed away, so why bother disturb the peace of someone already dead. Since Princess Yongle divorced her husband, even her coffin had to be moved out of the Fang family¡¯s ancestral grave.
Upon hearing this, the emperor directly abandoned his work.
***
Chapter 435
Chapter 435
The princess of the royal n could only go to Empress Dowager and exin the courtiers and the royal n¡¯s thoughts on this matter. They all knew that Empress Dowager Liu could easily be persuaded, and since the emperor was filial, they could ask Empress Dowager Liu toe forward to persuade the emperor. Unexpectedly, Empress Dowager Liu scolded them severely and rejected their requests.
¡°The emperor¡¯s decision to repudiate Yongle¡¯s marriage on behalf of her was this dowager¡¯s idea!¡±
¡°Yongle appeared in this dowager¡¯s dreams and begged only this one thing. So, why can¡¯t this dowager fulfill her wish?!¡±
¡°Since you all feel that Yongle shouldn¡¯t repudiate her husband, you¡¯re in luck, it just so happens that the position of Dong Ping¡¯s main wife was still vacant, and someone needs to fulfill the position. One of you should set an example and marry his legitimate daughter to Yuzhou if you think that Yongle should not divorce his husband. This can also fulfill thete emperor¡¯s favor for Dong Ping as his son-inw.¡±
When ites to their biological daughters, these royal princesses were speechless and could only leave her pce in despair.
After the emperor heard about this, he thought that Empress Dowager Liu¡¯s ideas were very clever. Thus, he publicly stated in court that he was thinking of choosing someone to marry in Yuzhou, and if anyone thought it was inappropriate for the eldest princess to divorce her husband, and thought that Dong Ping was a good match he could send their daughter and marry her to Yuzhou.
With this statement, the noisiest ministers became mute. Who dares to respond!
Everyone knows that the animosity between Wang Yu and the emperor could never be resolved, and eventually these two sides would wage war. When that timees, the family that was connected with the marriage to Yuzhou would be put into a difficult position. This was not a marriage, more like hitting the head of the whole family with knife and seeking death.
Although none of them knew what kind of life the Eldest Princess of Yongle had lived in Yuzhou, she was only in her early thirties and died so young, so there must have been some unseemly shady businesses.
For these courtiers, it was okay to talk with words, but it was not okay to send their daughter out and involve the entire family.
Seeing the courtiers¡¯ reactions, the emperor felt happy when he looked around his ministers and asked. ¡°Who else has opinions?¡±
The ministers all said in unison, ¡°Your Majesty is wise.¡±
The emperor withdrew from the court with a straight face and returned to Empress Wei¡¯s pce, but this time, he was all smiling as hemented. ¡°People in this world will never know how painful others are feeling until they experience the pain themselves.¡±
Empress Wei smiled triumphantly and asked for a reward on behalf of her niece, ¡°Your Majesty, isn¡¯t Xiao Jiu¡¯s idea a good one? Shouldn¡¯t she be rewarded?¡±
This idea was proposed by Qin Jiu. The day before yesterday, after the matter of divorce was decided, Qin Jiu and Fang Hanjun were called by Empress Dowager Liu. Qin Jiu told Empress Dowager Liu that most of the traditional courtiers were going to make a fuss these days, and casually made this suggestion to make Empress Dowager Liu happy. Empress Dowager Liu heed this suggestion.
The emperorughs loudly, ¡°Xiao Jiu is a smart child who hits the mark on these people. I will have to think about what good things to give her to adorn herself.¡±
Empress Wei smiled and thanked him on behalf of her niece. The couple then continued to chat andugh asionally.
On the same day, the emperor¡¯s inws¡¯ dishonesty and abusiveness causing Princess Yongle to divorce her husband was announced to the whole country in the form of an official document.
In addition to sending the two divorce certificates of the mother and daughter to Yuzhou, the emperor also sent Eunuch Zhou Xin to Wang Yu¡¯s residence in the capital, conveying the decree to Gu Xi, Princess Duan Rou, and the others.
Although it was an oral edict, Gu Xi, Princess Duan Rou, and others still needed to kneel and listen. Zhou Xing deliberately chose to deliver the edict at the outer gate and let them kneel on the cold and hard bluestone brick ground.
After listening to the oral edict, County Princess Duan Rou stood with the help of her maidservants and fumingly said. ¡°Ridiculous! How can a woman divorce her husband!¡±
Zhou Xin mockingly pulled the corner of his mouth and said peculiarly, ¡±County princess is dissatisfied? You have to ept it, even if you¡¯re not convinced. This is the capital, not Yuzhou.¡±
County Princess Duan Rou: ¡°!!!¡±
***
Chapter 436
Chapter 436
Gu Xi calmly pulled Princess Duan Rou¡¯s sleeve, so she could only close her mouth as she clutched her handkerchief tightly and with a gloomy expression in her eyes.
Zhou Xin added, ¡°The emperor also ordered us to ¡°escort¡± the three of you back to Jiuqu Garden. You stay there and perform your filial piety to the Dowager Consort, and don¡¯t run around all the time, especially falling into theke in this winter is not good!¡±
Zhou Xin swept a meaningful nce at Tang Fengchun.
Tang Fengchun did not dare to refute a word and just silently stared down at the tip of her shoes that had a pair of flying swallows embroidered on them. Her slender body appeared thin and fragile in cold wind.
Useless! Really useless! Princess Duan Rou held her breath and could only stare at Tang Fengchun angrily; her eyes seemed to spit fire.
Their Wang Yu¡¯s face would lose its grace in this capital!
Tang Fengchun bit her lower lip slightly and hung her head even lower.
On the same day, three of them were sent to Jiuqu Garden by imperial guards and were ordered not to go out even half a step.
On the eleventh day of the winter month, the emperor and his entourage left the capital and went to the Nanyuan hunting ground for winter hunting. The sixth prince remained in the capital to supervise the country.
This time, Qin Jiu did not go with them, since her wedding date with Gu Zezhi was approaching, and she needed to stay in the capital until she married.
After the emperor and his entourage left, everything in the capital became calm and peaceful.
In the absence of an emperor, there was no need to hold an early court. As for the officials, they do not have to rise every day when the rooster crows. Truth be told, everyone was rxed, as they enjoyed this rare leisure day throughout the year.
Although the second prince, Gu Jing, was taken by the emperor to hunt in winter, his marriage to Tang Fengchun was still organized in an orderly manner.
Because of the Emperor¡¯sck of interest, the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial n were no longer meticulous, and it was evident on how small the betrothal gifts that were sent to Tang Fengchun.
Originally, it was supposed to be Prince Li¡¯s royal consort who would deliver the betrothal gifts, but on the morning of the 21st of the winter lunar month, it was instead Prince Li¡¯s concubine who came, apanied by the Ministry of Rites.
Four boxes of small betrothal gifts, one box of red gold jewelry, one box of emerald gemstones, one box of clothes, shoes, and hats, and one box of silks and brocades,bined with the wooden geese as a gift. No more, no less, just exactly these four boxes.
The short ritual processes was extremely simple, and they did not even bother to say a few more pleasantries. It took only half an hour for them toe and leave.
Tang Fengchun was calm from start to finish and sent off Prince Li¡¯s concubine, the Ministry of Rites, and others with proper etiquette.
Princess Duan Rou, on the other hand, had a dark expression like the bottom of a pot, with old and new grudges rising all at once. First, it was Eunuch Zhou Xin, to these n members who took advantage of the situation, trampling her face to please the emperor.
This time, she held back until the people were gone before she snapped, because marriage was imperative.
¡°These people are bullying us too much!¡±
Princess Duan Rou ces the teacup heavily on the table and rebukes her in a petnt voice.
The imperial n sent a concubine to perform the ceremony on behalf of the second-prince. If this was not bullying, then what was!
As the air solidified, the servants in the hall lowered their head.
Tang Fengchun looked at the four small boxes of betrothal gifts as her eyes slightly flickered and said, ¡°Cousin, the Emperor is very dissatisfied with this marriage¡.¡±
¡°So what if they¡¯re dissatisfied?¡± Princess Duan Rou disdainfully curled her mouth, ¡°Just because they are dissatisfied, they use this kind of treatment to humiliate us, but they also don¡¯t dare to refuse this marriage, that is because the emperor is nothing more than that.¡±
¡°As my father said, if you have a weak temperament, and are not decisive enough, you can do nothing. No wonder you can¡¯t achieve great things!¡±
If the kingdom of Daqi had been in the hands of her father, how could internal and external affairs be like this; continuous wars, and even the emperor himself could not establish his crown prince without depending on the ministers. Ridiculous, truly ridiculous!
Tang Fengchun: ¡°¡¡±
Tang Fengchun, however, did not agree with Princess Duan Rou¡¯s opinion.
***
Chapter 437
Chapter 437
In her opinion, the reason why the emperor had recognized this marriage between her and Gu Jing was because he loathed Gu Jing and felt that there was no need to stop Gu Jing if he was going tomit a foolish act.
This move from Wang Yu, she was afraid was a wrong move.
¡°Cousin, have you written to uncle? I feel¡¡± Tang Fengchun politely reminded.
However, before finishing her sentence, she was impatiently interrupted by Princess Duan Rou. ¡°There¡¯s no ce for you to speak here!¡±
Princess Duan Rou vented all her frustrations during these days to Tang Fengchun.
Tang Fengchun could only bite her lower lip slightly and simply did not say anything more.
Duan Rou¡¯s character has been headstrong since she was a child, and does not like to listen to what others say. However, Wang Yu likes her attitude, thinking that her temperament was like his; bold, and imposing, and that even though she was a woman, she was no worse than men.
Princess Duan Rou picked up the teacup irritably and then became angry again because the tea got cold.
Their visit to the capital this time was well nned, but unexpectedly, things did not go smoothly.
This was because of Fang Hanjun, not hesitating to burn the bridge, and broke away from their control, causing all of their previous ns to be redone.
Beforeing, their father mentioned to them about the emperor¡¯s children, so they knew about the second prince, Gu Jing, who was not favored by the emperor. However, since he was the eldest son of the emperor and had the support of his grandfather, Chengen, he still had some connections in the court to support him. Therefore, they put someone next to Gu Jing, so it would be easier to handle things in the future.
This was why she asked Tang Fengchun to temporarily change her target to Gu Jing.
And¡
Princess Duan Rou narrowed her eyes as she picked up the new tea that her maidservant had just served and said with a smile. ¡°Gu Jing is still sensible, unlike Gu Zezhi who doesn¡¯t know how to appreciate favors.¡±
Tang Fengchun: ¡°¡¡±
Tang Fengchun lowered her gaze with a hint of ridicule shing across her eyes.
Just because the n did not go ording to her n, he failed to appreciate favors? These people were smart. Looking at how the emperor used Gu Zezhi, he was not as useless as Wang Yu imed; at least he knew how to make good use of people.
Moreover, a benevolent ruler was better than a tyrant!
At this time, a maidservant¡¯s voice could be heard saluting outside, ¡°Third Master.¡±
Both cousins raised their eyes toward the outside of the main hall and saw Gu Xi walk under the eaves, and a maidservant hurriedly took off his sapphire blue cloak.
Gu Xi crossed the threshold and entered the hall. He casually nced around half a circle, and upon seeing the four boxes of gifts and wooden geese, he knew that the Imperial n and the Ministry of Rites delivered the final gift today, but he did not care.
¡°It¡¯s done.¡± Gu Xi said as he lifted his robe and sat down beside Princess Duan Rou.
¡°Excellent!¡± County Princess Duan Rou¡¯s face showed joy, instantly dispersing the unhappiness she had just now.
Gu Xi took a sip of hot tea and added calmly, ¡°I¡¯ve already gotten on the line, and tonight, I¡¯ll go see him.¡±
So, what if the emperor does not allow them to leave? He has his ways of getting out.
¡°As expected, although the second prince is not as favored as the sixth prince, he is still the eldest son of the emperor, and there are always people who are covetous of those who have the power of the dragon.¡±
With that said, Gu Xi¡¯s gazended on Tang Fengchun who was sitting diagonally across him and meaningfully warned. ¡°Cousin, don¡¯t be careless. The second prince¡¯s favored concubine is pregnant¡¡± He meant that if they wanted Gu Jing to bepletely on their side, then they had to control him.¡±
¡°Yes, cousin.¡± Tang Fengchun obediently responded, feeling bitter.
***
Chapter 438
Chapter 438
She was not Fang Hanjun. Fang Hanjun may have been miserable in Yuzhou but aftering to the capital, it was different. She was protected by the emperor and the empress dowager.
So, what if she has been married before, the emperor could always choose a suitable marriage for her in the future. As long as the emperor was in power, Fang Hanjun¡¯s life would always go peacefully and smoothly.
She was different from Fang Hanjun, it does not matter if she was the legitimate first daughter. In her father¡¯s eyes, she was worse than a concubine born from a cheap servant!
Tang Fengchun silently drank her tea as the hall returned to its tranquility.
With so many pairs of eyes in the capital watching, these onlookers naturally saw how small the betrothal gifts were and how the ceremony was done in haste. Anyone could imagine the connivance of the imperial n and the Ministry of Rites, and how the emperor simply made his dislike of the second prince obvious.
In contrast, the Sixth Prince was equally in the limelight at the moment.
Originally, when the emperor left, there were still some people waiting to see the sixth prince to be aughing stock, wanting to see how a six-year-old child could supervise the country, but it turned out that these days, all political affairs had been handled in a well-organized manner.
The entire court went smoothly, and some originally neutral factions gradually changed their minds. They felt that although the sixth prince was young, he was diligent, studious, humble, and inquisitive, and was well organized in his words and actions. Moreover, it was because he was young that he was more flexible; whether it was several ministers or the grand tutor, they all praised the sixth prince greatly.
On the contrary, looking back at the behavior of the second prince during these days, everything was disappointing: First, the affair between him and his beloved concubine spread in the capital, and when he suppressed the bandits and burned them when he went to Jinzhou, he needed a full five hundred thousand taels just to mobilize the troops.
It was better to establish a young crown prince than a prodigal and notorious prince!
These discussions spread among courtiers, and although no one came to talk to Chengen about this, it was inevitable that they would reach his ears within a few days.
Such a change in the direction of the wind made Lord Chengen very uneasy, distracting him for several days in a row.
As expected, the marriage between the second prince and Wang Yu¡¯s rtive made the emperor even more dissatisfied with the second prince.
¡°Ai!¡± Lord Chengen heaved a long sigh.
At this time, the carriage drove into Lord Chengen¡¯s mansion and stopped at the outer gate. Lord Chengen, who was deeply worried, was unaware of this until a servant cautiously called out. ¡°My lord,¡± he finally came to his senses and got out of the carriage.
Lord Chengen came backte today; the sky was alreadypletely dark, and the courtyard was brightly lit up with rednterns as well as its surroundings, echoing the stars in the sky.
¡°I won¡¯t be going to the main courtyard.¡± Lord Chengen casually said, and the momo standing guard outside the carriage immediately answered and went to inform Lord Chengen¡¯s wife in the main courtyard.
Lord Chengen went to the outer study alone, as the silver moonlight cast a mottled shadow on his face through sparse branches.
Feeling irritable, Lord Chengen sighed.
During the winter solstice, when he heard the emperor¡¯s decree to marry the second prince and Tang Fengchun at a banquet in Shouning Pce, he was also stunned.
At that time, he did not know what had happened and could only patiently wait for the banquet to end before he went to see Gu Jing. Only then did he understand the circumstances of the drowning incident.
After learning this, Lord Chengen rebuked Gu Jing, thinking that he was too na?ve.
The hatred between the emperor and Wang Yu was too deep, and now that Princess Yongle was dead, it was impossible for both sides to shake hands and achieve peace. Gu Jing was being stupid if he actually got involved with Wang Yu!
Moreover, Qin Xin had just be pregnant, so Gu Jing should act lovingly with his concubine as he patiently waited for the birth of the emperor¡¯s first grandson.
***
Chapter 439
Chapter 439
For the royal family, the most important thing was the continuation of their bloodline; as long as they had the eldest grandson, it would be Gu Jing¡¯s biggest bargaining chip and many courtiers would naturally lean towards him.
However, before he could say a few more words, Gu Jing impatiently interrupted him and said that he had his way.
Lord Chengen was afraid of arousing Gu Jing¡¯s rebellious mentality, and could only temporarily give up.
However, now that the situation was developing as he had expected, seeing how the emperor became increasingly dissatisfied with Gu Jing.
Although Gu Jing had just achieved military sess in suppressing bandits in Jinzhou and Miss Qin was carrying the emperor¡¯s first grandchild in her womb, the emperor¡¯s dragon body was also getting good. If Gu Jing could only patiently spend a few years making some achievements to change the emperor¡¯s mind, after all, the sixth prince was only six years old, and he could neither lead troops to fight nor receive any job. Even though he was now in charge of supervising the country, it was still the old ministers who handled court affairs. However, on the other hand, as long as there were no idents, the sixth prince would be considered to have done meritorious deeds.
Meanwhile, the second prince has be increasingly entrictely and refuses to listen to him.
Themp in the study room was brightly lit.
Lord Chengen was in a bad mood, so he dismissed the servants and sat alone behind the case.
Suddenly, thentern by the window swayed as the candle me flickered, and a ck figure darted through and sat firmly on an armchair by the window.
¡°Lord Guo!¡± The visitor¡¯s face was visible under the light from the window, with a faint smile on his face.
Lord Chengen was startled and stood up subconsciously. He got up in a hurry, bumping himself into the chair behind him making a ¡°thud¡± sound.
He immediately recognized an uninvited guest in front of him. He was Gu Xi, Wang Yu¡¯s third son.
Why was he here?! Lord Chengen was startled, as he looked at Gu Xi warily, fearing that the other party would do something wrong.
Gu Xin who was sitting on the armchair casually cupped his hand to Lord Chengen and said with a smile. ¡°I have been wanting to talk to Lord Guo for a long time, and now that Lord Guo and I can be considered as a family, we can finally talk, right?¡±
Lord Chengen: ¡°¡¡±
Gu Xi faintly said, ¡°What are you still hesitating about, lord? When the emperor returns from the winter hunt, he will make the sixth prince the crown prince. You should have predicted this too, right?¡±
When facing Lord Chengen, Gu Xi did not even bother to talk courtesy and talked to him casually with a dismissive attitude.
Lord Chengen: ¡°¡¡±
Lord Chengen could not care less about courtesy with Gu Xi, as he realized that what Gu Xi said was very possible.
Upon careful consideration, the emperor may have left the sixth prince to oversee the country and convey this message to his courtiers.
If everything in the court remained stable during the winter hunting period and the emperor returned to the capital, there would not be many people opposing the proposal to establish the crown prince. At that time, as long as the emperor perseveres a little longer, establishing a crown prince may indeed be a reality with at least a 70% or 80% chance. Even if there was a 20-30% chance that it would not work this time, what about the next time?
Lord Chengen: ¡°¡¡±
Gu Xi added with an air of calmness, ¡°Lord Guo, you can think about it again, but I¡¯m afraid that, by then, you won¡¯t even have the chance to do anything.¡±
The cold wind howled outside the window, and the shadows of the trees in the courtyard swayed wildly in the cold wind, like a swarm of demons dancing around, exuding an ominous atmosphere.
The entire capital was shrouded in thick darkness as the night became deeper, and the stars and moon in the night sky looked down below, seemingly taking in all the changes in this world. The night was both long and short, as the sky would eventually lighten up again, the moon would set, and the sun would rise.
Today, Qin Zening, on his rest day, invited the n head and elders to Marquis¡¯s mansion, making the mansion lively.
¡°Uncle,¡± Qin Zening greeted the n head, ¡°I have invited you all toe here to remove Qin Xin from the n.¡±
Madam Su was divorced by Qin Zhun, so her name was naturally not in the genealogy anymore, but Qin Zhun¡¯s family was still in the genealogy, and Qin Xin was officially adopted by Qin Zhun.
Qin Zhun was corrupt, and although he vited the nationalw, he was not exterminated. Fifteen years ago, when thete Marquis was exiled, the Qin family also did not exterminate his family because they wanted to rify their rtionship.
But Qin Xin was different, Qin Zening could not tolerate her, this white-eyed wolf remaining in the Qin family tree.
***
Chapter 440
Chapter 440
The n head and n elders were hesitant as they looked at each other.
The n head smiled as he advised. ¡°A¡¯ning, this matter needs to be discussed in the long term¡¡±
¡°Yes, Qin Xin is pregnant now¡ this matter has a hundred benefits and no harm to the Qin family.¡± A gray-haired n elder with a long beard hastily agreed.
The n elders had long heard that Qin Xin was pregnant with the emperor¡¯s eldest grandchild, so regardless of whether the child in Qin Xin¡¯s womb was a boy or girl, this child would be the emperor¡¯s first grandchild who would be loved by the emperor.
Thus, expelling Qin Xin from the n was inappropriate; otherwise, was it not just offending the second prince?
What if Qin Xin had the fortune of giving birth to the emperor¡¯s eldest grandson?!
Several n elders think that this matter could be discussed again after they wait and watch on how things develop, so why hurry.
However, Qin Zening already made up his mind and would not change because of anyone¡¯s persuasion.
¡°Uncle, Qin Xin had a wed and ruthless character. She not only encouraged Madam Su to poison grandmother but she also¡¡± Qin Zening¡¯s eyes darkened and his voice became colder, ¡°I suspect that Qin Xin may have killed grandfather!¡±
¡°¡¡±
There was a moment of silence in the hall followed by an uproar. The n head and the elders looked at each other again.
The n elder with a long beard could not help, but say, ¡°Marquis, you are only suspicious without any evidence. Could it be that you are mistaken?¡±
Others also followed suit and persuaded, ¡°Yes, when your grandfather went there, Qin Xin was still not five years old. How could such a young girl kill someone!¡±
¡°Marquis, I know what happened to your grandmother gave you the chills, but don¡¯t let that make you wishy-washy.¡±
¡°Madam Su¡¯s viciousness and intent to poison her mother-inw is detestable, but your second uncle and Qin Xin are innocent in this matter.¡±
¡°¡.¡±
For the n head and these elders, regardless of whether Qin Zhun wanted to kill his mother or not, as long as there was no evidence, they all hoped that Qin Zhun was innocent. After all, if any of the descendants of the Qin family did such a heinous act, it would damage the family¡¯s reputation.
The n elders nodded one after the other, all standing on the same side. Qin Zhun¡¯s brows were tightened as he listened to them.
Soon, sparks were shot through the air.
Seeing that they were about to argue, Qin Jiu smiled and spoke up, ¡°n head, big brother, if we can¡¯t talk about it today, why don¡¯t we talk about it tomorrow? A¡¯Yu will enter the pceter, he promised the Sixth Prince to apany him to horse training.¡±
Qin Zeyu did not expect the subject would turn to him and could only instinctively nod. He did make an appointment with Gu Zhen today to enter the pce to y with him.
Qin Jiu smiled and added. ¡°The emperor and empress have gone on a winter hunt, while the sixth prince stayed alone in the capital, boring his mind out.¡±
¡°A¡¯yu, when you are free, you should go to the pce to apany His Highness to relieve his boredom.¡±
¡°Leave it all to me.¡± Qin Zeyu¡¯s eyes brightened up in a sh as he patted his chest.
In recent months, he has been watched by his sister studying and practicing martial arts, and has no time to y. Even during this winter hunt, his brother and sister did not agree to let him go and he was almost suffocated by boredom.
Meanwhile, Qin Jiu seemed to have just said this casually, but the n head and elders pondered as they looked at each other.
***
Chapter 441
Chapter 441
They suddenly realized that today was different from the past when Qin Zhun was still in charge of the Marquis fu, as he had always leaned towards the second prince.
However, now that Qin Zening had inherited the title of Marquis and since he was the sixth prince¡¯s cousin, this blood connection destined Qin Zening to choose the side of the sixth prince. Moreover, it was clear who the emperor favored, just as everyone knew why the emperor left the sixth prince to supervise the country.
They all could see that the second prince had lost the emperor¡¯s favor in just a few months!
Besides, the second prince was about to marry a young miss from the Tang family as his consort, and the Qin family did not even have a formal rtionship with the second prince.
With these thoughts, the Qin family could only choose one of the second prince and the sixth prince, and a person who was like a grass on the wall* was the most unreliable.
(*metaphor for a person who is good at changing his position ording to the situation)
The n head grasped the chair¡¯s armrest tightly as his eyes shed.
Previously, Qin Zhun had chosen the second prince, but he was now exiled.
The n head actually knew that the reason why Qin Zhun moved money from the Changying treasury was mostly to finance the second prince¡Qin Zhun was deprived of his title, confiscated his properties, and was exiled because of the second prince, but what did the second prince do?!
Qin Zhun¡¯s fate could be a lesson learned from the past, meanwhile, given the rtionship between the sixth prince and Qin Zening, these siblings could not abandon the sixth prince and support the second prince.
The eyes of the n head became increasingly determined as if everything was brought to light.
For the Qin family, there was no choice but to choose the sixth prince.
The n elder with a long beard wanted to say something else but was stopped by the n head with an eye signal. The n head then said resolutely, ¡°A¡¯ning, what you said is true.¡±
¡°Qin Xin is not an upright person and her parents not only mixed the children of the Qin family with theirs but alsomitted murder. If the upper beam is not straight, the lower beam will be crooked*, and since Qin Xin is also suspected of killing the old marquis and attempting to kill the old madam, she should be exterminated from the n.¡±
(*subordinates imitate their superiors)
The n head was the cousin of thete marquis, and he had been highly respected as the n leader for many years, gaining considerable prestige. Thus, when he said this, other n elders followed suit with his lead.
Qin Zening nced at Qin Jiu with a smile and said immediately. ¡°Uncle, everything should go as it should¡¡±
Anyway, since the n head and elders were already here, they should do it today.
As for Qin Xin, it did not matter whether she was there or not. Originally, women had no say in the n affairs.
Thus, they opened the ancestral hall that day and removed Qin Xin¡¯s name from the Qin family¡¯s genealogy, and had the chief steward personally go to Jingzhao to file the record.
Subsequently, Qin Zening sent another steward to the Second Prince¡¯s mansion and informed Qin Xin.
When Qin Xin learned about this news, she waspletely dumbfounded.
Gu Jing had gone to the winter hunting with the coachman so she could only hurriedly ride the carriage alone to the Marquis mansion.
Qin Xin was both flustered, confused, and afraid. Along the way, her body could not help, but tremble uncontrobly.
She knows her situation, and she was already in a very difficult situation. She must always be on guard against Gu Jing from killing the mother and keeping the child, and now the Qin family wants to add to her worries? Once Gu Jing returns and learns about this, what would his reaction be?!
Just thinking about it made Qin Xin feel a chill all over her body, as she said to herself that she had to see Old Madam Qin.
***
Chapter 442
Chapter 442
Holding her determination, Qin Xin was able to enter the mansion this time.
Qin Jiu had already instructed the concierge to let her in.
¡°Grandma!¡± As soon as Qin Xin saw Old Madam Qin, she kneeled on the ground, crying her delicate face with tears streaming down. ¡°How can you be so cruel, how can you disown me!¡±
In the past ten years since her rebirth, she had been so devoted and filial to Old Madam Qin, but Old Madam Qin abandoned her like a worn-out shoe and this made Qin Xin feel as if she had been stabbed hard.
The second prince was also like this, and now it was Old Madam Qin. She was afraid that the only person in the world who cared and would not betray her was her mother Zhao Aman!
Old Madam Qin looked at Qin Xin who was kneeling and remembered all the things that had happened over the years, and thought of thete marquis but she did not say a word. Now that she was facing the crying Qin Xin she no longer had the slightest emotion.
¡°Grandma¡¡± Qin Xin felt even colder seeing that Old Madam Qin did not say a word. She walked a few steps while still on her knees and was about to say something else when she heard the maidservant greeting someone outside.
Subsequently, Qin Zening and Qin Jiu entered one after another.
Qin Xin instinctively looked up at the two of them, her gaze falling on Qin Jiu¡¯s delicate jade-like face.
Qin Jiu looked beautiful and charming, with a face as smooth as Shunhua and like the delicate flower blooming on the branches, while she looked miserable with tears in her eyes, like a withered willow pale byparison.
Qin Xin could hardly look at Qin Jiu directly, feeling extremely embarrassed.
However, she did not look away, as she raised her head, meeting Qin Zening¡¯s eyes. ¡°Brother, why do you want to expel me from the n?¡±
A sneer spread across the corners of Qin Zening¡¯s mouth, as he said faintly. ¡°It¡¯s not like you¡¯re a member of the Qin family.¡±
Qin Xin bit her pale lower lip and said, ¡°Father has the adoption documents in his hand, and since I¡¯m on the Qin family tree, I¡¯m a member of the Qin family.¡± By ¡°father,¡± she meant Qin Zhun.
¡°The imperial court has aw that only those whomit heinous crimes can be removed from the n.¡±
¡°What did I do?¡±
¡°Even my father was not removed from the n when hemitted the crime of embezzlement and was stripped of his title and exiled, so why do you want to remove my name?¡± Qin Xin vigorously questioned, in her heart, she was both sad and angry and felt aggrieved.
She was already in a predicament now, and it was fine if they did not help her, but they had to go against her again!
If she loses her identity as a daughter of the Qin family, then she would be the daughter of a murderer. In the Second Prince¡¯s Mansion, she was worse than a lowly maid, so who looked up to her.
Now, she had to guard against Gu Jing from plotting to kill the mother and have her child, and now she was going to lose her identity¡then she would have nothing to rely on.
The more Qin Xin thought about it, the more scared she was, feeling as if she was standing on the edge of the cliff that had a dark bottomless abyss ahead of her. If she took another step forward, she would have died without a burial ce.
¡°Grandma,¡± Qin Xin could only look at Madam Qin pleadingly with tears falling like broken pearls, looking so weak, pitiful, and helpless. ¡°Your granddaughter is suffering now, please just think of our grandparent and grandchild rtionship for so many years and take pity on your granddaughter.¡±
¡°Although this granddaughter is pregnant with the emperor¡¯s eldest grandchild, the second prince will soon marry his consort and that consort is a rtive of Wang Yu.¡±
¡°Given the affection of this granddaughter and the second prince, the future second prince consort will not be able to tolerate this granddaughter¡¡±
Qin Xin spoke sorrowfully, trying to win the sympathy of Old Madam Qin. She knew that only Old Madam Qin was the soft-hearted person in the Qin family; on the other hand, she mentioned the child she was carrying as a reminder to them that she was pregnant with the eldest grandchild of the emperor at the moment. If the Qin family wanted to be prosperous and prestigious, they should not give up on her at this time.
***
Chapter 443
Chapter 443
Qin Xin went to great lengths to persuade Old Madam Qin, both by appealing to her emotions and also by luring her for profit.
However, Old Madam Qin remained unmoved, looking at Qin Xin with cold eyes as if she was watching an actor on a stage.
¡°Qin Xin,¡± Qin Zening said coldly, ¡°Do you truly not know the reason why you were removed from the n?¡±
Without blinking, Qin Xin looked at Qin Zening with a pair of misty eyes and said looking hurt and with aggrieved words, ¡°Brother, you¡¯ve misunderstood me too much.¡±
Qin Zening had long known that Qin Xin was a person who would not stop until she saw the Yellow River, and with an unperturbed look on his face, he said, ¡°Killing one¡¯s rtives is an unforgivable crime.¡±
Qin Xin once again said, ¡°Brother, it isn¡¯t me who encouraged mother¡Madam Su. Just believe me for once.¡±
Qin Zening took half a step closer toward her, looked down at Qin Xin and said almost word for word, ¡°Do you still remember the forest of oleander at the station in Mengji County?¡±
¡°I wonder if you¡¯ve tasted that bowl of sweet soup with oleander yourself?¡±
¡°¡.¡± Qin Xin¡¯s face suddenly turned white, paler than the snow on the branches outside the window. Herplexion looked like there was no trace of blood as her pupils shrunk suddenly as if she had seen a ghost.
Qin Zening has not yet found any reliable evidence to prove that Qin Xin murdered his grandfather. Physician He had treated the old marquis¡¯ sickness in Ancheng County when he visited Jinzhou six years ago. However, after his people tracked him down in Jinzhou, no one found him. It was said that Physician He returned to his hometown with his family the year beforest. Shuzhou, his hometown was thousands of miles away and had vast territory, making it difficult to find people.
However, Qin Xin¡¯s expression tells him that they were not mistaken!
Sure enough, it was Qin Xin who did it!
Qin Zening¡¯s expression was even colder as his whole body had turned into an unsheathed sword, filled with murderous intent as if he was about to let Qin Xin¡¯s blood shed on the spot in the next moment.
Madam Qin also noticed this and as soon as she exerted force on the Buddhist beads string in her hand, it snapped¡
The sound of the ¡°crackling¡± beads after being snapped fell on the ground one by one rolling on the mirror-like ground.
Qin Xin came back to her senses and said in a panic, ¡°Brother, I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about!¡±
Even after looking confused, in the eyes of Old Madam Qin, Qin Zening, and Qin Jiu, her acting skills were extremely clumsy
Old Madam Qin had the slightest hope about this matter before, hoping that it was not Qin Xin, the granddaughter whom she single-handedly raised who did this, and yet, at this moment, thatst glimmer waspletely shattered.
¡°You don¡¯t understand?¡± Qin Zening¡¯s eyes were sharp as he let out a sneer from the bottom of his throat. ¡°If you think you¡¯re innocent, then why don¡¯t you go to the public court and talk, report why our Qin family wants to expel you from the n!¡±
¡°Whether or not our grandfather¡¯s death had anything to do with you, you know it in yourself very well!¡±
Qin Xin: ¡°¡¡±
Qin Xin¡¯s thumping heart elerated, as she dared not look directly into Qin Zening¡¯s eyes but still braced herself and said. ¡°I didn¡¯t do it, brother, don¡¯t use me wrongly.¡±
¡°I know that ever since you realized that my biological mother switched me with a third sister, you have disliked me and have been trying to drive me out of the Qin family. And now to expel me from the n, you will wrong me like this, nting my grandfather¡¯s death on my head, this is too deceitful.¡±
¡°Forget it, since you haven¡¯t thought of our kinship for half a year, then I won¡¯t beg you.¡±
¡°I can leave now, can¡¯t I?!¡±
Qin Xin wiped the tears from her reddened eyes with a handkerchief and stood up from the ground, then turned around to leave.
***
Chapter 444
Chapter 444
¡°Wait a minute.¡± Qin Jiu called out Qin Xin.
¡°Third Sister, no, I should call you Third Miss Qin. May I ask if you have anything else you want to say to me?¡± Qin Xin smiled sarcastically, as if to look that she had already retreated once and for all, so what more do they want!
¡°I dare not say anything else.¡± Qin Jiu smiled faintly. ¡°I heard from grandmother that grandfather left a few stores for his granddaughter back then. Since you no longer have to do with the Qin family, then naturally these shops should be returned!¡±
Qin Xin: ¡°¡¡±
Qin Xin seemed to be strangled by the neck and was speechless, those shops have long been gone. As early asst year, when she was trying to raise money to seal Yungguang¡¯s mouth, she had already sold these shops along with other things and raised 10000 taels of silver.
However, after giving this money to Yungguang, she did not expect her to testify against her, causing Qin Xin to change from a dignified future second prince¡¯s consort to a lowly concubine.
Thinking about what happened at that time, Qin Xin still feels aggrieved, and the hand holding the handkerchief tenses tightly.
Qin Jiu smiled and added, ¡°Those shops were left to me by my grandfather.¡±
Hearing Qin Jiu¡¯s words, Old Madam Qin could not help, but recall the past and nodded.
These shops were specially arranged by the old marquis after Qin Xin was brought back to the capital 11 years ago. He said that they would be left for his granddaughter as a dowry.
Originally, Old Madam Qin did not mind giving these shops since she raised Qin Xin as her granddaughter.
However, things were different now. Qin Xin killed the old marquis and no matter how good-natured Old Madam Qin was, she could not allow Qin Xin to live freely with this dowry arranged by the old marquis!
Qin Zening raised his eyebrows as he secretly apuded Qin Jiu. Old Madam Qin may not know, but Qin Zening was more aware that Qin Xin sold those shops at a low pricest year, and he had someone secretly buy them and transfer them to Qin Jiu.
However, even if this was the case, they must still take advantage of Qin Xin, after all, Qin Xin took advantage of the Qin family, she was even merciless when it came to harming them.
Qin Xin was just a white-eyed wolf who was an ingrate that no matter how good the Qin family had been to her over the past decade, she would never remember it. What she would always remember was why the Qin family refused toply with her wishes.
Under the burning gazes of Qin Jiu and Qin Zening, Qin Xin looked pitifully at Old Madam Qin and called out. ¡°Grandma!¡±
Thinking of the old marquis, Old Madam Qin tightened her heart once again and said with a straight face, ¡°It¡¯s time to return these things to their rightful owner.¡±
¡°¡¡± Qin Xin looked at Old Madam Qin with disappointment, and waspletely heartbroken.
She has always been filial and respectful of Old Madam Qin, treating her as her grandmother, but what was the result? Just because of Madam Su¡¯s few words of instigation, Old Madam Qin held a grudge against her, and now she even abandoned her as if she were a discarded child.
Qin Xin¡¯s heart went cold as if she was soaked in ice water, so cold that it prated her bones.
She closed her eyes and opened them again and even became redder than before, as she said in a hoarse voice. ¡°Grand¡Old Madam Qin, I am having a hard time in the second prince¡¯s residence now, those servants only serve dishes of varying quality ording to the status of the guests so a few of the shops have been pawned. Hoping the old madam to give me more days of leniency.¡±
After a moment¡¯s pause, she continued. ¡°I have been with you for so many years, don¡¯t you have at least had affection as granddaughter and grandparent at all?¡±
¡°You are no longer a member of the Qin family.¡± Old Madam Qin raised her gaze to meet Qin Xin¡¯s eyes, a rare toughness could be seen in her eyes as she said in a firm voice, ¡°If the old marquis¡¯s estate falls into the hands of the person who caused his death, he will not rest in peace.¡±
At one time, Old Madam Qin loved Qin Xin so much, but now she hated her as much, and in her heart she hated herself more for being blind.
***
Chapter 445
Chapter 445
Qin Zhun, Madam Su, and Qin Xin, she had cared for them in the past, and yet now how could none of them repay her? It was because she was old and confused, she did not know people well, and almost killed herself and the whole family!
Old Madam Qin felt as if she had been crushed by something.
¡°¡¡ ¡± Qin Xin¡¯s expressions turned ugly once again.
Seeing her dawdling, Qin Jiu said leisurely. ¡°Li daya, do you want to go to Jingzhao to talk about it?¡±
Qin Xin gritted her teeth and said, ¡°I¡¯ll give it, I can just go take the money when I get back!¡±
From then on, after settling silver with the Qin family, she would have no further connection with them! She would nevere here again to beg!
Qin Jiu casually said, ¡°These shops should have five thousand taels when converted to cash.¡±
Qin Zening had a clear idea of the value of these shops and calmly watched as her sister began to speak up again.
¡°In an hour, I¡¯ll have someone send the silver ticket.¡± Qin Xin did not want to make a fool of herself by staying here and left after dropping these words.
Qin Xin was no longer a member of the Qin family, so naturally she could not be allowed to walk around the marquis¡¯ mansion as she pleased, and immediately a maidservant followed her out.
Qin Xin left, but the air in the room was still filled with a depressing atmosphere, even Old Madam Qin who was used to smelling incense felt stuffy.
Although they got the shops back, Old Madam Qin was still upset and said angrily. ¡°A¡¯ning, you should report it to Jingzhao¡¡±
¡°Grandmother, don¡¯t worry, I have the numbers*.¡± Qin Zening calmed Old Madam Qin and assisted her in sitting down on the kang.
(*often describes a person who is confident or understands the situation)
Qin Zening calmly exchanged a tacit look with Qin Jiu.
Of course, they had no intention of letting Qin Xin just go like that.
Yesterday, when Qin Zening sent two guards to Huizhou to find Physician He, they returned and told him that Physician He¡¯s family had gone back to Shuzhou. Hearing this, Qin Zening was disappointed and angry.
Shuzhou was a sparsely popted area with long-distance travel, and it would take a month toplete each trip, let alone find someone in a vast number of sea people. They only know that Physician He¡¯s hometown was in eastern Sichuan, and it may not be possible to find anyone even in a few months or even a few years¡
Under this current situation, even if they reported to the officials and used Qin Xin of murdering thete marquis, there was no witness or physical evidence, so Qin Xin would not be convicted.
How could Qin Zening be willing to let Qin Xin continue to roam freely? He hated Qin Xin so much that he wanted to kill her immediately with his hand and repay her debt with blood, but Gu Zezhi stopped him. ¡°Qin Xin is insignificant, not enough to let you carry out the crime of murder.¡±
¡°She doesn¡¯t deserve it.¡±
Gu Zezhi¡¯s words seemed to pour a bucket of cold water on Qin Zening, calming him down.
Qin Xin does not deserve it.
***
Chapter 446
Chapter 446
Qin Zening¡¯s younger sister and brother no longer have the protection of their grandfather and father, and as their elder brother, who was like a father, this was now his responsibility. He should not let his younger siblings worry about him because of a momentary impulse.
He also considered whether he would personally make a trip to Shuzhou, but Gu Zezhi said. ¡°The most urgent thing right now is to expel Qin Xin from the n as soon as possible, lest the scourge reach the Qin family.¡±
After Qin Zening took over the title of Marquis, he was busy with other things both inside and outside, and for a while, he forgot that Qin Xin was still in the Qin family¡¯s genealogy.
Hearing this, he immediately took action.
Ever since he and Gu Zezhi went to Minzhou together, Qin Zening had somewhat more understanding of Gu Zezhi. This person takes one step and thinks a hundred steps ahead, and he would never propose exterminating Qin Xin from the n without any reason.
After carefully thinking about Gu Zezhi¡¯s words, Qin Zening vaguely understood the implication that he had not explicitly talked. Qin Xin seemed to have stirred up some kind of crime that would gue the entire family.
A crime that would implicate the whole family must be more serious than her murdering his grandfather, so serious that it would be enough to leave Qin Xin to die without a burial ce!
And he would watch Qin Xin take herself to death step-by-step with his own eyes.
Qin Zening¡¯s gaze became increasingly profound, like a sword tucked into a box, temporarily concealing his strength while bidding his time.
The three of them sat down while the maidservants in the room were busy. Some were tidying up the fallen Buddhist beads, some were refilling tea for their masters, and some were hurriedly making calming tea for Old Madam Qin.
After Old Madam Qin finished drinking the calming tea, she was coaxed by Qin Jiu to rest. She did not want Old Madam Qin to waste her energy on Qin Xin anymore; after all, she was old and had not only been poisoned recently but had also suffered from a series of events, and more of this, she could no longer withstand any more turmoil.
After Old Madam Qin rested, Qin Zening and Qin Jiu went to the front courtyard and had Qin Xin, who hade to the mansion again, led to the front courtyard hall.
¡°This is five thousand taels of silver notes, from the Datong Money Bank, you can check them!¡±
Qin Xin angrily pressed the silver note onto a square table, as if she wished to throw it in their faces.
When she got married, because she was a concubine, the imperial n did not give much dowry silver, and some of the dowry she had was returned to the pce for her training. Later, the second prince told her to ask Qin Zhun for money, so she deliberately asked for more and secretly hid some silver.
Originally, she wanted to keep this silver and did not intend to use them, unless necessary, after all, there were too many variables in daily life. Even the second prince whom she thought would not change had bepletely unrecognizable.
In the end, money was the only thing she could trust in the world.
Qin Jiu unceremoniously counted the silver bills with a denomination of one thousand taels, she then waved the notes in her hands and said. ¡°The money is received and the bill is settled.¡±
***
Chapter 447
Chapter 447
Looking at Qin Jiu¡¯s confident face, Qin Xin¡¯s heart experienced another violent surge of resentment, disgust, jealousy, and more evidently, unwillingness, feeling that thew of heaven was unfair: why was a vulgar woman like Qin Jiu now thriving, while she was about to be reduced to nothing!
She was the daughter of fate, which was why Heaven made her liver again for the second time.
That¡¯s right, she was the daughter of fate! Qin Xin said to herself and inwardly thought that even if she encountered some difficulties now, it was just a test for her from heaven, and only after darkness could she see the light.
And Qin Jiu ¡¡
Qin Xin¡¯s heart suddenly settled.
In her previous life, Qin Jiu was promised to Gu Jing andter became a noble princess consort. Gu Jing was only one step away from the throne, but she was the one who made Gu Jing sessful!
Yet, the Qin family expelled her from the n and abandoned her, then, do not me her for being ruthless in the future.
Qin Xin raised her chin and said harshly. ¡°From now on, I have no rtionship with the Marquis of Zhongyi.¡±
¡°One day, when I gain power, the Marquis house won¡¯t be able to get the slightest benefit from it.¡±
¡°When the timees, I hope you¡¯ll remember now and don¡¯te to beg me!¡±
Qin Zening looked at Qin Xin with a slight frown, always feeling that Qin Xin often had this inexplicable confidence. Sometimes, when she looked at people, there was this superior atmosphere surrounding her, as if a god or the Buddha in the sky were overlooking all beings, with an inexplicable detachment.
It was as if she was a phoenix in the sky and they were just ordinary people on the ground¡was this sanity that had made her able to take his grandfather and grandmother¡¯s lives as her own, being ruthless and even capable of killing them.
Qin Zening narrowed his eyes that were dark as an abyss.
¡°Pfft!¡±
Meanwhile, Qin Jiu directly snorted out augh and waved her hand. ¡°It¡¯s broad daylight, Li Daya, if you had eaten peanuts, you wouldn¡¯t get drunk like this*.¡±
(*refers to irrelevant words and deeds of some people just like the nonsense told by drunk people)
¡°Get her out, drive her away, not just any Tom, Dick, and Harry cane to our house.¡±
As soon as Qin Jiu gave orders, the servants quickly took the orders and immediately two maidservants entered the hall and drove her away impolitely.
¡°Second¡¡± One of the maidservants subconsciously addressed Qin Xin as Second Miss, but then thought that Qin Xin had been exterminated from the n so she changed her address to, ¡°Miss Li, you are pregnant, please don¡¯t let this ve hurt you.¡±
As the maidservant spoke, she began to roll up her sleeves.
Qin Xin¡¯s face turned red from anger and shame.
The servants in this mansion used to be respectful to her, but now they were turning their backs and refusing to help her.
The world was indeed full of people who deceived and fared evil!
¡°There¡¯s no need for you to rush me, I¡¯ll leave on my own!¡± Qin Xin whisked her sleeves away with a cold determination.
The carriage of the Second Prince quickly came out of Marquis¡¯s Mansion, and immediately the gate of Marquis¡¯s Mansion was closed as if driving away some gue spirits..
Qin Xin in the carriage looked unhappy and worried at the same time.
These 5,000 taels were the money she had saved with great difficulty. After giving them away, she did not have much money on her, and in the future, what would she do?
***
Chapter 448
Chapter 448
Zhao Aman in the carriage only thought Qin Xin felt sorry for the 5,000 taels. She lowered her voice and said angrily. ¡°Daya, the Qin family is so cold-hearted, it would be better to break ties with them as soon as possible to prevent them from doing anything wrong in the future and implicating you again!¡±
¡°When you give birth to the emperor¡¯s eldest grandson, naturally the mother will be honored by her son. At that time, let the emperor give them a hard time!¡±
¡°You don¡¯t need to care about them, they¡¯ll be crying in the future once we get our revenge on them.¡±
Zhao Aman felt excited at the thought of it. In her opinion, her daughter was someone with phoenix destiny, and she would give birth to a boy in one fell swoop, and from there, her life would skyrocket!
¡°It¡¯s not that simple.¡± Qin Xin said vaguely.
Qin Xin touched her still t abdomen, and her eyes flickered.
She could only hide the true origin of this child, even from Zhao Aman.
There were still eight months left, eight months before she gave birth to this child, and within that time she needed to carefully think about what she needed to do, where to get more money, and how to make Gu Jing willingly ept her and this child¡
Qin Xin felt a vague pain in her forehead and could not help but me Old Madam Qin,ining she said. ¡°Grandma knows that grandfather gave me those shops back then.¡±
¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Zhao Aman agreed, ¡°You¡¯ve called her grandma for so many years, and yet she doesn¡¯t feel any affection towards your rtionship at all. Isn¡¯t she afraid that thete marquis will visit her in her dream and lecture her.¡±
Zhao Aman muttered not noticing that Qin Xin¡¯s face turned pale when she heard the word ¡°dream.¡±
She tightly clenched the handkerchief in her hand, causing the vein on the back of her hand to pop out, appearing ferociously on her fair skin.
It has been 11 years since the old marquis died, and in recent years, she has rarely thought of him again, until today.
In her previous life, when she was eight years old, she identally fell into the water and arge tear was ripped out of her clothes. The fake birthmark on her lower back faded in color, which was identally seen by the old marquis, causing him to be suspicious.
The old marquis soon found out that she was not the real child of the Qin family, so he took the initiative to take Qin Jiu back to the capital and sued Qin Xin¡¯s biological parents in court. No matter how she knelt and begged him or called him ¡°grandfather,¡± he was not moved at all.
At that time, his gaze at her was cold and heartless,pletely no longer the loving grandfather she remembered.
He instead said that wherever she came from, she should go back.
Thus, after Zhao Aman and his wife were sentenced to exile, she also went to Lingnan with them. Her life underwent earth-shattering changes, and she suffered there all her life, while Qin Jiu married the second prince and eventually ascended to the Phoenix throne.
In this life, when she was reborn, she was already in Zhongyi¡¯s mansion in the capital.
The first thing she did was to send a letter to her parents, under the guise of thanking her adoptive parents for their upbringing and sending gifts to Jiangyu County, asking someone to write a letter on her behalf, and then secretly inserting a note she wrote in the envelope, reminding them to remove Qin Jiu¡¯s birthmark and eliminate this potential problem.
Next, she found an opportunity to go to the kitchte to cook a midnight snack for Old Madam Qin and used a fiery iron poker to make a mark on the location of the birthmark.
***
Chapter 449
Chapter 449
She originally thought that there would be no more problems in this life, so she did not expect that the servant working in the kitchen would be unwilling to resign from her work and run to the old marquis toin, saying that she had indeed left her post without permission but had left because of diarrhea. She did not expect the second young miss to run alone in the small kitchen and even said that she had put away the iron tongs.
Qin Xin was originally unaware at first, it was the Old Marquis who came to talk to Old Madam Qin about it, while she was lying in the blue gauze cab at that time and happened to hear it while pretending to be asleep.
She could not help but sneak a nce at the old marquis, at that time, the old marquis¡¯ eyes were deep, cold, and unapproachable, just like the eyes he had when he abandoned her in her previous life.
Qin Xin does not doubt that once the old marquis discovers something wrong with her, he will coldly abandon her as he did in her previous life¡ª¡ª
Wherever shees from, she should go back.
Qin Xin was afraid. Her identity must not be exposed; otherwise not only her parents would repeat the same mistakes in her previous life, but she would also return to dust once again.
She no longer wanted to live the same life as her previous one.
She did not want to, and she does not want to.
However, just why do Qin Zening and Qin Jiu let her off?!
Qin Xin clenched her fist tightly, digging her nails deeply into her tender palm.
Seeing that something was off with Qin Xin¡¯s expression, Zhao Aman pulled down her sleeve and softly called out, ¡°Daya¡¡±
Before she could finish speaking, they heard a loudmotion from outside the carriage, and many people seemed to have gathered outside.
Qin Xin came back to her senses as she slightly frowned and raised her hand to open a corner of the curtain to look outside the carriage.
At the sight that she saw outside, her pupils shrank in shock.
In front of the second prince¡¯s mansion was a bright red cinnabar gate tightly closed, and outside the gate, there were about a dozen yamens from Jingzhao gathered. There were also many people watching the excitement on both sides of the street, pointing and discussing it at the sight of many officials at the second prince¡¯s mansion.
Qin Xin¡¯s carriage which was heading towards the Second Prince¡¯s mansion was looked at with burning gazes from those officials.
Thump Thump!
Qin Xin¡¯s heartbeat suddenly skipped two beats and instinctively thought that the other party wasing to arrest her but she quickly calmed down andforted herself inwardly: she was now pregnant with the emperor¡¯s eldest grandchild and they did not have any evidence against her and even if they have, they would not dare to do anything to her now!
The tall and powerful squad leader walked over with a group of yamens in a fierce manner and stopped the carriage.
The officials were well trained to surround the carriage in groups, just like an iron bucket.
¡°Stop the carriage!¡± The squad leader said this in a cold voice to the coachman.
The coachman was apprehensive and said politely, ¡°Good sir, is there some misunderstanding?¡±
¡°There¡¯s no misunderstanding.¡± The head of the squad snorted lightly, and with a wave of his arm said, ¡°Men, take down the fugitive Zhao Aman!¡±
***
Chapter 450
Chapter 450
Upon hearing the squad leadering to arrest the fugitive, the onlookers were in a fit of uproar, and their discussions became livelier.
Qin Xin¡¯s eyes widened in surprise at the words and immediately scolded the squad leader.
¡°How presumptuous! What nonsense are you talking about, this is the carriage of the second prince!¡±
Qin Xin¡¯s willow eyebrows furrowed tightly, with amanding and invible appearance. She wanted to use the Second Prince to suppress these officials, no matter what she had to get rid of them first. As long as they enter the Prince¡¯s Mansion, these government officials would not dare to intrude without permission. Then, it could give her time to take a long-term n and try to send off her mother.
Zhao Aman was afraid and her round body shrank straight into the corner of the carriage, afraid that anyone outside would see her.
She looks at Qin Xin with a pleading gaze, begging her to find a way to save her.
The squad leader outside the carriage looked at Qin Xin calmly and said with a smirk, ¡°Miss Qin, not to mention that you¡¯re only the second prince¡¯s concubine, even if you¡¯re the second prince¡¯s consort, you can¡¯t hide a murderer.¡±
The reason why the squad leader was so convinced that Zhao Aman was on this carriage was because Gu Zezhi had just personally reported this to the officials of Jingzhao Prefecture. Jingzhao¡¯s Magistrate received Gu Zezhi¡¯s report and specifically instructed the squad leader to handle this matter properly.
The squad leader also wanted to use this incident to show off in front of the sixth prince and county king.
He could also see the situation clearly, with how the second prince had long displeased the emperor and how the emperor disliked him, and seeing how the sixth prince was in charge of the country, perhaps next year, he would be the crown prince.
There was also the County King, who was ordered by the emperor to assist him in government affairs. It was obvious that he valued him highly and would be highly valued more in the future.
Opportunities like these were rare, and must be seized, and cannot be missed.
Beforeing, the squad leader had already thought about it, so he did not give Qin Xin any face and ordered it once again. ¡°Still, not handing the fugitive. Capture her immediately!!¡±
After a moment¡¯s pause, he deliberately instructed his subordinates, ¡°Be careful, don¡¯t bump into Miss Qin, in case she identally loses the fetus, we¡¯ll be med by His Highness the Second Prince.¡±
That¡¯s what he said, but there was no hint of worry or fear on his face that was determined to seed.
The government officials immediately rushed up, two of whom rudely opened the door of the carriage, and two others got on the carriage and approached Zhao Aman.
¡°Daya!¡± Zhao Aman fearfully reached out to grab Qin Xin¡¯s hand.
At this time, one of the yamens grabbed her roughly and said in a rough voice. ¡°You still want to escape!¡±
Qin Xin instinctively withdrew her hand, afraid that she might collide with the yamen.
She was scared, the child in her womb was now her lifeline. If she had a miscarriage for any reason, she could not even imagine how Gu Jing would use any means to deal with her!
In a moment of hesitation, Zhao Aman was grabbed by the yamen, almost like a pair of iron pliers. The two yamens worked together to drag Zhao Aman off the carriage.
¡°Daya¡¡± Zhao Aman looked at her withdrawn hand as her eyes widened in disbelief but still begged bitterly. ¡°Daya, save me! Only you can help me!¡±
She believes that as long as her daughter insists on protecting her, these government officials would definitely not dare to take action against her; after all, her daughter was still pregnant with the emperor¡¯s grandson!
***
Chapter 451
Chapter 451
Qin Xin clutched her handkerchief as her eyes flickered brightly and secretly before she eventually turned her gaze away.
She has already done what she could, taking in her biological mother was already taking great risk.
Zhao Aman felt like she was falling into an ice cer as if her whole body was covered in ice from top to bottom, from outside to inside.
She was convinced that her daughter had given up on her!
Zhao Aman was unwilling and yelled as she cursed angrily. ¡°Li daya, you have no conscience! I sent you to the capital to let you live a prosperous life, and this is how you treat me?¡±
¡°You don¡¯t even care about your mother, you heartless, white-eyed wolf!¡±
¡°¡¡±
Zhao Amman¡¯s voice grew louder and louder, venting her raging resentment.
She did not know whether she felt heartache, unwillingness, or fear.
She gave everything for this daughter, for her to have a bright future, exchanging her with Erya, and letting her live a wealthy life in Marquis¡¯s mansion. Otherwise, how could she possibly marry into the Second Prince¡¯s and now could she conceive the emperor¡¯s grandson!
With all said and done, if it had not been for this incident, how could she have been in a life-threateningwsuit because she was in a hurry to marry off Erya!
And yet, her daughter has abandoned her so easily!
This was how her daughter repaid her!!
Zhao Aman¡¯s appearance looked deranged as she continued to curse her even more harshly, using all the malicious and vicious words she knew about Qin Xin.
The yamens did not stop her and allowed Zhao Aman to scold as they slowly sent her to the prison carriage.
¡°¡¡± Qin Xin in the carriage felt even more embarrassed when she heard these vicious words, turning her face red, and felt that all the eyes around her were watching a good show.
She hurriedly ordered Shu Xiang, ¡°Shu Xiang, go back to the mansion!¡±
Soon, the corner gate of the Second Prince¡¯s Mansion opened, the carriage hurriedly entered, and immediately the corner gate closed heavily, blocking the insults outside with the wall.
The carriage continued to drive slowly towards the direction of the inner gate, as Qin Xin looked at the direction of the corner gate in a daze.
She has feelings for Zhao Aman, her biological mother. In her past life, she, her parents, and her brother, the family spent the most difficult time together in Lingnan, supporting each other. At that time, her biological mother was very kind to her, and she and her brother were given priority in everything.
However, her current biological mother seems to have changed into a different person,pletely disregarding her situation to escape her crimes.
But then again, after thinking about it, she did not grow up next to her biological mother these years, so how could she expect her biological mother to treat her as she did in her previous life?
Outsiders may look at her now as someone pregnant with the emperor¡¯s eldest grandchild, like flowers adorned with brocade, but in fact, her situation was like cooking oil in mes, ready to be burned to death at any moment¡
When the carriage stopped, Shu Xiang helped Qin Xin get out of the carriage and lowered voice as she tentatively asked. ¡°Miss, would you like this servant to send someone to Jingzhao to inquire¡¡±
Qin Xin only nced coldly at Shu Xiang, who then shut up.
Qin Xin brushed her sleeves as she left while her cherry lips pursed tightly.
What else could she do? The evidence of her biological mother killing someone was conclusive, and if she was involved again, they would be a joke for the outsiders to see.
She had already had a difficult time.
Shu Xiang looked at Qin Xin¡¯s departing figure from behind as she stayed motionless with aplicated expression on her face.
Even she felt that her master was too cold-hearted. Zhao Aman was after all still her master¡¯s biological mother, and blood was thicker than water but her master just could not save her from this disaster, although she could always go to prison to take care of things so that Zhao Aman would suffer less in prison.
***
Chapter 452
Chapter 452
It gradually became quiet outside the mansion, and it seemed that even the people watching the excitement had left, making the surrounding area return to its tranquility.
The sky gradually darkened, and the night fell again.
The following morning, the news that Zhao Amamn was taken to Jingzhao by the yamens also reached the Marquis Mansion. This message was sent by Gu Zezhi.
Qin Zening once again apuded Gu Zezhi as he inwardly pped the table and shouted his praise: no wonder Gu Zezhi said at that time he could im some interest first, it turns out this is the interest!
He smiled and asked Qin Jiu, ¡°Xiao Jiu, do you want to go to Jingzhao to watch the fun?¡±
Logically speaking, this murder case should have been sent back to the ce of origin for trial; however, when Li Jinzhu was captured before, the emperor had issued an oral decree stating that this case should be tried in the capital; thus, after Zhao Aman was arrested and brought to justice, the case would still have been tried in Jingzhao.
Qin Zening looked at Qin Jiu without blinking, he knew that his sister had lived a hard life with Zhao Aman in the past few years. Zhao Aman often beat and scolded her, leaving scars all over his sister¡¯s body. He was afraid that these scars would not fade away in this lifetime¡
Qin Jiu put down the teacup and met Qin Zening¡¯s eyes with a few cautious nces before saying. ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡±
For Qin Jiu, the couple Zhao Aman and Li Jinzhu were nothing. She did not even exchange a few words with them, but she knew that they were the reason for the original knot in her heart.
If the original owner were still alive, she would want to see them convicted of their crimes and receive the punishment they deserve.
She should go on behalf of the original owner.
Qin Jiu took the carriage to Jingzhao.
Although the weather was cold and there was still fine snow in the air, it still could not stop those busybodies from wanting to watch the excitement. The entrance to Jingzhao¡¯s public hall was surrounded by people on the inner and outer floors.
When Qin Jiu arrived, Jing Zhaoyin and Hu Mingke had already opened the court and brought Li Jinzhu and Zhao Aman to the court.
As the saying goes, killing pays off one¡¯s life; this truth has never changed through age.
When their lives were at stake, Li Jinzhu and Zhao Amman¡¯s former marital rtionships had long been forgotten. They only wanted to survive, and both sides med each other for murder. They also brought back the ugly things of the past.
Li Jinzhu said that it was Zhao Aman who killed the old woman, and everything was Zhao Aman¡¯s idea, including switching their daughter with the Marquis¡¯ daughter, even after the old woman¡¯s death, the couple absconded, which was also Zhao Aman¡¯s proposal.
Zhao Aman cursed Li Jinzhu for being useless and unable to support their family. If it were not for her, their entire family would have starved to death long ago. She said that Li Jinzhu was just like their daughter, a white-eyed wolf, and even though he was the one whomitted the murder, he still pushed the me on her.
To escape the punishment, the husband and wife started fighting and ming the charges against each other. This scene made the people around them sigh as theymented to themselves how the couple, ¡°dog bites dog,¡± ¡°husband and wife were birds in the same forest that fly separately when disaster strikes,¡± and so on.
¡°Bang!¡±
The couple¡¯s verbal abuse was interrupted by the gavel¡¯s heavy m.
***
Chapter 453
Chapter 453
Hu Mingke had already made up his mind, and this interrogation was just a formality.
¡°Li Jinzhu, Zhao Aman, you and your wife conspired to kill someone, and yet you still intend to shirk your responsibility even now, so your crime is aggravated. This official will sentence the two of you to beheading.¡± Hu Mingke directly sentenced the case.
Li Jinzhu and Zhao Aman copsed in disbelief, and both shouted in unison. ¡°This is injustice, sir, thismoner is wrongfully used!¡±
Onlookers outside the court cheered loudly.
Bang bang!
Qin Jiu¡¯s heart was beating wildly at this moment, it seemed as if her heart did not belong to her.
She raised her hand and covered her heart, then suddenly crossed the high threshold and entered the Jingzhao court hall.
The gazes of those onlookers naturally turned toward Qin Jiu, and someone kindly called out, ¡°Miss¡¡±
This was Jingzhao¡¯s court hall, and ordinary people could only watch outside at most and were not allowed to enter casually; otherwise, they would be punished by the magistrate for making noise in court and may even get a beating.
However, Qin Jiu continued to walk forward as if she had not heard anything, but the yamens mostly knew Qin Jiu, so they did not dare stop her. They allowed her to enter court until she reached Zhao Aman and Li Jinzhu.
¡°Er¡ya.¡±
Zhao Aman called out in a trembling voice, looking at the girl in front of her who waspletely different from a year ago, her face turned pale.
Li Erya who used to be sallow, yellow, emaciated, was weak and ipetent; but now Qin Jiu was beautiful and charming, with a noble temperament like a bright moon in the sky, unattainable.
Zhao Aman could not help but think of Madam Wei, Qin Jiu looked at least 70% simr to Madam Wei.
Madam Wei has always been lenient towards others, and in the past, Li Erya has always been very filial to her¡
¡°Erya,¡± Zhao Aman said eagerly as if she had grasped a piece of driftwood. ¡°Help me, I have at least nurtured you for more than ten years¡¡±
¡°Pak!¡±
A fierce p interrupted Zhao Amman¡¯s words:
There was a moment of silence in court.
Logically speaking, this was certainly against the rules; however, legal principles were nothing more than human rtions. Hu Mingke silently thought to himself, that with the abuse of Li Jinzhu and Zhao Aman over the past few years, Qin Jiu just pped them in the face which was already a cheap deal for her.
¡°Pak!¡±
Immediately after, there was a second p hitting Li Jinzhu heavily on the face.
After these two ps, Qin Jiu proudly raised her hand to Hu Mingke behind a public case. ¡°Lord Hu, I apologize for my rudeness. I¡¯ll make amends with the lord next time.¡±
¡°No need to apologize. Miss Qin is too polite.¡± Hu Mingke was even more polite.
Qin Jiu never looked at Li Jinzhu and Zhao Aman again, nor did she say a word to them after pping them, she immediately strode away.
***
Chapter 454
Chapter 454
She came here on behalf of the original owner, and just now, these two ps were also given on behalf of the original owner.
Amidst the scorching gaze of the onlookers, Qin Jiu strode out of court.
Her heart was filled with joy, as if she had finallyid down the burden for many years, or as if a bird was happily fluttering and circling in her heart.
This was the emotions of the original owner.
Qin Jiu covered her heart again as the golden sunlight gently shone and only then did she realize that the snow outside had stopped at some point, and the sky after the snow became even clearer.
Qin Jiu stretched her waist and felt refreshed.
Suddenly, her movements froze, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw a familiar purple figure across the street who was looking at her with a smile on his face and those heart-stoppingly beautiful Phoenix eyes.
Qin Jiu felt embarrassed about being caught.
However, this emotion came and went quickly as the next moment she showed a brilliant smile and quickly walked towards Gu Zezhi across the street, affectionately hooked one of his fingers, and gently shook it.
¡°Are you here to pick me up?¡± There was a hint of coquettishness in her crisp voice together with a girlish charm.
¡°Of course.¡± Gu Zezhi smiled back, the wisps of sunlight reflecting off his pupils.
The cold wind swept through the street, and the branches adorned with plum blossoms swayed with the wind, emitting plum fragrance wisps, but it did not overpower the fragrant aroma of Gu Zezhi¡¯s body that smelt like green bamboo carried to the tip of Qin Jiu¡¯s nose.
His fingers were warm, and Qin Jiu coveted the warmth between his fingers, wrapping her cold hands tightly around them with her palms tightly pressed against his.
He took her hand, and, at a nce, he could see that her pale fingertips were slightly reddened.
¡°Does it hurt?¡± He asked.
When he asked, Qin Jiu remembered that she had just thrown two ps, which hurt her hand.
¡°Hurts!¡± She nodded and said in a soft voice.
Gu Zezhi took out a moon-white handkerchief and carefully wiped her delicate and tender fingers, wiping them clean one by one. He also removed a small porcin jar and slowly applied ointment to her hands.
The balm-like mutton fat was refreshing and cooling, emitting a delicate fragrance that was neither strong nor light, just right.
***
Chapter 455
Chapter 455
Duan Rou, who was across the street, watched this scene, feeling embarrassed even though neither of them did anything too intimate.
As she was just thinking of this, she saw Gu Zezhi quickly kiss Qin Jiu¡¯s hand the next moment, before they walked to the south along the streets hand-in-hand.
On the street, passersby who came and went often cast envious nces on the pair.
Duan Rou got into the carriage and instructed the coachman to follow at a distance.
The weather was getting colder recently, and only a few peddlers could be seen on the street, but the waiters in the roadside shops were out to attract customers.
Qin Jiu pulled Gu Zezhi along the road and casually strolled the street, by the time the two reached Huasheng Street Gu Zezhi¡¯s hands were already full of many things.
Qin Jiu walked along as she ate a bunch of candied haw. She asked casually. ¡°Do you want to eat this?¡±
¡°N.¡± Said Gu Zezhi, stopping in his tracks.
His meaning was very clear.
Qin Jiu had no choice but to stop to raise her hand and put the skewed candied haws in her hand towards Gu Zezhi¡¯s mouth¡
At this moment, the chaotic sound of the horse hooves suddenly came from the end of the street ahead.
A group of thirty or so imperial guards on horseback escorted a carriage speeding through Gu Zezhi and Qin Jiu¡¯s side.
Qin Jiu could not help but take another look at the carriage.
The carriage was not owned by amoner, at least it should be from a prince or a king. Looking where this group of people came from, it was from the direction of the south city gate.
Qin Jiu suddenly felt a tug on her right hand holding the candied haws and subconsciously turned to look at Gu Zezhi, who casually bit the candied haws from the skewer as if he was not the one who deliberately tugged the bamboo stick just now.
Childish! Qin Jiu looked at him with amusement, feeling that the image of the golden viin in the book was about to copse.
Gu Zezhi swallowed the candied haws before unhurriedly and calmly said. ¡°I heard that the emperor will ¡®send¡¯ the second prince back to the capital today.¡±
His meaning was that the person in the carriage just now should be Gu Jing.
Qin Jiu counted the days and remembered.
That¡¯s right.
The wedding between Gu Jing and Tang Fengchun would be the day after tomorrow.
¡°Is heing back to get married?¡± Qin Jiu raised her gaze and looked towards the group escorting the carriage in front of them, thinking that instead of ¡°send¡± it would be more urate to say he was being ¡°escorted.¡±
Gu Zezhi gently tugged her sleeve again.
Qin Jiu immediately put the candied haws in her hand to Gu Zezhi¡¯s mouth, to which thetter took another bite and vaguely said ¡°Yes.¡±
Qin Jiu always felt that the emperor¡¯s behavior of sending his son back for marriage had deeper meaning so she asked again. ¡°Then will he leave after?¡±
Gu Zezhi nodded affirmatively, ¡°Yes.¡±
Qin Jiu: ¡°¡¡±
Qin Jiu¡¯s expression looked veryplicated.
***
Chapter 456
Chapter 456
Calcting the time, winter hunting would be almost over, which means that the emperor would return to the capital by the beginning of the next month at thetest. This also means that after Gu Jing finally arrived at Nanyuan Hunting Pce after his wedding, he would have to rush home again.
Gu Zezhi grabbed her hand and sent the skewered candied haws towards his mouth again, saying with a smile, ¡°We¡¯ll be married soon too.¡±
Qin Jiu this time also took a bite at the candied haws, the sugary coating on the outeryer of the candied haws melted in her mouth slowly, and the sweet taste spread from her mouth to the bottom of her eyes and heart.
¡°En.¡± She responded softly and was unable to stop the sweet smile flowing from her eyes.
Her smile was bright and beautiful, with a hint of sweetness and longing reflected in it, like the spring breeze blowing the branches of a tree full of flower buds, charming, and attractive.
Gu Zezhi looked at her, his eyes brighter and hotter, and with deep attachment.
Recently, there have been many happy events in the capital. The second prince, Gu Jing, married on the 27th of the winter lunar month. The next day, the couple was summoned back by the emperor to the Nanyuan Hunting Pce to greet their rtives.
Simultaneously, the imperial n asked the Bureau of Astronomy to calcte the auspicious time for the County king, and thus early in the morning, he performed the rites and sent his betrothal gifts to the Qin mansion.
A hundred and twenty-eight people went out from the County King¡¯s pce bestowed by the emperor to Gu Zezhi. From this group, some were carrying betrothal gifts, others beating gongs and drums apanied by the Ministry of Rites and imperial guards.
These hundred people were headed to the Marquis of Loyalty¡¯s mansion, attracting many spectators watching the excitement along the way.
In addition to the items within the regtions prepared by the Imperial n, the County King also provided a portion of the dowry, totaling 128 loads. Each load was so heavy that the pole carrying the box was bent.
It has been several years since they saw this many and grand betrothal gifts being sent in the capital. Inparison, the second prince¡¯s betrothal gift previously could not even begin topare at all.
Some curious children and teenagers walked along with the procession of the betrothal gifts, wanting to wait for them to be delivered to the bride¡¯s mansion so that they could see what exactly was inside these boxes of betrothal gifts.
After the rites, the imperial n and Old Madam Qin officially set a wedding date for Gu Zezhi and Qin Jiu.
The wedding date was set a long time ago, but it was only through verbal agreement between Old Madam Qin and Madam Xiao. Thus, today, when the imperial n sends an invitation letter, it was finalized after the six rites.
Because it was just a process, both the eptance and invitation ceremonies went very smoothly. After one hour, officials from the Imperial n and the Ministry of Rites left, leaving only the unique smell of fireworks in the air.
The servants of Marquis¡¯s Mansion all walk with grace and honor. Today¡¯s event was dignified, showing the honor of the Marquis of Loyalty, which also represents the emperor¡¯s regard for the County King and the Marquis of Loyalty.
***
Chapter 457
Chapter 457
Old Madam Qin seemed to have taken some miraculous medicine, seeing how her depression in the past few days was swept away, looking refreshed as if she had be several years younger.
¡°Jiu¡¯er, Madam Xiao, and the County King are fond of you, if you recuperate earnestly, the people in the capital will look up to you in the future.¡± Old Madam Qin pulled Qin Jiu¡¯s hands smiling.
She has always been worried that Qin Jiu¡¯s past would be looked down on by prominent families and noble madams in the capital, afraid that she would not be able to integrate into the circle in the capital, but seeing the favor she was getting, she could now rest assured in the future.
With the love and protection of Empress Wei, the respect of her husband¡¯s family, and the support of the Marquis of Loyalty, no one would dare to look down on Qin Jiu from now on.
Qin Jiu also smiled and nodded. Gu Zezhi and Madam Xiao were really kind to her.
Old Madam Qin continued long-windedly, ¡°Today¡¯s betrothal gifts are the grandest in the past decades.¡±
¡°I only remember that back when the emperor was still the Crown Prince, when he gave the Crown Princess the betrothal gifts it was also this dignified.¡±
¡°At that time, it was also like today, people were watching the excitement along the way. The empress was in the Wei mansion in the capital back then¡¡±
Recalling these past events, Old Madam Qin¡¯s eyes shone with excitement and felt that in just a blink of an eye, many years had already passed.
¡°There¡¯s a saying that when adversity reaches its extreme it will turn into good times.¡± Old Madam Qin once again patted Qin Jiu¡¯s hands. ¡°You girl ah, are a blessed one. What you suffered in the past has turned into a blessing today.¡±
After saying this, Old Madam Qin recited the Buddha¡¯s name, twirling the string of Buddha beads in her hand. ¡°I¡¯m going to Huangjue Temple tomorrow to offer incense and repay my prayer.¡±
Qin Jiu had been cooped up in the mansion for two days and had been wanting to go out for some air. Smiling, she said. ¡°Grandma, I¡¯ll apany you.¡±
After apanying Old Madam Qin to Huangjue Temple, Qin Jiu stayed in the mansion and did not go out again.
The wedding was less than half a month away, and although she did not need to embroider her wedding dress, she still had to try it. Trying on the wedding dress once would take half a day, and since there would be some adjustments, she would need to try it repeatedly after the altercation. Just thinking about it made Qin Jiu feel that it was troublesome.
Other matters rted to weddings were handled by others. Apart from trying on the wedding dress, Qin Jiu only had to busy herself with her sewing. After a few days, she finally finished Madam Xiao¡¯s shoes.
Qin Jiu felt that her needlework had made rapid progress, and thinking that there were still some days before the wedding she thought of beingzy¡ahem, she should make a purse, sachet, and any simple needlework for Gu Zezhi.
Gu Zezhi was afraid that Qin Jiu would feel bored at home so he woulde to visit her almost everyday and bought her some gadgets. Yesterday, he brought her snacks from Jin Shiji, today he brought her story books, tomorrow he told her he would bring western dolls, and the day after tomorrow he would buy her a music box¡
Even Qin Zeyu would look forward to it along with her, and every day he would apany Qin Jiu, as he waited eagerly to see what fun things his brother-inw would bring to his sister that day.
***
Chapter 458
Chapter 458
Qin Jiu¡¯s life was very fulfilling and unknowingly time passed, when her sachet was halfway done, she suddenly heard that the emperor was returning to the capital.
Gu Zezhi and Gu Zhen led the ministers out of the city to pick them up, attracting many people to watch which made the capital bustling after a long time.
After returning, the emperor listened to Gu Zhen¡¯s various reports in the hall and became increasingly satisfied as he listened.
Gu Zhen was only 6 years old and yet at such a young age, he had grown so much in just one year, far exceeding the emperor¡¯s expectations for him.
As expected, Gu Zezhi has indeed taught Gu Zhen well. His cousin was truly capable of governing a country with both literary and martial art skills.
Satisfied, the emperor started to n whether he should let Gu Zhen live in Gu Zezhi¡¯s mansion for a while so he could learn more and let Gu Zezhi partake in his knowledge. Sessively, the two of them could assume the position of crown prince and Grand Tutor.
At the court the next morning, the emperor once again proposed to appoint the sixth prince, Gu Zhen, as the crown prince.
This time, there were significantly fewer who opposed than before winter hunting, and unlike before their momentum was very weak.
After retreating from the court, Lord Chengen walked out of Jinluan Hall with a heavy face, and with only a few people around him, looking out of ce.
Lord Chengen walked in silence for a while, when, finally, someone could no longer hold it. A middle-aged courtier said with a deep frown. ¡°My Lord, this official is afraid it won¡¯t work.¡±
¡°Yes, Lord Chengen, with the current situation¡¡± another old minister with gray hair sighed deeply and long.
The others also hadplicated looks on their faces; some of them had regrets recently and wished they could go back in time and p themselves.
Ai, why would they get on this ship just because they wanted the dragon¡¯s power?
Previously, the emperor¡¯s dragon body was deteriorating, seeing how he continuously used decoctions and elixirs, not to mention that he sought medical attention from the imperial physician every two or three days, which made the imperial physicians even more worried. Anyone could tell that the emperor was not doing well, and that he would not be able to survive for a long time.
If the emperor had a long life to live, his courtiers would naturally not be in a hurry to take sides. However, the emperor was seriously ill at the time, and although the sixth prince was the emperor¡¯s legitimate son, he was too young. The emperor¡¯s dragon body was unable to endure until the sixth prince reached adulthood, and the second prince was the eldest son, showing himself to be with great wisdom and capabilities.
Thus, when Lord Chengen came to them, they agreed. Of course, some of these people also took the initiative to dere their intentions to Lord Chengen.
But now ¡¡
Thinking of the deficit case at Taipusu and the thought of Qin Zhun, who had his properties confiscated and his title taken away from him, these people felt as if they did not have lips, and their teeth felt cold*.
(*close rtionship between good and bad)
The second prince has not even be the crown prince, and he was already a ¡°cooked dog¡±*.
(*when the rabbit dies, the hunting dog will be eaten instead)
Qin Zhun worked hard and did his best for the sake of the Second Prince, almost squandering all his family¡¯s wealth. However, even after giving so much money to the second prince, thetter did not remember his kindness and Qin Zhun did not end well, so what about them?!
***
Chapter 459
Chapter 459
The more courtiers thought about it, the more cold they felt, especially now that the second prince chose to marry someone from Wang Yu¡¯s side; this was something they, the courtiers, could not understand.
However, they could no longer leave the second prince¡¯s ship.
Therefore, they attempted to persuade Lord Chengen to ept it.
If they withdraw now, they could escape unscathed, even if this means they could not make progress in their career in the future, at least they would not get hurt. The emperor has always been lenient, and the most he could do was beat them.
How could Lord Chengen not know the current situation was not quite favorable, but he was not willing to do so.
If the sixth prince ascended to the throne, the title of Lord Chengen would be passed down to one generation at most, and their Liu family would be extinct, so how could he be willing!
Besides, the second prince had not lost yet, and he was not without hope.
Lord Chengen pacified them. ¡°You must not imitate others¡¯ ambitions. Don¡¯t forget that the second prince will soon have the emperor¡¯s eldest grandson.¡±
¡°The sixth prince is too young. How can a six-year-old child be fit for the position of a crown prince!¡±
¡°¡¡±
After persuading these people, Lord Chengen continued to say that this would soon be an old story when all was said and done. He knew very well in his heart that these people would not act without him giving them something in return, and if they did not see some hope, they might have second thoughts.
His eyes flickered with dark light as his gaze fell on Gu Zezhi, who was talking to someone ahead.
The two crossed and passed by without saying a word to each other.
Lord Chengen left the pce, while Gu Zezhi entered imperial study.
As soon as the emperor saw Gu Zezhi, he invited him to sit down and said teasingly, as he smiled. ¡°Zezhi, I see that Zhen¡¯er is very attached to you, why don¡¯t you bring him back to your mansion and stay there for some time.¡±
Gu Zezhi raised his gaze meeting the emperor¡¯s eyes and said calmly. ¡°Your majesty, I¡¯m getting married soon.¡±
The aim was to ask the emperor to spare him.
The emperorughed out loud, walked over to sit beside Gu Zezhi, and smiled. ¡°How are the wedding preparations going?¡±
¡°77 to 78%.¡± The bottom of Gu Zezhi¡¯s eyes was filled with smiles like spring water rippling and reflecting radiantly on his face.
Looking at the young man¡¯s spirited appearance, the emperor also felt emotional. He could not help but recall his feelings when he was the groom and gave Gu Zezhi some advice.
Gu Zezhi also listened patiently.
The two, the ruler and his minister, were talking andughing, making the atmosphere in the imperial study pleasant until Zhou Xin came in and presented a document. ¡°Your Majesty, the third son of Wang Yu, Gu Xi, handed this document just now, requesting to return to Yuzhou with the County Princess Duan Rou.¡±
After the words fell, there was silence in imperial study.
The unicorn three-legged incense burner in the corner curled up and exhaled a puff of green smoke and a light smoky aroma filled the air.
***
Chapter 460
Chapter 460
The emperor slowly turned the jade ring on his thumb and turned his head to look at Gu Zezhi beside him, his eyes deep.
The corners of Gu Zezhi¡¯s lips hooked in a smile and said, ¡°Your Majesty, there have been a few more barrels of kerosene in the Jiuqi Garden recently.¡±
Emperor: ¡°¡¡±
The emperor¡¯s face remained unperturbed and his eyes grew a little darker, carried with a touch of superiority as if he was overlooking all living beings in his high and mighty seat.
Gu Zezhi continued unhurriedly. ¡°They should be making a move.¡±
¡°Zezhi, should we dy it for a few more days?¡± The emperor turned the jade ring twice, as he said, in a deep voice.
Gu Zezhi smiled faintly and rightfully repeated, ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯m about to get married!¡±
He meant that it would be better if this matter would be resolved early, so as to not dy his marriage.
Seeing him acting like everything was less important than his marriage, the emperor could not help but burst outughing again. Feeling happy, he was thinking of going to the Fengluan Pce for lunchter and talked to Empress Wei.
¡°As you wish.¡± The emperor took the ink and paper and approved the documents in front of Gu Zezhi.
It was almost like saying straight out that he was not going to dy his marriage!
On the same day, this document returned to Jiuqi Garden on the outskirts of the capital.
County Princess Duan Rou smiled with a smug while looking at the document. ¡°Third brother, this imperial uncle of ours is really weak, as he has been for decades, and you said that he would not let us go so easily, and yet here is the document. Look, didn¡¯t he approve of this so easily?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t see how imperial uncle would dare to detain us in the capital, he¡¯s still afraid that father will raise an army.¡±
County Princess Duan Rou¡¯s eyes show a look of contempt, seeing how the emperor¡¯s actions have repeatedly proven that he was just a weak and ipetent monarch who was not worthy of the throne.
Gu Xi pinched the document as he looked at the bloody-like ink marks on the paper, also turning his eyes red.
Unlike County Princess Duan Rou, who was optimistic, Gu Xi said softly. ¡°I always feel that things are going too smoothly.¡± It was so smooth that Gu Xi always felt something was wrong.
Originally, he chose this time to hand over the document, hoping that the emperor would embarrass them and prevent them from leaving. He also thought about what to say if the emperor found trouble with them, but surprisingly, the emperor approved this so easily. Was it because he thought he could not stop them, so he should just be a good person again, or was it because he had some ulterior motives?
County Princess Duan Rou felt that her third brother had a convoluted mind and thought too much into it. He insisted on making things veryplex when they were very simple.
Since Wang Yu had instructed Gu Xi to take charge of the trip before leaving, County Princess Duan Rou patiently asked. ¡°Third Brother, then do we still have to go?¡±
Gu Xi closed the document and nodded, ¡°Go, of course.¡±
Regardless of what the emperor¡¯s intentions were, he would never dare to force the brother and sister to stay. At most, he would find a few reasons to embarrass them.
They have already aplished the purpose of their trips to the capital. As long as they returned to Yuzhou, the sky was high, and the emperor was far away, who could do anything to them!
¡°Snap!¡±
Gu Xi raised his hand and gave three consecutive ps, shouting, ¡°Someonee!¡±
A tall and muscr body guard entered the study and greeted Gu Xi with a cup fist.
¡°Proceed as nned.¡± Gu Xi ordered sinctly.
***
Chapter 461
Chapter 461
The captain of the guard immediately epted the order and, in an instant, his whole body released a cold murderous aura resembling a sharp de being unsheathed.
While the captain of the guard retreated, Gu Xi stood up and said to County Princess Duan Rou. ¡°Duan Rou, let¡¯s go see grandma.¡±
County Princess Duan Rou got up, and the siblings went to Consort Fang¡¯s pce.
At this moment, it was already dusk and the sky was dark. The sunset glow dyed the western sky red, like a raging fire. Therge rednterns under the eaves and courtyard were already lit, and the night fell again.
The entire Jiuqi Garden was shrouded during the silent night, with bright lights in every corner of the pce, yet giving people a feeling of lifelessness.
The next day, news that the emperor allowed Gu Xi and County Princess Duan Rou to return to Yuzhou also spread in court. This caused an uproar, shocked that the emperor could easily let the children of Wang Yu return.
While the courtiers had mixed reactions, some felt that the emperor was too lenient and some respected thete emperor¡¯s legacy and regarded peace with Wang Yu as the most important thing, while others suggested that the emperor should assign marriage to County Princess Duan Rou, just like when Princess Yongle left in Yuzhou.
This proposal was based on interest, wanting to keep County Princess Duan Rou in the capital as a hostage, which immediately attracted the support of many courtiers. Some even took the opportunity to propose that the emperor should also choose a princess to be married off to Yuzhou. The second princess Xinan was at the right age and they confidently stated that the emperor and Wang Yu were both the sons of thete emperor, and that they should make peace with each other as brothers.
¡°Pak!¡±
The emperor threw a piece of document heavily on the desk causing it to collide with a stack of papers piled high next to it. The documents swayed, and Zhou Xin, who was serving tea, immediately saw this with his quick eyes and supported the documents with his hands.
The emperor said coldly, ¡°Zhou Mingyuan is senile and confused, it¡¯s time to let his heir honor him.¡±
Zhou Xin was the head eunuch who had served beside the emperor, so he knew the civil and military ministers and royal nobles in the court like the palm of his hands. The emperor kept saying that Zhou Mingyuan was already old, but in fact Zhou Mingyu was only in his forties. For officials, this was the most prosperous time, but now he needs to ¡°retire¡± early.
Some people ah just need to be beaten!
Zhou Xin secretly said to himself and respectfully epted the order.
Who did not know that the death of Princess Yongle was the cause of pain for the Empress Dowager and the emperor, and yet they were trying to persuade the emperor to send one of his daughters to death? Was this not just like stabbing the emperor again?!
After Zhou Mingyuan ¡°retired¡± from his post, others naturally settled down.
After Zhou Xin withdrew, the emperor still felt dissatisfied and could not help, but exim. ¡°Zezhi, am I too good-tempered?¡± So much so that these courtiers felt that he would put his face over for Wang Yu to hit!
Gu Zezhi smiled faintly, and his warm gaze met the emperor¡¯s eyes as he said. ¡°Your Majesty is a benevolent ruler.¡±
This sentencees from the bottom of Gu Zezhi¡¯s heart.
***
Chapter 462
Chapter 462
In Gu Zezhi¡¯s view, the emperor was a benevolent ruler. A monarch who was willing to ept advice, broad-minded, had his people in mind, implemented benevolent governance internally, at the same time not losing his pride, and was upright.
If thete emperor, the defeated monarch of the declining country, had not preceded him, he would be able to restore and bring prosperity to the Daqi Dynasty. However, there was no ¡°if¡± in this world, the Daqi dynasty left by thete emperor was just a pile of dpidated mess. Thus, if the emperor who rules now was not benevolent and upright, orcking courage, the Daqi dynasty would not havee to this point today. It has not been easy!
Gu Zezhi could imagine that in the 11 years since he ascended the throne, the emperor must have worked hard to preserve these thousand miles of rivers and mountains, otherwise, his dragon body would not have been so damaged that he was in danger.
Gu Zezhi knew what words should be said and what words should not, but although he did not say it explicitly, the emperor was also aware of what hecked.
¡°Zhen¡¯er¡¯s temperament is actually like mine¡¡± the emperor sighed.
Previously, the emperor had asked Gu Zezhi to evaluate several of his princes, but he knew it well. After all, nobody understands one¡¯s son better than his father, and they were not ordinary families. The royal family controls the lifeblood of the world; therefore, from the birth of several princes, the emperor has been observing their temperament and whether they were worthy of the throne.
Gu Jing could neither be a virtuous ruler nor a wise emperor.
Gu Zezhi looked at the emperor and said, still smiling. ¡°If your majesty leaves Gu Zhen with peace and prosperity, then he can give Daqi a prosperous era.¡±
Remaining the gentle and elegant smile stered on his face, Gu Zezhi said these words with burning eyes and a kind of confidence that soared within as if looking down upon the world.
The emperor, who was still a little depressed, smiled again, feeling refreshed, and deliberately asked again, ¡°Zezhi, do you really don¡¯t want to take Zhen¡¯er back?¡±
Gu Zezhi tly refused, ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯m about to get married.¡±
Just thinking about it, Gu Zezhi¡¯s eyes bloomed like stars at night.
In order not to dy Gu Zezhi¡¯s marriage, the emperor only gave Wang Yu¡¯s children three days to depart, and when the time came, Gu Xi and County Princess Duan Rou set off.
The emperor did not send them off with gifts, and the group left the capital in a cold and deserted manner.
On the same day, Dowager Consort Fang asked Empress Dowager Liu to send her grandson and granddaughter away; however, Empress Dowager Liu refused. Dowager Consort Fang cried and made a mess in her pce, but Empress Dowager Liu remained unmoved and ignored her; she only gave a word to the eunuch to let her be.
With no other way, Dowager Consort Fang was kneeling and crying at the memorial tablet of thete emperor in the pce, saying how hard her life had been and why thete emperor did not take her away, or why the empress dowager and the emperor did not even remember thete emperor¡¯s edicts, deliberately excluding her¡
These words reached the ears of Empress Dowager Liu.
When Empress Dowager Liu thought of her long-dead daughter Yongle, and her bitter granddaughter, her heart became even more hateful, and she said a harsh sentence, ¡°Since the Dowager Consort misses thete Emperor so much, and is deeply in love, she should go and apany thete Emperor, what¡¯s the use of crying!¡±
Empress Dowager Liu said this, and the eunuch truthfully conveyed her edict.
On the evening of that day, the Jiuqu Garden was flooded.
The people living in the Jiuqi Garden were all the concubines left by thete emperor, who were now called imperial concubines, and the burning Tai¡¯an Pce was where Dowager Consort Fang was.
The crimson me flew up with billowing smoke, dyeing the night red looking like a flood.
***
Chapter 463
Chapter 463
In the pce, there was a momentary uproar like the noise of boiling water, and everyone looked in disbelief at the direction of the mes.
¡°I¡¯m running out of water!¡±
¡°Put out the fire!¡±
¡°The Dowager Consort¡¯s chambers have caught fire!¡±
¡°¡¡±
Hysterical shouts prated the silence of the night both inside and outside the Tai¡¯an Pce.
The zing fire greedily engulfed and burned the west side of the hall, and the scorching heat almost prated through the walls to the main hall, while the burning smell permeated the air, making people feel like they were on pins and needles.
An explosion could be heard outside, but the main hall was surprisingly quiet, with three people; one was sitting and two standing in an open hall.
The emperor and Gu Zezhi both had calm and unfazed expressions on their faces, while Dowager Consort Fang¡¯s face was pale.
Dowager Consort Fang was widowed so she was dressed in in and neat clothes.
However, the patient¡¯s condition was well maintained. She was clearly in her forties, but she looked less than 40 years old, her fair skin was as smooth as jade, and her slightly furrowed brows looked charming, making those who looked at her feel pity.
Unfortunately, she was currently facing the emperor and Gu Zezhi.
Dowager Consort Fang tried hard to suppress fear and panic in her heart and pretended to be calm when she asked the emperor. ¡°Your Majesty, what are you doing here?!¡±
¡°This Tai¡¯an Pce is the residence of thete emperor¡¯s concubines, although you are the emperor, you are also the son of thete emperor, how can you disrespect your mother consort!!!¡±
¡°What is the reason for your unannounced visit in the middle of the night?¡±
Dowager Consort Fang looked fierce in appearance, but weak in reality, as her every word became more resounding than the other.
In just a few words, she felt that the surroundings seemed to get hotter as if she were in a furnace.
The emperor¡¯s gaze at Dowager Consort Fang resembled a sharp arrow that seemed to pierce her heart. His tone was nonchnt, ¡°Didn¡¯t Gu Xie to the capital this time to take you with him? Howe he hasn¡¯t taken you yet?¡±
¡°Did you change your mind or¡¡±
The emperor paused, his voice colder. ¡°Or, did he bring the wrong person?¡±
How did the emperor know! Dowager Consort Fang¡¯s eyes widened.
The next moment, as if a thunderbolt suddenly struck her heart, Dowager Consort Fang¡¯s paleplexion turned even paler, and her body trembled slightly.
She suddenly realized that the emperor knew everything; from beginning to end, he knew everything.
The emperor sighed faintly, ¡°It¡¯s a shame that Gu Xi worked so hard to make this trip, but howe he got the wrong person before leaving?¡±
Dowager Consort Fang: ¡°¡¡±
Dowager consort Fang clenched her teeth tightly, while herplexion was now as white as a corpse, without any blood.
For the past 11 years, she has been living in the capital as if the day passes like a year. She wanted to leave every day, but could not. She was trapped in this small Jiuqu Garden by the emperor.
She misses her son, misses her grandson, and even more misses her past glory.
***
Chapter 464
Chapter 464
Although she now holds the title of Consort Dowager, she was still trapped in Jiuqi Garden and cannot leave. In contrast, Empress Dowager Liu was being worshiped by people in glory. Today, she would travel with the emperor and tomorrow, and would go to the Taoist temple to burn incense and pay respect.
Especially after Yongle¡¯s death, Empress Dowager Liu vented her anger, constantly asking her to copy Buddhist scriptures for thete emperor or go to the temple to kneel and pray for him. It was not until her grandson and granddaughter came to the capital this time that she saw a glimmer of hope in her desperate situation.
Her grandson Gu Xi said that he came to the capital this time to take her away, her son, Wang Yu said he had long wanted to go on a Northern Expedition but because the emperor was being despicable and shameless, he took her as a hostage so, he did not dare to act recklessly.
He also said that Wang Yu had already nned everything and just asked her to rx; as long as she cooperated with their n, she would be able to leave the capital smoothly and would see the wide sea and vast sky.
Imperial Consort Fang was naturally moved, she had been a caged bird for 11 years and wished she could fly to Yuzhou immediately.
The n was going so well that she thought she could finally leave tonight.
Imperial Consort Fang¡¯s eyes flickered and were unable to say a word.
The emperor sneered and said, ¡°On the first day of the eleventh month, you took the opportunity of being sick to call Gu Xi and Duan Rou into Jiuqu Garden to take care of you, it was then you made this n.¡±
¡°Gu Xi had people smuggle so much kerosene into the pce, do you think I don¡¯t know anything?¡±
Gu Xi took advantage of the manure cart to transport the kerosene in, little by little, thinking that this move was extremely secretive. However, with Imperial Consort Fang in Jiuqi Garden, how could the emperor let down his guard, especially with Wang Yu¡¯s people still in the capital.
Imperial Consort Fang: ¡°!¡±
Wang Yu nned to fake her death so she could escape. First, Gu Xi took advantage of her illness to move her into Jiuqi Garden and then took this opportunity to bring the double they brought to her side.
When the right time came, her substitute would dress up as her and stay in Jiuqi Garden, while she would quietly leave the capital with Gu Xi and others.
Finally, the time hase.
Gu Xi asked for an edict from the emperor for them to return to Yuzhou, to which the emperor immediately agreed. The substitute was then arranged.
ording to the n, the substitute would set herself on fire in anger after being ¡°provoked¡± by Empress Dowager Liu.
In this way, no one would know that she had already gone to Yuzhou, and when Wang Yu¡¯s northern expedition seeds in the future, she would be able to reappear in front of the people with the dignity of Empress Dowager. In this world, the winner was the king and the loser was the bandit. And the world would naturally praise her for enduring humiliation and bearing the burden for the past 11 years.
ording to the n, she quietly hides in the cart delivering vegetables that leaves the Jiuqi Garden today. Due to the narrow and stuffy inteyer of the cart, she needed to remain motionless for nearly an hour; therefore, Gu Xi specially prepared a medicine for her. As long as she takes it, she would soon fall asleep, and when she wakes up an hourter, she would naturally be free.
***
Chapter 465
Chapter 465
An hour ago, after taking the medicine, she quickly lost consciousness, and when she opened her eyes again, she was shocked to find that she was still in the Tai¡¯an Pce. The substitute was nowhere to be seen and the pce servants were not around.
She tried to call someone, but none of them responded. She then saw a fire that ran in the direction of the east-side hall, which was very intense. She knew something was wrong and wanted to leave, but the medicinal properties in her body had not yet dissipated, so she struggled to hold onto the wall to reach the main hall. What caught her eye were the figures of the emperor and Gu Zezhi¡
At that instant, Imperial Consort Fang knew that she would not be able to escape tonight!
¡°There¡¯s fire! The fire is almost reaching the main hall!¡±
¡°Put out the fire!!!¡±
The shouts outside were still ringing one after another, and the fire was getting bigger and bigger.
Imperial Consort Fang felt the scorching heat wavesing as if the next moment a big fire would pour like a burst of floodwater.
Both frightened and uneasy, Imperial Consort Fang struggled to maintain her standing posture by holding on to the wall with one hand, and said with difficulty. ¡°Your Majesty, you¡ what on earth do you want to do?¡±
Her throat burnt like it was on fire, and her voice struggled to squeeze between her teeth.
¡°You should be asking this emperor¡¯s seventh imperial brother what he wants to do.¡± The emperor¡¯s brows revealed a trace of undisguised sarcasm as he faintly added, ¡°Imperial Consort, this kerosene and this fire, are specially given to you by this emperor¡¯s seventh imperial brother in honor of you.¡±
¡°Seventh Imperial Brother has always been filial, so the Consort Dowager should just take it easy.¡±
The emperor looked at Imperial Consort Fang with cold and sharp eyes. Did they not want to set her body on fire so that no one could recognize her face, so the Imperial Consort could then use this to escape? Then he would fulfill them!
Imperial Consort Fang¡¯s feet felt weak, so much so that her legs hidden in her skirt trembled uncontrobly. She said in a trembling voice. ¡°No, Your Majesty, you promised thete emperor that you would treat this consort well.¡±
That¡¯s right, the emperor had promised him before. It was the emperor¡¯s words; he could not simply watch her being burned to death.
No ripples could be seen on the emperor¡¯s calm face, but his eyes were colder, as he asked unhurriedly. ¡°Then didn¡¯t seventh imperial brother also promise thete emperor that he would treat Yongle well?!¡±
¡°Who was it that promised before thete emperor¡¯s bed that he would never let Yongle suffer any injustice?¡±
¡°What¡¯s the result?!¡±
¡°Yongle is his imperial sister, Hanjun is his niece, their bloodlines are connected and their blood is thicker than water, but what did Seventh Imperial Brother do to them?¡±
¡°Seventh Imperial Brother treats them like this, and expects me to honor his mother?¡±
The emperor¡¯s cold voice pierced the cold wind of the twelfth lunar month, and his gaze was sharp as he looked at Imperial Consort Fang. He did not believe that Imperial Consort Fang knows nothing.
***
Chapter 466
Chapter 466
Imperial Consort Fang¡¯s pupils shrank and her lips turned pale. For a moment, she felt as if she had fallen into an ice cer, and the next moment, she felt that she was being put on fire.
Her throat felt even drier, and it took several attempts before she could make a sound. ¡°Your Majesty, this consort is your mother consort.¡±
A consort was also a mother! If the emperor was unfilial, was he not afraid of the world questioning him?
¡°Yongle is Wang Yu¡¯s elder sister!¡± The emperor said this word for word. Wang Yu and Imperial Consort Fang did not care about blood rtives in the slightest and yet they wanted to put a high hat on him.
Imperial Consort Fang: ¡°¡.¡±
Imperial Consort Fang was leaning her body against the wall while breathing heavily.
¡°Hoo¡ hoo¡¡±
The airing out of her mouth and nose was so hot that dense sweat seeped from her forehead and body, almost soaking her clothes.
She knew in her heart that it would be difficult for her to escape tonight, and this was making her afraid, but even so, she could not help but desperately defend herself. ¡°It wasn¡¯t Wang Yu who did it, it was Dong Ping¡it was those people below who were negligent of Yongle.¡±
Negligent?! The emperor sneered and curled his lips.
If it were not for Wang Yu¡¯s acquiescence and attitude, who would be so bold as to dare insult or bully a noble princess like this!
Imperial Consort Fang¡¯s words were nothing more than an attempt to salvage the situation. She thought that he would endure them all his life and tolerate them!!
The emperor looked at Imperial Consort Fang with a cold expression and his pupils darkened as he nodded and chillingly said. ¡°Yes, Yongle¡¯s death was not because of seventh imperial brother.¡±
¡°And this is not my doing either. I did not order you to be killed, nor did I order anyone to set this pce on fire.¡±
¡°It was your good grandson who ordered the fire, who arranged this ¡®self-immtion¡¯.¡±
¡°Imperial Consort, just enjoy the filial piety of your son and your grandson.¡±
As he said this, Gu Zezhi casually pushed open a window, looked in the direction of the east side hall, and assessed the intensity of the fire.
Almost the entire east-side hall was aze, with a raging fire staining arge area of the sky to red, and the mes were about to reach the main entrance of the hall.
Gu Zezhi immediately closed the window again and said his first words since arriving at Tai¡¯an Pce, ¡°Your Majesty, we can leave.¡±
Gu Zezhi did not even nce at Imperial Consort Fang as if she did not exist at all.
The emperor then stood up, casually dusting off his sapphire blue robe, and when his gaze met Gu Zhi, there was more than a little warmth as he said, ¡°Zezhi, let¡¯s go.¡±
Someone had set a fire here, and as the emperor, he should not havee in person; however, the emperor hated Wang Yu and Imperial Consort Fang so much that he wanted to see it with his own eyes, so he came.
The emperor left the pce incognito with Gu Zezhi and did not bring anyone else with him, to avoid being discovered by Gu Xi¡¯s people and prevent his ns from failing.
At this moment, in the vast Tai¡¯an Pce, apart from the emperor and Gu Zezhi, there was no one else. These pce members have long been secretly subdued by Gu Zezhi.
***
Chapter 467
Chapter 467
The emperor turned around without hesitation, but his heart was not as calm as it had appeared at the moment.
He always believed in the exchange of benevolence for benevolence. Over the years, although his treatment of Imperial Consort Fang was poor, he did not treat her badly. He treated her ording to her status as the imperial consort, thinking that at least Wang Yu would not treat Yongle too badly, but unexpectedly he underestimated Wang Yu¡¯s cruelty.
Tightly clenching his fist filled with hatred, the emperor strode towards the back.
¡°Your Majesty!¡±
Imperial Consort Fang wanted to stop the emperor and catch up with him, but as soon as she took a step, her feet went limp and she fell onto the gold brick floor, and even the bun on her head became loose, leaving several messy strands on her cheeks, making her look disheveled.
The medication in her body had not yet dissipated, and her limbs werepletely uncontroble.
At that time, the emperor stopped his steps.
Seeing this, a glimmer of hope rose in Imperial Consort Fang¡¯s anxious eyes, thinking that the emperor softened his heart. ¡°Your Majesty¡¡±
The emperor did not turn back and just coldly said. ¡°I promised thete emperor that I would treat you well and would not hurt you, and I have naturally done so.¡±
He did not set fire nor did he drug the imperial consort. It was her grandson who personally handed this medicine to her, and she took it herself.
The emperor continued to walk forward with the long strides. At this time, he never stopped his steps.
¡°Your Majesty, Your Majesty ¡¡¡±
Imperial Consort Fang shouted at the top of her lungs, but she was too weak now, and her voice was like the sound of a mosquito, which was unnoticeable in the hustle and noise outside.
¡°Help, help¡¡± Imperial Consort Fang was afraid, anxious, and regretful as her weak body tried to climb up but her wrists were too weak to hold herself up causing her to fall again.
She could only crawl forward with all of her strengths, but her hands and feet were out of control. Even with all her might, she was only slowly crawling on the ground, like a worm.
The fire outside was getting bigger and bigger, the gold brick floor under her was so hot that it could almost cook a person, while the lighting from the fire through the window was getting redder and redder as if the mes began to greedily devour the window paper and window pane¡
The fire was about toe in!
Imperial Consort Fang was extremely frightened, her pupils were cloudy, and her entire body trembled uncontrobly.
Boundless despair enveloped her.
Imperial Consort Fang¡¯s eyes were almost unbelievably wide, and her eye socket looked like it was filled with a ferocious bloodshot as she looked at the bloody red mes.
A few months before the death of thete emperor, he was already lying on his sick bed, but he was still able to draft a decree for Wang Yu in advance, arranging for him to go to the fiefdom of Yuzhou to prevent brothers from killing each other. On the night of thete emperor¡¯s death, he summoned all n members and ministers in advance. When they arrived at his dragon bed, he made him vow in front of them so that he would not take action against Wang Yu and her; this was both a father¡¯s and a monarch¡¯s order, so he could only do so.
Thete emperor was supposed to exin what would happen to Imperial Consort Fang, but only halfway through the conversation he died. Thus, the emperor was able to use the ancestral system to force her to stay in the capital and to prevent her from going to Yuzhou with her son. These damn n members and ministers turned a blind eye and left her in the air.
This made her hate them and also hated why the emperor did not abolish the crown prince and establish her son instead.
***
Chapter 468
Chapter 468
Since they all treated her like this, Yongle would have had to repay her suffering. She could not fly out of the capital, and Yongle would have to be trapped in Yuzhou.
During the funeral of thete emperor, she finally found the opportunity to whisper a word or two to Wang Yu, urging him to vent her anger. However, at that time, with many eyes watching her, she could only say this sentence and was immediately separated by people watching her.
The next day, Wang Yu set off to Yuzhou, but she did not have the chance to say goodbye to her son and could only look at him from a distance through the window.
She knew that this farewell might be a forever goodbye unless her son could make it on the northern expedition one day and be the master of this vastnd.
Although at that time, her son had two words:
Rest assured.
She knew what her son meant and asked her to be a patient. One day, he would go on a northern expedition and return to the capital.
In the past 11 years, she has been living a day like a year, but she knows that Yongle¡¯s life would be even harder than hers!
Last year, when the news of Yongle¡¯s death came, Imperial Consort Fang was extremely happy and locked herself in the room,ughing loudly. She even felt that Yongle had died toote.
At that time, she felt faintly that her turn to get away from this hell hole wasing.
Fang Hanjun entered the capital and verified her spection. Based on her understanding of her son, he could never have let Fang Hanjun go lightly and freely. He must be nning something.
A few monthster, Gu Xi and Duan Rou arrived, bringing her a definite message that her son was taking her out of the capital.
But now ¡¡
How could the result be like this?!
She was going to Yuzhou, and she would ascend to the position of Empress Dowager in the future and let Liu kneel at her feet and beg for mercy. How could she die so silently?!
It should not be like this! It should not be like this!!
Just then, a voice of a male whispering came from outside the hall at the back right. ¡°Now that the people have all been drawn to the east side of the hall to put out the fire, this is the ce.¡±
¡°Hurry up!¡± Another male voice urged impatiently, ¡°As long as this fire burns the person to the ground, no one will know that it¡¯s an impostor inside, and we can go and resume our orders to the Third Prince.¡±
Imperial Consort Fang hurriedly turned her head and discovered that there was a hole in the size of a finger on the window paper. Outside the window, two tall figures of men were reflected on the window paper, looking a bit ferocious.
¡°Don¡¯t¡¡±
Imperial Consort Fang struggled to make a sound, trying to stop them from burning the pce. She wanted to say that she was still inside, but her voice was weak and hoarse, in contrast to the noise outside, including the shouts, sshing of water, and running sounds of the pce people,pletely engulfing her weak voice.
¡°There are two barrels of kerosene left, pour them both!¡±
After these words fell, kerosene sshed on the window, and the window panel was immediately ignited by fire. Through the small hole in the window paper, one can see a cluster of red mes consuming everything on its way. And for Imperial Consort Fang it was like a reminder of death!
***
Chapter 469
Chapter 469
The mes on the window pane spread rapidly through window paper soaked in kerosene. In an instant, the surrounding area of the main hall became a scorching sea of fire, and all windows and doors in the surroundings were burned, forming a dense and airtight ring of fire.
¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± The two men walked away without second thought.
Only Imperial Consort Fang was left sprawled desperately and helpless on the increasingly hot floor of the main hall, but still faintly shouting. ¡°Don¡¯t go, don¡¯t go¡¡±
She became increasingly afraid; however, no matter how much she called, no one responded to her, only the sound of the mes burning louder and closer.
Imperial Consort Fang¡¯s eyes flickered as a scene from many years ago shed before her eyes like a revolvingntern¡
Since entering the pce, she was favored by thete emperor and could be said to have been favored for a lifetime. At that time, the lowly Liu was nothing and the crown prince was nothing. As long as she cried and said a few words to thete emperor, they would have to live by her face, and she was almost one step¡ she was almost able to dispose the crown prince.
However, in the end, it was a lost cause!
Was she going to die here tonight?!
Out of nowhere, she seemed to suddenly hear the sound of chains rattling from two deities one short and one tall*, approaching her¡
(*deities tied together, responsible for rewarding the good and punishing the bad)
The raging fire finally behaved like a greedy and insatiable glutton,pletely devouring the main hall¡
This enormous fire dyed the sky above the Entre Jiuqu Garden red, and even the silver moon in the night sky seemed to have been stained with an ominous color of blood.
At this time, the emperor had already boarded the carriage and looked in the direction of the Tai¡¯an Pce through the window from far away. With the density of the fire there, he could easily judge that the fire must have reached the main hall.
Gu Xi did it.
The emperor¡¯s thin lips pursed into a straight line, feelingplicated but also feeling happy.
When ites to hating, the emperor hates Wang Yu more than anyone else.
He was not a saint who would let bygone be bygones, but the son of heaven carrying the burden of the world on his back, was in his position and plotting his political affairs. If he insists on fighting Wang Yu for his selfish desires and disregards the safety of the people in his nation, this would inevitably result in tens of thousands of casualties. It also gives foreign invaders the opportunity to take advantage, leading to the destruction of life. What was the difference between him and his father emperor?!
Over the years since he ascended the throne, he has been holding back, hoping that Daqi could first move out, settle down, and recuperate.
While Wang Yu¡¯s ambition has never been extinguished, and since he intends to pick up Imperial Consort Fang, his ultimate intentions were obvious¡
***
Chapter 470
Chapter 470
The emperor subconsciously turned the jade ring finger on his thumb again and again.
Gu Zezhi sat straddling a white horse right next to the carriage, also looking in the direction of Tai¡¯an Pce. Smiling faintly, he said, meaningfully. ¡°Let¡¯s ask for interest first.¡±
The emperor nodded slightly his eyes sharp under the moonlight.
Indeed, Imperial Consort Fang was just an interest.
Resentment would be rewarded.
The emperor whispered to himself, ¡°I wonder what Gu Xi will do when he realizes that he killed his grandmother with his own hands¡¡±
Gu Zezhi turned the horse¡¯s head, and looked toward the west, ¡°I guess he should know by now.¡±
The night was as dark as ink, and the wind became increasingly colder. On winter nights, everything seemed to have entered a state of dormancy, and the outskirts outside Jiuqi Garden and even dozens of miles around it was extremely quiet, with only the sound of the cold wind whistling incessantly.
Gu Xi stood outside the main tent in the center, looking in the direction of the Jiuqi Garden, his heart slightly uneasy. Clenching his fists tightly he whispered to himself, ¡°Counting the time, they should be back soon.¡±
They deliberately walked very slowly today and camped 20 miles away from the capital, which was even closer to the Jiuqi Garden on the outskirts of the capital, only 10 miles away.
¡°Third Brother!¡± Under the moonlight, County Princess Duan Rou looked cozy as she walked quickly towards him, a bright smile spreading across her face ¡°Gra¡¡±
Before she could finish her sentence, she was interrupted by the head guard, ¡°Third Master, they are back!¡±
Gu Xi¡¯s face showed joy as he hurriedly said, ¡°Quickly lead the people here!¡±
County Princess Duan Rou¡¯s eyes also lit up and shepletely forgot what she was going to say.
Soon, two guards dressed in ck came quickly with the head of the guard, and in unison, they gave Gu Xi a salute, one of them gave a general ount of the arson in Jiuqi Garden just now, and finally reported, ¡°Third Prince don¡¯t worry, the fire was already uncontroble by the time this subordinate and two of them left, the Tai¡¯an Pce was almost all burned up, and it was humanly impossible to extinguish the fire unless there¡¯s a torrential downpour at this time of the year. ¡°
¡°The emperor will not find out that it is an impostor inside.¡±
Gu Xi raised his eyes and looked at the bright silver moon in the sky. There were few stars tonight and the weather was good; even if he did not know how to observe the sky at night, he could still tell that it would not rain tonight.
This matter has finally been aplished!
¡°Great! ¡°Princess Duan Rou proudly pped her hands andughed, saying happily, ¡°The emperor is indeed stupid, weak and useless!¡±
They had done so many things under his nose, and yet the emperor did not even notice anything amiss or doubt; she was afraid he would not even dare to touch them even if he found out, with the emperor¡¯s cowardice, how could he dare to go against his father who was sitting on a 300,000-strong army!
The headguard and the two guardsughed and echoed County Princess Duan Rou¡¯s two sentences, causing her to be more and more spirited.
***
Chapter 471
Chapter 471
Gu Xi¡¯s eyes lookedplex as neither happiness nor anger was reflected on his face.
What he needed now was to wait for his grandmother and them to enter Yuzhou territory before he could bepletely rxed.
Meanwhile, County Princess Duan Rou was still talking. ¡°Third Brother, now that the emperor has ¡®killed¡¯ our grandmother for his vendetta, Father will have sufficient reason to send his troops here.¡±
She said, with a proud smile on her face.
In her opinion, the emperor was weak, timid, and useless; he was just relying on his status as the legitimate eldest son, and thus, it would be easier to conquer the capital.
Moreover, with both talent and ability, her father, Wang Yu was sure to be a famous ruler throughout history.
At this time, Gu Xi turned around to ask County Princess Duan Rou. ¡°Is grandmother not here yet?¡±
The cart that Imperial Consort Fang was hiding in was usually used to deliver vegetables to the Jiuqi Garden and was under the jurisdiction of the Inner Court Department. Once it left the Jiuqi Garden, it could note here directly, or it would be too obvious.
The cart must first return to the capital ording to its daily route and then rece it with another cart, although this would be a tedious journey it was necessary to hide their traces.
Only then did County Princess Duan Rou remember why she came to Gu Xi just now, smiling. ¡°Third brother, I was just about to tell you that the cart had arrived. To avoid being noticed it came out of the south city gate and circled around beforeing here to meet with us.¡±
¡°I just ordered someone to wake grandmother up first and feed her sishen soup, your antiperspirant medicine is too strong. Grandmother until now in an unconscious state¡¡±
¡°Grandmother still hasn¡¯t woken up?¡± Gu Xi interrupted County Princess Duan Rou, his heart thumping, ¡°Quickly take me to see grandmother.¡±
Gu Xi had a vague premonition.
County Princess Duan Rou smiled and said, ¡°Third brother, don¡¯t worry grandmother¡¯s breathing is stable, she was just still unconscious.¡±
County Princess Duan Rou quickly led Gu Xi to her tent.
At this time, several maidservants crowded into the tent. Some of them wiped the face of the person on the bed with a damp cloth towel, some had just brought a soup, and some were standing with their heads down, waiting.
Seeing their mastersing in, the maidservants quickly stepped aside, and Gu Xi took the lead walking to the bed in two or three steps. When he looked at a person on the bed, his expression suddenly changed.
¡°This is not her.¡± Gu Xi muttered, his face turning pale.
County Princess Duan Rou had yet to react, as she quickly walked to Gu Xi¡¯s side and looked at the person on the bed. Upon seeing the person, her expression immediately changed, and said in a trembling voice. ¡°She¡she¡¯s not grandmother!¡±
Just now, when the vegetable cart arrived, because it was too smelly, County Princess Duan Rou only nced at the hiddenpartment from a distance away, and did not realize something was wrong. It was not until then that she realized something was wrong.
The unconscious woman lying on the bed was not an Imperial Consort Fang but a substitute woman specially arranged by her father to die.
This martyr was chosen by Wang Yu several years ago because she was very simr in appearance and body shape to Imperial Consort Fang.
***
Chapter 472
Chapter 472
On their trip from Yuzhuo to the capital, they were very careful not to let this substitute show her face in front of other apanying people besides the siblings who knew her appearance to ensure that the n was foolproof.
The servants in the tent looked at each other confused. If this person was not an Imperial Consort Fang, who could it be?
¡°Third brother.¡± County Princess Duan Rou tugged Gu Xi¡¯s sleeves, her mind confused. ¡°Why is the substitute here?¡±
They arranged for a few close confidants around their grandmother, who would put her into the hiddenpartment of the cart and then take her out of the pce. The lives of the family members of these confidants were in the hands of their father; therefore, they would never betray Wang Yu.
Gu Xi¡¯s eyes looked sinister and said nothing.
That¡¯s right, logically speaking, this substitute should die in Jiuqi Garden instead of his grandmother.
If the substitute was here, what about his grandmother?
Not good!
Gu Xi¡¯s expression even turned uglier, and could not help but think about it.
He took a step back before turning around and shouted. ¡°Someone, ask the captain of the guard to bring the two men who just returned from the Jiuqi Garden.¡±
One of the guards guarding the outside of the tent immediately epted the order, and in a short while called the captain guard, and the two ck-clothed guards over. Gu Xi went out of the tent to meet them, and asked sternly, ¡°Is there someone in Tai¡¯an Pce?¡±
The two ck-clothed guards nced at each other, thinking that Gu Xi was questioning whether their errands had beenpleted. One of them nodded his head with certainty and replied, ¡°Third Master, we poked a hole in the window paper, and after taking a look inside the main hall through the firelight, we were able to see that the ¡®Imperial Consort¡¯ had copsed on the ground. ¡°
He vaguely said, meaning they were sure that the fake imperial consort in the pce had already burned herself and died.
Gu Xi: ¡°¡¡±
Gu Xi¡¯splexion became even paler and felt his heart throbbing violently, leaving him speechless.
He was filled with extremelyplex emotions, whether it was resentment, frustration, regret, or fear.
County Princess Duan Rou also came out of the tent and asked, ¡°Third Brother, what¡¯s going on?¡±
The two guards in ck looked at Gu Xi¡¯splexion, and from what they saw, they could guess that something was wrong, which made them uneasy.
Gu Xi took a deep breath before he violently heaved a breath to calm himself a little and then said with great difficulty. ¡°We¡¯ve been tricked by the emperor.¡±
¡°The emperor must have known that we were going to switch grandmother, so he secretly switched them back.¡±
¡°Now¡the person being burned to death in the pce¡is grandmother!¡±
Gu Xi spoke slowly as if saying these words had exhausted his strength. His eyes were red and looked ferocious, looking like evil spirits crawling out of hell; the noble and elegant young master was nowhere to be seen.
He still could not believe that he was being plotted like this, and that he had been targeted for a long time without him realizing.
When the two guards in ck heard this, they were so frightened that they sweated profusely as they lowered their heads even lower. If this was the case, then doesn¡¯t this also mean that they burned the imperial consort with their own hands?
County Princess Duan Rou: ¡°!!!¡±
Anger surged on County Princess Duan Rou¡¯s pretty face, and with the gritted teeth she said. ¡°Too despicable! Underhanded, shameless, and ruthless!¡±
After cursing, County Princess Duan Rou was flustered, as she asked. ¡°Third Brother, then what should we do now?¡±
***
Chapter 473
Chapter 473
Right now, County Princess Duan Rou was more angry than sad and panicked than regretful; after all, she and Gu Xi had grown up in Yuzhou since they were young, so they had only met the Imperial Consort Fang for a few years when they were young and their memories had long been blurred. In short, they did not have a deep affection for her.
However, County Princess Duan Rou also knew that if such a big mistake was made on this errand, her father would be furious, and if that happened, those concubines in the pce at home would be eager to step on her.
After all, her dignityes from being a legitimate daughter and secondly, because she was the only county princess granted by thete emperor in Wang Yu¡¯s n. After the current emperor ascended the throne, there was never a princess in Wang Yu¡¯s n again.
Gu Xi: ¡°¡¡±
Gu Xi clenched and unclenched his fists on his side, and repeated this again and again that the blue veins in the corner of his eyes pulsated violently as he remained silent for a long time.
Seeing this situation, County Princess Duan Rou¡¯s mind was even more chaotic, she quickly proposed. ¡°Third brother, why don¡¯t we just say that the substitute is grandmother, anyway, father would have been deliberately looking for someone who looked like grandmother. Over the years, he had her learn how to speak and act like grandmother, and father had not seen grandmother for more than 11 years¡¡± It would probably be impossible for their father to remember clearly what the Imperial Concubine Fang looked like now.
The more County Princess Duan Rou said, the more she felt that her ideas were good.
Gu Xi on the other hand, almostughed out loud at County Princess Duan Rou¡¯s absorbed idea but was toozy to talk nonsense with her and only gave her two words. ¡°Shut up!¡±
He originally did not want to bring this sister with him, but she insisted on showing off in front of their father and convinced him and their mother, so he could only bring her with him.
County Princess Duan Rou could only purse her lips, feeling a little aggrieved, thinking that her third brother was venting his anger on her.
He did not do his job well, so she came up with a good idea with good intentions but he scolded her instead, without thinking that if this errand goes wrong it would have a greater impact on him!
Gu Xi ignored County Princess Duan Rou and focused his mind on the whole matter with furrowed brows.
Since the emperor was able to handle this matter so confidentially, it meant that he knew their intentions very early and had been using them to his advantage, which was why he had let them go so easily and let them burn the pce. And just let them p themselves by personally burning Imperial Consort Fang in Tai¡¯an Pce with their own hands.
The emperor¡¯s n was so thorough that he made this possible to this point, so now the emperor¡¯s next move should be¡
Gu Xi¡¯s eyes snapped open wide, as he ordered the captain guard. ¡°Quickly, pack up your things and set off with all due haste.¡±
Upon hearing Gu Xi¡¯s words, the captain guard understood that he had no intention of keeping these tents and left here as quickly as possible.
¡°Yes, Third Master!¡± The captain guard immediately led to this order.
County Princess Duan Rou looked at Gu Xi in confusion, ¡°Third Brother?¡±
The captain of the guards knew that this matter was not trivial and immediately passed Gu Xi¡¯s order. The guards and servants of the entire camp became agitated, packing everything they could carry and loading it onto the carriage.
However, regardless of how fast they moved, it was already toote. The approaching sound of the horse hooves could already be heard from both ends of the official road, which was particrly loud on this quiet night.
***
Chapter 474
Chapter 474
From the direction where the sound came from, they could already see that the peopleing were holding torches, illuminating the royal guards¡¯ uniform that had spring knives embroidered on it.
At the camp, it was unknown who shouted first.
¡°It¡¯s the royal guards!¡±
Gu Xi also saw two groups of royal guardsing their way, and this made the expression on his face even more gloomy, feeling as if there was a vast covering them.
Meanwhile, even if County Princess Duan Rou did not understand what Gu Xi was afraid of, she understood it now. The emperor sent people to pursue them.
The sound of horse hooves was getting closer, and the guards had no time to pack their belongings and instead had to pull out their swords from the scabbard and surround Gu Xi and County Princess Duan Rou in groups using their flesh as walls to block their masters¡¯ bodies.
The royal guards who emerged from both sides of the official road quickly trapped Gu Xi and his group, leaving no room to advance or retreat.
Yuan Minggang, themander of the royal guards, steered his horse to the forefront and smiled looking at Gu Xi and County Princess Duan Rou, whose faces were as heavy as water, and casually cupped his hand. ¡°Third Young Master of Wang Yu, County Princess Duan Rou, please follow thismander back to the capital.¡±
County Princess Duan Rou secretly cursed: These royal guards, you were just mereckeys of the emperor!
¡°Commander Yuan, what is the meaning of this?¡± Gu Xi pretended to cup his hands at Yuan Minggang. ¡°It was the emperor¡¯s decree that allowed this young master and my sister to leave the capital and return to Yuzhou¡¡±
After saying this, he deliberately paused for a moment and then slightly raised his head. ¡°An emperor¡¯s words are worth a thousand gold pieces, could it be that His Majesty is going to renege his words?¡±
¡°His Majesty the Emperor has always been a man of his word.¡± Yuan Minggang said calmly and loudly, and then the ck horse under him snorted. ¡°You ordered someone to set up Jiuqi Garden on fire and kill Imperial Consort Fang, which was an unforgivable offense. Thismander is here to take you to be tried and punished!¡±
¡°Presumptuous!¡± County Princess Duan Rou annoyingly said as she raised her hand, pointed at Yuan Minggang, and scolded arrogantly. ¡°My third brother has never plotted against grandmother, you¡¯re all just trying to inflict a crime without evidence!!¡±
Yuan Minggang, a dignifiedmander of the royal guards did not want to talk nonsense with this little girl. Not arguing with her, he orders him directly. ¡°The emperor will decide for himself what is right and who is wrong. Take all the people of Wang Yu!¡±
The royal guards immediately took order. ¡°Yes, Commander Yuan!¡±
The captain guard of Wang Yu¡¯s party shouted. ¡°Protect the third master and the county princess!¡±
The apanying guards rushed forward bravely and fearlessly with their swords raised. They were all private soldiers of Wang Yu, they were elite soldiers who had jumped out for this trip to the capital. They would never or would dare leave their masters alone to escape.
For a moment, long silver knives collided fiercely with each other, sparking in all directions. The nking sounds of the des kepting and going, as well as the sound of the des cutting through the flesh and blood, shouting and screaming. In the blink of an eye, a thick bloody smell spread in the air with the cold wind¡
County Princess Duan Rou had never seen such a bloody scene before, which made her so frightened that she lost all the color on her face, as she tightly grasped Gu Xi¡¯s sleeves and cried in a trembling voice. ¡°Third brother¡¡±
***
Chapter 475
Chapter 475
The number of royal guards was twice that of them, and they were well prepared; thus, no matter how good they were, they could not defeat everyone. There was arge disparity in their numbers.
The captain guard also knew that their side was at a disadvantage, so he hurriedly said to Gu Xi and County Princess Duan Rou. ¡°Third Master, County Princess, my subordinates will escort the two of you away.¡±
¡°My subordinate had people scout around before, and there is a path ahead.¡±
The captain guard raised his finger and pointed in the direction of two subordinates. He quickly escorted Gu Xi and County Princess Duan Rou towards the dark and secluded forest with his two subordinates. He did not pay attention to anything else, and quickly ran away from chaos.
The sh of des in the rear became increasingly fierce. After the group ran for a while and saw that no royal guards were chasing them, the captain guard breathed a slight sigh of relief and knew that the royal guards were entangled with his subordinates.
Being able to hold them for a moment was enough; the most important thing now was to give his master time to escape.
¡°Third Master, County Princess, this way!¡± The captain guard led them deeper into the woods while the two guards stood behind them.
The forest was pitch-dark, with only the silver moonlight illuminating their way forward.
Afraid of being discovered by the royal guards, they did not dare to light torches and could only advance in the dark under the moonlight.
In cold winds, the trees swayed wildly as if something was lurking in the shadows staring at them.
County Princess Duan Rou swallowed hard and felt uneasy.
She ran forward with her skirt and, at no time, was already out of breath and could not help butin. ¡°Third brother, what on earth does the emperor want? By doing this, isn¡¯t he afraid that Father will send his troops here?¡±
¡°When I return to Yuzhou, I must ask Father to send the troops immediately!¡±
County Princess Duan Rou felt that the emperor was simply crazy, after all, she and Gu Xi were both the legitimate children of Wang Yu and it was absolutely impossible that their father would let the emperor treat them like this!
Gu Xi tightly held the scabbard in one hand and walked forward with agile steps, feeling that this sister was really noisy.
Just as he had thought, it was better if he did not bring Duan Rou to the capital, but his father said that bringing Duan Rou could deceive others and rx the emperor. Moreover, it was more logical for Duan Rou to bring Tang Fengchun.
However, Duan Rou has never done anything useful sinceing to the capital; instead, she could only make false ims several times, but rather than seeding, she had failed to aplish anything!
Gu Xi did not want to listen to Duan Rou¡¯s nagging anymore, so he simply said. ¡°The emperor already knew our intention why we came to the capital.¡±
¡°The emperor just took advantage of the situation.¡±
Gu Xi knew that the reason why the emperor had not sent his troops to Yuzhou in the past ten years was because, first, due to thete emperor¡¯s edict and second, because of the constant internal and external turmoil in Daqi. The emperor had already tried his best to fill the holes left by thete emperor, so he could only endure when his father hoarded troops in Yuzhou and could be seen as if he valued peace.
***
Chapter 476
Chapter 476
The emperor had a generous temperament, so Gu Xi initially thought that the emperor would continue to endure this; however, when he learned that Imperial Concubine Fang died in the fire, he realized.
Now that the external turmoil has subsided, and only peace remains, the emperor has be increasingly impatient with Yuzhou and his father, so he knows what his father nned when he sends him and Duan Rou to visit the capital, but he deliberately follows his father¡¯s ns and allows them to arrange for Imperial Consort Fang to be ¡°burned.¡±
Waiting until the critical moment before the emperor took action to secretly switch the person and even let Wang Yu¡¯s people burn Imperial Consort Fang to die with their own hands.
To put it bluntly, the emperor¡¯s purpose was to make his father take the lead in sending his troops because of Imperial Consort Fang¡¯s death, by then, the emperor would have logically counterattacked. If he conquered Yuzhou, he would be famous for his conquest, not to mention that it would not be considered a vition of thete emperor¡¯s edict.
However¡ª¡ª
What Gu Xi could not figure out was if the emperor was so confident, was he also so confident that Daqi would now have the strength to go to war against Yuzhou?
As far as they know, the emperor asked his ministers to raise funds for the second prince to lead the troops in suppressing the bandits in Jinzhou!
Because of this, Gu Xi has acted without hesitation and scruples for the past few months in the capital thinking that even if the emperor dislikes them because of Wang Yu or he was furious because of Princess Yongle¡¯s death, the emperor could not do anything to them!
The emperor could not afford to go against them, with how the imperial treasury was empty while Wang Yu was ready for everything and onlycked one crucial thing, and that was to ¡°make a name for themselves¡± before they could take action.
Thus, before his trip to the capital, Gu Xi believed that even the gods were on Wang Yu¡¯s side. He thought that his father had been lying in wait for ten years and finally got this opportunity, unfortunately, he did not expect things toe to this point¡
Gu Xi tightened his grip on the scabbard in his hand, walking faster and faster, and his breathing gradually became heavier.
On the other hand, County Princess Duan Rou was still talking and cursing, as she ran. ¡°Insidious, and cunning. He¡¯s lucky he is the emperor for him to do these shameful things!
¡°As long as we return to Jinzhou smoothly, I¡¯ll let everyone in the world know what kind of face this emperor looks like!¡±
¡°Does he think he can pin Grandmother¡¯s death on us? It¡¯s obvious that he¡¯s using someone else¡¯s dirty work!¡±
¡°¡..¡±
County Princess Duan Rou kept onining that even the captain guard leading the way felt a headache listening to her, but since Gu Xi did not say anything, he could not say anything either.
When the exit of the forest was near, the captain guard¡¯s eyes lit up and quickly said. ¡°Third Master, County Princess, this subordinate is afraid that someone will approach the camp from the woods so I let three guards guard this side, they have horses!¡±
With horses, it would be convenient for them to continue their journey to Yuzhou.
Gu Xi quickened his pace and said to County Princess Duan Rou, ¡°Duan Rou, keep up!¡±
County Princess Duan Rou was a woman and her steps were small; it only took them two steps while she took three, not to mention her physical strength was far inferior to the others, and keeping up with them already covered her forehead in sweat.
However, hearing the captain guard, County Princess Duan Rou¡¯s eyes also lit up, and suddenly she had the strength to hold on.
***
Chapter 477
Chapter 477
Rushing out of the dark forest, the outside suddenly became bright with the silver moonlight pouring down, and under the light, three horses leisurely ate grass.
Seeing the horse but no people, Gu Xi momentarily felt something was amiss.
¡°Third Master, be careful.¡± The captain guard¡¯s expression changed, knowing that something was wrong.
¡°Whoosh!¡±
A sharp arrow was suddenly shot from the darkness, like lightning, piercing through the thick night, and brushing against Gu Xi¡¯s ear. The sharp aura made his hair fly up, and the arrow urately hit the brow of the guard behind him.
An arrow pierced the skull and the bloody tip of the arrow shot out from the back of the brain.
The power of this arrow was evident.
Both Gu Xi and the captain guard knew that the person who could shoot such arrows just now was not ordinary. This arrow was not aimed at Gu Xi, but was a demonstration for him to see!
Immediately after, the torches were lit one by one in front of them, and 20 or 30 cavalry soldiers approached them calmly from about ten feet away.
Led by a young man wearing a frost-colored robe and holding a long ck bow. The light from the torch outlined the young man¡¯s handsome features, disying his temperament as cold as the cool night breeze.
The captain guard recognized the other party and blurted out, ¡°Yu Fuyun!¡±
Gu Xi¡¯s face became even more ugly, and his heart went cold.
How could Yu Fuyun be here?!
¡°Whoa, whoa, whoa!¡±
The cold wind in the middle of the night was fiercer as it blew the branches and leaves in the forest behind, sounding like it was roaring and wailing¡
The cold moonlight pours down on them, such as frost spreading all over the ground.
The next morning at the court, the royal guard head officer Yuan Minggang was on his way to the emperor to give his report about extinguishing the fire at the Jiuqi Garden. ¡°Your Majesty, the Tai¡¯an Pce was burned down and a charred corpse was found. Although most of the beaded crown and clothes were also burned from the remnants¡¯ body, we were able to distinguish that it belongs to Imperial Consort Fang.¡±
The court was in a sudden uproar.
The courtiers looked at each other, and many whispered in pairs.
Some of the well-informed courtiers actually heard about the fire in Jiuqi Garden yesterday, but half of them had only heard about it until now, especially when Imperial Consort Fang died in this big fire.
They all remembered the incident when Empress Dowager Liu scolded Imperial Consort Fang yesterday telling her to apany thete emperor, which made Imperial Consort Fang ashamed and angry that she had set herself on firest night?
Some of them could not help but start to worry, Imperial Consort Fang was not an ordinary concubine of thete emperor; she was the biological mother of Wang Yu.
To put it bluntly, Imperial Consort Fang¡¯s role in the capital was as a hostage. However, now that this hostage has gone, what would Wang Yu do?
Wouldn¡¯t Wang Yu raise his troops in anger over the death of Imperial Consort Fang?!
***
Chapter 478
Chapter 478
Would Wang Yu rise his troops in anger over the death of Imperial Consort Fang?!
Many of the courtiers had this idea, making the atmosphere in Jinluan Hall solemn as if an impending storm wasing.
Some of the courtiers were uneasy, some were worried, and some felt that Empress Dowager Liu¡¯s words were said too openly, forcing Imperial Consort Fang to set herself on fire and cause unfounded disaster to the court!
Yuan Minggang standing in the center was unconcerned about themotion around him and continued his report. ¡°¡ording to the royal guard¡¯s investigation, although this charred corpse is wearing Imperial Consort Fang¡¯s clothes, this person is not Imperial Consort Fang herself.¡±
What did he just say?! The civil and military court officials were stunned, and the pce hall suddenly fell into deathly silence. The courtiers who were whispering just now were all silent.
Some of the ministers with quick minds immediately realized something and showed a thoughtful expression.
Could it be that ¡¡
Yuan Mingang was still reporting in an orderly manner. ¡°ording to the daily notes from thete emperor¡¯s records as well as the pulse cases left behind in the imperial hospital, Imperial Consort Fang had once broken the leg bone of her right calf in a fall twenty years ago but the leg bone of the woman¡¯s corpse that was found didn¡¯t have any old fracture on it.¡±
¡°Furthermore, the reason why the fire in Tai¡¯an Pce got out of control was because someone secretly poured kerosene into the surrounding area to aid the fire. The royal guards also found several barrels of kerosene that hadn¡¯t been burned in the rubble after the fire; it can be roughly inferred that at least a dozen kerosene barrels had been poured.¡±
Upon hearing this, the courtiers were once again in uproar.
Such arge quantity of kerosene would attract shop owners¡¯ attention if they wanted to purchase it in the capital. As a woman living in seclusion, how could Imperial Consort Fang obtain such arge quantity of kerosene?!
Thus, this kerosene must have been brought into the Jiuqi Garden by others, and there were very few people who could do this.
Thinking of Wang Yu¡¯s people who had just left the capital and returned to Yuzhou yesterday, all the courtiers had an answer in their minds.
Amidst theplicated gazes of the courtiers, Yuan Mingang stated his deduction. ¡°I am certain that it was the third son of Wang Yu, Gu Xi, and County Princess Duan Rou who secretly took Imperial Consort Fang out of Jiuqi Garden afterward, and then arranged for someone to set the fire, and ordered a substitute to die in her ce, faking Imperial Consort Fang¡¯s death.¡±
As for why Wang Yu did this, at this moment, most of the courtiers present thought of one thing¡ª¡ª
Wang Yu wanted to start a war!!
***
Chapter 479
Chapter 479
It was not a secret that Wang Yu had been hoarding troops in Yuzhou over the years; however, in the past, as long as Wang Yu did not express his intention toward the Northern Expedition, the ministers would turn a blind eye and would rather regard him as demonstrating his power to the emperor. Thus, the emperor would not recklessly act against Yuzhou.
Whether it was possible to start a war with Wang Yu, most courtiers do not want that to happen, not only because of the edict left by thete emperor but also because once this war breaks out, Daqi would inevitably pay a heavy price.
The risk of this battle was too high, and it was better to maintain the status quo.
However, now it was not that the court and the emperor wanted to start a war or not, but Wang Yu who was ready to make a move and of course, the court could not just let itself passively be beaten¡
The atmosphere inside the hall became even moreplex, as if it were shrouded in a thickyer of dark clouds.
Only Yuan Minggang remained immovable and continued his report to the emperor on the throne. ¡°Your Majesty,st night I went to arrest Gu Xi, Duan Rou, and their entourage, and captured a total of 40 guards and servants of Wang Yu but Gu Xi, County Princess Duan Rou, and Imperial Consort Fang escaped and their whereabouts are unknown.¡±
Upon hearing that Imperial Consort Fang had escaped, courtiers could not help but feel something amiss, while some felt that the royal guards were still at a disadvantage. If the royal guards captured Gu Xi and Imperial Consort Fang alive, they would naturally be used as hostages, and with this, Wang Yu would no longer dare to act recklessly.
The emperor sitting on the throne watched as the expressions of his ministers changed below, but his expression remained calm, as he solemnly ordered. ¡°Continue to pursue, be sure to bring Gu Xi and the imperial consort back to the capital!¡±
¡°Yes, Your Majesty!¡± Yuan Minggang received the order with a sonorous sped fist.
With Imperial Consort Fang and Gu Xi¡¯s escape, courtiers were no longer interested in discussing other political matters, and the court hastily dispersed after Yuan Minggang excused himself.
Courtiers were preupied with the uing war, especially the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War.
On the contrary, the emperor was energetic, as if he had taken miraculous medicine, and he did not even feel cold when facing the cold wind.
After going to court, the emperor did not go to imperial study but went to the Shouning Pce to see Empress Dowager Liu. Empress Wei was also present, while other servants were sent out.
Empress Dowager Liu was sitting on the kang with an extremelyplicated expression, after all, she had been fighting with Imperial Consort Fang for most of her life. It could even be said that, besides thete emperor, the people she hated the most were Imperial Consort Fang and Wang Yu.
Thete emperor passed away and Wang Yu was far from Yuzhou. Over the years, Empress Dowager Liu naturally could only focus all her anger toward Imperial Consort Fang. Unfortunately, she could not do anything to Imperial Consort Fang.
Empress Dowager Liu had been holding her resentment and anger for 11 years.
¡°Your Majesty,¡± without waiting for the emperor to salute, Empress Dowager Liu eagerly asked in a trembling voice, ¡°Is Fang Qinlian really dead?!¡±
Empress Dowager Liu had just heard the news of Imperial Consort Fang¡¯s death from Empress Wei and still felt unreal. Her heart seems to have sent a bottle of Five vors*.
(*means that your mood has be veryplicated)
***
Chapter 480
Chapter 480
Facing Empress Dowager Liu, the emperor did not hide anything and nodded, as he said. ¡°Dead.¡±
Empress Dowager Liu¡¯s eyes widened slightly and her chest heaved violently.
In a matter of moments, she calmed down, and a burst of pleasure appeared on her face, her smile unimpeded, while her eyes were red, she gritted her teeth, as she said. ¡°Serves her right!¡±
¡°To die in the hands of her own grandson, she can also be ¡®satisfied¡¯.¡± Saying that Empress Dowager Liu slowly twirled the string of Buddha beads in her hand as a touch of the sneer showed in her expression, her heart was still hateful.
Every time she thought of Yongle who died early and her poor granddaughter Fang Hanjun, she felt that letting Imperial Consort Fang die like this was really too easy for her! After all, the pair of mother and son, Imperial Consort Fang and Wang Yu, were cold hearted and heartless.
Empress Dowager Liu took a deep breath and asked again. ¡°Where is Fang Qinlian¡¯s body?¡±
The emperor faintly replied, ¡°Thete emperor had a posthumous edict that he would be buried with Imperial Consort Fang in the future. However, since the person burned to death in Tai¡¯an Pce is not an ¡°imperial concubine¡±, she cannot be buried in the imperial mausoleum. I have already given an order that after they inspect the body, it would be wrapped in a straw mat and sent to a mass grave.¡±
The chief eunuch had juste to report what happened in the morning court, so both Empress Dowager Liu and Empress Wei knew what happened.
The reason why the emperor denied in court that the body burned in the Jiuqi Garden was Imperial Consort Fang was not only due to political considerations but also for this reason.
As long as the body was not Imperial Consort Fang, it meant that she was not qualified to be buried in the imperial mausoleum; instead, she would be a homeless and a feral ghost.
Empress Dowager Liu smiled, a different kind of splendor blooming in those pale eyes, nodding her head and saying, ¡°Good!¡±
If Fang Qinlian knew about this, even if she had be a ghost, she would not be willing to ept it and would be so angry that she would sit up from her coffin. In addition, once this news reached Wang Yu¡¯s ears, what would be his reaction?!
It¡¯s exhrating.
This was not called revenge, the time had not yet arrived.
On this day, the emperor and empress sat in Shou¡¯an Pce for the entire afternoon before leaving hand in hand.
The following days, among the people captured by the royal guards from Wang Yu¡¯s people, some could not stand the torture and finally confessed. They said that the kerosene was brought by Gu Xi, the third prince of Wang Yu, from Yuzhou and secretly sent them to Jiuqi Garden.
They said that Gu Xi ordered someone to set fire at Tai¡¯an Pce and reced Imperial Consort Fang with a substitute.
They also said that Gu Xi and County Princess Duan Rou were ordered by Wang Yu to bring the Imperial Consort back to Yuzhou.
The emperor did not issue a decree to keep this entire matter a secret, but even deliberately instructed the royal guards to spread it. Thus, within a few days, there was a lot of discussion and news spread among people in the capital.
Even Qin Jiu, who was preparing for her wedding ceremony at Marquis¡¯s Mansion, could asionally hear some servants talking about this matter.
***
Chapter 481
Chapter 481
¡°Imperial Consort Fang has been in the pce for 11 years, I¡¯m afraid she can¡¯t stand the coldness in the pce and asked Wang Yu to take her to Yuzhou to enjoy the blessings!¡±
¡°Then why bother getting a double and faking her death? I think, since Imperial Consort Fang is going incognito, in all likelihood she can¡¯t stand the loneliness and wants to go to Yuzhou to change her identity and remarry, right?¡±
¡°Such arge Tai¡¯an Pce burned just by saying so, this Imperial Consort¡¯s outburst is just extraordinary.¡±
¡°¡.¡±
Qin Jiu listened to the gossip as she was eating melon seeds and did notment, then a whileter, a maidservant suddenly came to report. ¡°Wei family¡¯s old madam, Lord Wei, and his wife are here.¡±
Qin Jiu: ¡°?¡±
Blinking her eyes nkly, Qin Jiu slowly realized that it was the maternal grandmother and uncle of the original owner who had arrived.
¡°Have someone go to Shenshu Camp to inform the Marquis, and also go call A¡¯yu.¡± Qin Jiu ordered as she stood up.
Duan Rou slightly adjusted Qin Jiu¡¯s clothes and inserted a red gold flying swallow hairpin with pearls in her bun, before weing the guests.
When Qin Jiu arrived at the front main hall of the inner courtyard, Old Madam Qin and Qin Zeyu had already arrived, and were chatting with the guests who hade from afar.
Old Madam Wei who was sitting at the bottom looked like she was in her fifties, her hair was tied into a bun with many silver strands. She had a pair of loving eyes filled with smiles as she was pulling Qin Zeyu to talk, meanwhile, Qin Zeyu smiled brilliantly and sweetly as he made the old womanugh from ear to ear.
Next to Old Madam Wei, was Madam Wei, she appeared to be in her forties with a bright and cheerful smile on her round face.
Across the mother and daughter-inw was a middle-aged man with an elegant appearance wearing a sapphire blue auspicious cloud pattern on his garments.
¡°Sister!¡±
Qin Zeyu was the first to see Qin Jiu and shouted from outside the hall, making everyone in the hall look at Qin Jiu with burning gazes, especially the three members of the Wei family.
Qin Jiu walked into the hall with light steps, she greeted Old Madam Qin, and then one by one, she curtsied to the three members of the Wei family, calling out. ¡°Grandmother, maternal uncle, maternal aunt.¡±
¡°Good girl, no need to be polite!¡± Old Madam Wei hurriedly helped Qin Jiu up, her eyes slightly red.
The old madam held Qin Jiu¡¯s hand and looked at the girl in front of her greedily as if she wanted to engrave her face deeply into her heart.
¡°Your name is Xiao Jiu, right?¡± Old Madam Wei could not help but shed tears as she said, ¡°You and your mother are so simr, both your facial features are the same.¡±
Thinking of the struggles this child has endured in the Li family over the years, Old Madam Wei feels heartbroken, as if she has been stabbed. This child had suffered so much!
Qin Jiu took out a lc-colored handkerchief and gently wiped the tears from the corner of Old Madam Wei¡¯s eyes and said with a smile. ¡°Indeed, Empress Aunt also said I resemble my mother.¡±
Qin Jiu did not have much impression of the Wei family, in the novel, the Wei family was not mentioned much so she only vaguely remembers the Wei family did not end well after they tried to get justice for the original owner¡¯s brothers. However, she was unable to remember the specific plot at all.
***
Chapter 482
Chapter 482
¡°Mother, you¡¯re going to scare Xiao Jiu if you keep crying.¡± Madam Wei chimed in. ¡°Today is a good day!¡±
Lord Wei nodded, as he stroked his beard with a smile while looking at Qin Jiu with a loving expression on his face.
¡°Alright.¡± Old Madam Wei stopped crying, but her eyes were still a little red, and her gaze was still glued to Qin Jiu¡¯s face as she rambled. ¡°Really simr to Ji¡¯er, your eyes and nose are especially like your mother, your mouth is like your father and ears like your maternal uncle. No wonder they say that a niece resembles uncles¡¡±
Old Madam Wei looked very excited, as she said whatever came to her mind.
Meanwhile, Old Madam Qin slowly picked the floating leaves on the tea with the tea lid on the side, feeling that her inws were old, and their eyesight was not good. Her Jiu¡¯er looks like his son, especially her eyes and nose, which were simply carved from the same mold.
¡°Mother,¡± Madam Wei called out smilingly to Old Madam Wei. ¡°Jiu¡¯er¡¯s skin is fair as jade just like her mother¡¯s, all the jewelry I picked out for her was chosen with her mother in mind, it will look good on her.¡±
Saying that, she beckoned Qin Jiu and took a heavy box from one of their maidservants and stuffed it into Qin Jiu¡¯s hands with a smile. ¡°Jiu¡¯er, this is an additional gift from your maternal aunt and maternal uncle!¡±
The Wei family came here specifically for Qin Jiu¡¯s wedding, setting off from Jiangnan very early.
Originally, Lord Wei and Madam Wei did not intend to bring Old Madam Wei, after all, Old Madam Wei was already old but she insisted on going with them, saying she wanted to meet her granddaughter.
The couple could not turn down the old madam, and so they had no choice but to take her with them. In order to avoid making the journey tooborious, they journeyed for more than half a month.
Qin Jiu happily and naturally thanked Lord and Madam Wei. The hall was very lively and bustling with joyous noise as everyone¡¯s faces were filled with brilliant smiles.
After another cup of tea, Qin Zening hurriedly asked to be excused and rushed back from the Shenshu Camp.
He had not seen his maternal grandmother, uncle, or aunt for several years, so everyone weed him. As they were talking, Old Madam Wei shifted the topic to Qin Jiu, saying that fortunately, Qin Zening had found his sister.
Meanwhile, Qin Zeyu, who served the guests on the side, felt secretly relieved. He thought that having his sister was good, before as the youngest his maternal grandmother and aunt would always rub and pinched him around, but now, he has his sister to take his ce! He used to be just a little kid, but he was now all grown up and a man, so what would he look like if he was still being touched and pinched all the time!
With these thoughts, Qin Zeyu happily picked a piece of chestnut pastry to eat but before he could take a bite, Old Madam Wei asked. ¡°Qin Xin¡how is she doing now?¡±
Qin Zeyu lowered his gaze as he took a bite of the chestnut pastry that smelled fragrant and tasted sweet and crispy.
Qin Zening did not cover up for Qin Xin, and told everything that happened in the past few months, including her instigation of Madam Su to poison Old Madam Qin, as well as murdering thete Marquis Xin Xun¡
The more Old Madam Wei listened the angrier she became, her lips trembled slightly with fury as she quivered. ¡°Shameless!¡±
How could there be such shameless people in this world!
***
Chapter 483
Chapter 483
In the past, Old Madam Wei also felt sorry for Xin Qin, although she always had this feeling that she could not get close to her, and there seemed to be a barrier. However, thinking that she was the only daughter of her daughter who died young, she also devoted her sincerity to her and epted her wholeheartedly. She asionally picked her up to stay with the Wei family.
It was not untilter, six years ago, that the Wei family moved to Jiangnan and the two families rarely saw each other.
Over the years, the Wei family has asionally sent things from Jiangnan to Qin Xin, who used to affectionately call out to her grandmother.
However, it was not until now that Old Madam Wei knew that there were really people born vicious. Anyone who blocked her way would die, whether it was thete Marquis back then or Old Madam Qin.
Fortunately, her real granddaughter has now returned.
Old Madam Wei held Qin Jiu¡¯s hand tightly, her eyes gradually turned red again, and her heart was filled with joy at regaining something after losing it. Fortunately, her daughter and son-inw in heaven guided, protected, and let them find Qin Jiu!
If it were not for Qin Jiu¡¯s wedding soon, she would want to spend a lot of time with her granddaughter, and Old Madam Wei almost wanted to take Qin Jiu back to the Wei mansion in the capital.
After dinner, before leaving, Old Madam Wei reluctantly made an appointment with Qin Jiu. ¡°Jiu¡¯er, as soon as I arrived in the capital today, I handed a letter to your imperial aunt in the pce, tomorrow will you apany me and your maternal aunt?¡±
Qin Jiu immediately agreed and personally went to the main gate to escort them into the carriage.
Early the next morning, she got up early and apanied Old Madam Wei and her maternal aunt to the pce.
When the mother and daughter met again, they hugged each other tightly and cried bitterly.
The Wei family has been in Jiangnan for six years, which also means that Old Madam Wei and Empress Wei have not seen each other for six years.
In the past six years, Old Madam Wei has gained a lot of gray hair on her temples, making her look much older.
Looking at her old mother, Empress Wei feels deep sadness in her heart. Jiangnan was too far away, and after seeing her this time, she did not know how much longer she would have to wait to see her again.
Old Madam Wei seemed to know what her daughter was thinking, wiping the corner of her eyes with a handkerchief, she said with a smile. ¡°Empress, your father intends to retire after his term is up, so we¡¯ll be able to see each other from time to time when we return to the capital.¡±
Empress Wei¡¯s eyes widened slightly in surprise, smiling as she pulled Old Madam Wei to sit down on the kang, ¡°Father is getting old, it¡¯s time for him to enjoy peace and happiness.¡±
¡°Now that Zezhi has stayed in the capital, Jiu¡¯er won¡¯t have to go to the western border, and we can all see each other all the time in the future.¡±
The more Empress Wei talked about, the happier she became. Her graceful face was glowing with energy, and it waspletely impossible to tell that she had stayed up all night after receiving news of Wei¡¯s family¡¯s arrivalst night.
Madam Wei smiled and said, ¡°It seems that there will be many happy events this year.¡±
Old Madam Wei agreed and smiled, causing her eyes to squint and deep wrinkles to appear at the corners of her eyes.
***
Chapter 484
Chapter 484
Although Old Madam Wei has not met Gu Zezhi yet, she has already met Madam Xiao. They met when Madam Xiao visited Jiangnan, after she arrived at her maternal family¡¯s manor, in the first half of the year, she made a special trip to visit them.
Truth be told, before meeting the person, Old Madam Wei was somewhat worried that Madam Xiao would not be able to get sand out of her eyes and would look down on her granddaughter because of the matter between Madam Xiao and Duan Wangye.
However, after meeting the person personally, she had a very positive impression of Madam Xiao. She could see that the other person was well educated and reasonable, and she valued her granddaughter as her future daughter-inw very much. In addition, the Xiao family had a great reputation for Jiangnan, and Empress Wei praised Gu Zezhi in her letters. Thus, Old Madam Wei was extremely satisfied with the marriage between her granddaughter and Gu Zezhi.
Old Madam Wei stroked her sleeve and added, ¡°I¡¯ve already handed Madam Xiao a greeting card, and I will go visit her tomorrow.¡±
Anyhow, Duan Wang¡¯s fu was in a mess so it would be great if Qin Jiu did not have to go to the western border, otherwise, she would have to get involved with Duan Wangye and the others. Would this not make her life more troublesome?
Old Madam Wei continued. ¡°Madam Xiao saidst time that our family¡¯s dragon¡¯s wells were good, and this time I purposely brought her some more from Jiangnan.¡±
Just then, Xiao Kouzi came in and reported with a smile. ¡°Empress, the second prince¡¯s consort seeks an audience.¡±
Empress Wei: ¡°¡¡±
The smile on the corner of Empress Wei¡¯s face slightly faded, she knew that Tang Fengchun must havee for Gu Xi and Country Princess Duan Rou.
Since the morning court three days ago, the case of the pce being put on fire has been officially settled. Stating, Gu Xi sent someone to burn down the Tai¡¯an Pce and reced Imperial Consort Fang with a substitute, providingplete evidence and witnesses.
The emperor also issued an imperial edict to Yuzhou, asking Wang Yu to severely punish Gu Xi, if Wang Yu could not be cruel to his son, he should return him back to the capital.
Not many people in the government and the public knew that Gu Xi was currently in the imperial prison. It was only assumed that he, County Princess Duan Rou, and Imperial Consort Fang all fled back to Yuzhou.
The corner of Empress Wei¡¯s lips moved into a half-smile, as she said gently. ¡°Tell the second princess that I had guests today so I won¡¯t be able to see her.¡±
Thus, Xiao Kouzi exited the Eastern Side Hall and truthfully delivered the message to Tang Fengchun.
Tang Fengchun waited under the eaves of the main hall of Fengluan Pce, wearing a thick ck cloak adorned with mink fur. The cold wind howled outside, causing her cheeks to blush slightly.
ncing towards the direction of the east side hall where Xiao Kouzi had just walked, the begonia-red brocade curtain was still swaying slightly, reflected in her bright and dark pupils.
With a faint smile on Tang Fengchun¡¯s face, she said to Xiao Kouzi ordingly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for your trouble, then I won¡¯t bother imperial mother.¡±
She then turned around and walked away. In the moment she turned around, the smile on her lips disappeared and her face remained expressionless.
In the gloomy sky, heavy snowkes with goose feathers floated up and fluttered like willow catkins in the sky.
Tang Fengchun gathered her cloak and walked forward against the cold wind, feeling heavy in her heart.
***
Chapter 485
Chapter 485
A series of events had caught Tang Fengchun off guard since Gu Xi and Duan Rou left the capital, which made her unable to react and was now isted and helpless, not to mention she could no longer control the events that were happening.
Tang Fengchun furrowed her brows lightly as her gaze became even deeper.
No one has contacted her these days, so she does not know if Gu Xi and Duan Rou have arrived in Yuzhou, nor does she know what the next n of Wang Yu was. She was like an isted ind in a boundless sea, abandoned alone in the capital, and had a vast uncertain future ahead.
Standing at the entrance of the main hall, Xiao Kouzi looked at Tang Fengchun¡¯s slightly thin figure midst of the wind and snow, and casually dusted off her robe, before she returned to the east side hall and reported to Empress Wei that Tang Fengchun had already left.
Empress Wei was toozy to respond and just continued talking to the Wei family and Qin Jiu, evenughing and crying while listening to the events that happened to her parents and siblings in Jiangnan.
When Qin Jiu left the pce in the afternoon, the emperor and empress ordered someone to add another box of gifts to Zhongyi¡¯s mansion.
Old Madam Qin went through the dowry list again, and the more she read, the more satisfied she became. ¡°Jiu¡¯er this ruyi jade rewarded by the emperor and the empress can be put on the first box to hold a scene and also your honor.¡±
¡°This time the Wei family also sent you additional gifts, so counting, this dowry box and some can¡¯t fit anymore¡¡±
There were fixed rules for dowries, and as the future county princess, the number of dowries to be carried cannot be too many. Anymore, it would exceed the regtions of a princess.
While eating melon seeds, Qin Jiu casually said. ¡°Grandma, I remember there are several boxes of materials, why don¡¯t we just remove one box from that?¡±
¡°No!¡± Old Madam Qin immediately vetoed it without thinking. ¡°Those are Yun brocade and Shu brocade, every inch of brocade is precious, you can¡¯t just buy it even if you want to.¡±
Old Madam Qin repeatedly checked the dowry list, wanting to remove two items, but felt that neither could becking and was reluctant to remove them, and this made her torn for a while.
¡°How about taking away some medicinal herbs¡ No, ginseng, deer antler, Polygonum multiflorum, and so on are all essential.¡±
¡°These porcin and decorations really take up space¡ but these porcins are from the Ru kiln, and this red coral jade bonsai is also a rare thing.¡±
¡°Right, silver, why don¡¯t I just change all this silver into silver tickets, then I can save a box, it¡¯s just that these silver tickets are not as grand as real silver ingots ¡¡¡±
Old Madam Qin chattered incessantly, while Qin Jiu had already given up giving her advice. Anyway, as long as she was enjoying herself.
After a long while, Qin Jiu was afraid that the old madam would dry up if she talked too much so she hurriedly said. ¡°Grandma, have some tea, this is the Longjing that Grandma and the others brought yesterday. Try it.¡±
Old Madam Qin lightly nced at Qin Jiu, feeling that this child was so big that she could be careless about her dowry.
Fortunately, significant blessings can only lead to arge heart.
***
Chapter 486
Chapter 486
Thinking of Qin Jiu¡¯s future husband, Old Madam Qin could not help but think of her other granddaughter, Qin Sheng¡¯s marriage, and sighed. ¡°Jiu¡¯er, your fourth sister will have a hard life.¡±
¡°That schr from the province, surnamed Cheng, is not a good person. Seeing that your fourth sister is no longer the daughter of a marquis, he is going to ruin the marriage.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t want to even think about it. The Cheng family is nothing more than a ragtag family but they take themselves highly.¡±
Old Madam Qin frowned, ever since Qin Zhun and Madam Su were convicted, their children have naturally looked down upon them, making it difficult for them to move forward.
Qin Jiu only knew that Qin Sheng from the second family had gone to Madam Su¡¯s mansion for a short stay but even before it could be called a short stay they were kicked out. The Su family bought them a small courtyard with two entrances west of the capital and no longer cared about them.
The Su family did not care about them, and so was Qin Jiu. All she knows was that Old Madam Qin secretly sent someone to give Qin Sheng and her siblings some personal money and asionally asked the momo to send them some vegetables, fruits, and other items brought from the vige.
Qin Jiu has no intention of interfering with these matters.
Old Madam Qin was already old, and she had always been a soft-hearted person, so it was impossible for her to ignore several blood-rted grandchildrenpletely.
Anyway, as long as she does not mention bringing them back, and just gives them some silver or something, Qin Jiu would just pretend that she did not know anything. It was Old Madam Qin¡¯s dowry, and she had the right to control and use it as she wanted.
Old Madam Qin continued talking a few more about Qin Sheng¡¯s recent situation,menting that it was not something Qin Sheng and her siblings could control before she finally sighed. ¡°Jiu¡¯er, you are a good fortune!¡±
Rather than experiencing good things first and then bad, it was better to experience bad things than good things, and their life would only get better.
¡°Aiya!¡± Old Madam Qin suddenly thought about something. ¡°Why am I confused, recing the silver with gold wouldn¡¯t be more impressive and take up less space.¡±
Old Madam Qin¡¯s eyes lit up as she hurriedly had someone prepare a pen and paper for the study, intending to copy the dowry list herself again.
Qin Jiu: ¡°¡¡±
Qin Jiu wanted to say that Old Madam Qin could have the maidservant help her count but seeing that she was full of energy and more energetic than taking any miraculous medicine, she decided not to say anything.
Anyway, as long as Grandma was happy!
As the wedding was approaching, Old Madam Qin became more nervous, repeatedly checked the dowry list, and personally went to the warehouse to check the dowry repeatedly. She changed the dowry list every day and finally arrived on the day when the dowry was delivered on the tenth day of the twelfth lunar month.
***
Chapter 487
Chapter 487
The person who gave the dowry was Qin Zeyu. He volunteered to do so, which meant that he would notpete with his brother for the job of carrying his sister to the bridal sedan chair, and thus it was natural that he should be the one to deliver the dowry.
Old Madam Qin was convinced and agreed to these arrangements regardless of Qin Zening¡¯s wishes.
When the auspicious time arrived, Qin Zeyu rode a white horse and set off from the Marquis of Zhongyi¡¯s mansion looking triumphantly. Behind him were seven to eight of his close friends and a group of dowry servants from the marquis¡¯s mansion.
This was the first time Qin Zeyu felt that he had taken on an important task, and with this thought, he made sure he wouldplete this task beautifully. Therefore, today, he and his brothers all wore the sameke blue brocade robes, as did all the servants who were carrying the dowry boxes. He also made sure that the servants he selected had dignified features and an agile body shape, not too tall or too short, not too fat, or too thin. The key point was that they must be neat, uniform, and dignified.
Sure enough, as soon as dowry servants walked down the streets of the capital, it immediately attracted countless onlookers. Several young men, including Qin Zeyu, all held their heads high, looking proud.
Anyway, Qin Zeyu¡¯s sister was also their sister!
The 128 dowries were delivered to the County King¡¯s Mansion in such a lively manner, that Qin Zeyu and several other young men were all given food by Gu Zezhi, and they all affectionately called him Brother Gu, with an inexplicable pride growing inside them.
Qin Zeyu returned to the marquis¡¯s mansion after delivering the dowry and happily ran to Guanxing courtyard to find Qin Jiu when he saw Qin Zening standing with his hands behind his back at the gate of Guanxing courtyard.
The sun was setting in the west, and under the winter sunset, Qin Zening¡¯s back looked solemn with a bit of mncholy in it.
¡°Big brother!¡± Qin Zeyu grinned and waved at his brother, his mouth wide.
These two words broke the atmosphere that was originally somewhat solemn.
Qin Zening turned around and looked at his silly younger brother. She asked in a deep voice, ¡°Did you say what I asked you to say to Gu Zezhi?¡±
Qin Zeyu: ¡°¡¡±
Qin Zeyu¡¯s gaze wandered a bit with a hint of guilt before he remembered that before leaving, his brother had asked him to warn Brother Gu to treat his sister well, otherwise he would not let Brother Gu go.
Qin Zening took a step closer to Qin Zeyu, his face looking deep and majestic under the backlight, ¡°Forgot?¡±
Qin Zeyu felt guilty for a moment and thenughed foolishly as he continued walking, patted his brother¡¯s shoulder who was a little taller than him, and said confidently. ¡°Big Brother, don¡¯t worry Brother Gu won¡¯t hurt sister!¡±
His sister was so nice! Brother Gu¡¯s eyes had long been blurred and her sister was the only one in his heart.
Qin Zeyu was just about to whisper a few more words to his brother when he heard a ¡°pfft¡± and a clearughing from the direction of the courtyard entrance.
The brothers were stunned and looked in the direction from which theughter came.
At the entrance of the yard, several pink plums were blooming freely in the cold wind, fearless in this severe cold, as the small pink flowers sway gently on the branches.
A young girl draped in arge bright red cloak walked from the Guanxing Courtyard as a few pieces of fingernail-sized petals happened to fall on her shoulders, while her smiling face appeared as bright as her temple rouge.
Her eyes glistened as she smiled sweetly while looking at them.
Her face has no trace of the uneasiness of a bride-to-be, instead, she looks calm, natural, and unrestrained.
***
Chapter 488
Chapter 488
Qin Zening looked at Qin Jiu withplex eyes as she walked lightly towards them, recalling the way she looked when she first returned to the capital in the tenth month ofst year. At that time, she was thin and petite, and although she had suffered so much, she was still lively and cheerful¡ This only made him feel even more distressed.
His parents were gone, and as the eldest brother, he was like a father. On the day of his mother¡¯s death, she held his hand and told him to take good care of his younger siblings, but he was not able to do it. He let his sister wander for many years!
In the past year, he intended to make up for it, but the year has been too short¡
Just over a year.
That¡¯s right, it was only just over a year but he felt as if he had been with his sister for several years, so he felt reluctant to let her get married so early¡
¡°Big Brother!¡± Qin Jiu took Qin Zening¡¯s left arm intimately, smiling like a flower. ¡°It¡¯s so cold here, why don¡¯t you go sit inside!¡±
¡°Yes, yes!¡± Qin Zeyu took Qin Zening¡¯s right arm and pulled him towards the courtyard as well. ¡°Brother, I¡¯m freezing to death!¡±
Qin Zening reluctantly allowed her younger siblings to drag him into the room, which felt like he had reaped his benefits and was quite satisfied.
After chatting andughing for a while, the siblings went to Ronghe Hall together to have dinner with Old Madam Qin. This would be Qin Jiu¡¯sst dinner at Marquis¡¯s Mansion before marriage.
Thinking of his younger sister getting married, Qin Zening lost his appetite at all while Old Madam Qin desperately tried to persuade Qin Jiu to eat more, saying that she would be hungry tomorrow.
Not only would she be hungry, but it would also be difficult for her to sleep well!
The next day, the rooster crowed, and Qin Jiu, who was still sleeping soundly, was woken up by Duan Rou and dragged up from her bed with two other maidservants sent by the pce. They washed, bathed, and dressed Qin Jiu, after which they startedbing and twisting her hair, putting on makeup and her Phoenix crown.
She was like a puppet from beginning to end, doing whatever they asked her to do. The heavy phoenix crown weighed her down, making her drowsier; she only remembered being pulled away to bid farewell to Old Madam Qin amid a shout ¡°The bridal sedan chair has arrived.¡± She was then ced in a bridal sedan chair by Qin Zening.
The flower sedan chair swayed amidst the lively sound of blowing and beating as she was carried out by Marquis Zhongyi¡¯s Mansion. Outside the sedan chair, the sound of blowing and crackling firecrackers was deafening, however, Qin Jiu felt that these sounds seemed distant, as if they were separated from her by a thick barrier.
After feeling as if she was being shaken in a stick of incense, she steadily descended from the sedan chair.
When the sedan chair was put down, the groom shoots three arrows without arrowheads and snaps them into half, and a slender and beautiful hand hits her eyes just below her red veil.
The fingers were like jade, slender like bamboo, and had distinct joints.
The sunlight seemed to have coated the hands with a faintyer of gold halo, and the neatly trimmed nails shimmered with a pearl-like luster.
Qin Jiu was too familiar with this hand.
It was this hand that she saw when she first met Gu Zezhi.
***
Chapter 489
Chapter 489
Qin Jiu did not care whether it waspliance with the rules or not, and just naturally put her hand on his and got off the sedan.
When her hand touched his hand, the warm touch in his palm made her heart, which had been shaking all day, suddenly settle down.
At present, she was getting married for the first time in two lifetimes. From early in the morning, the wedding procedures were different from the world she lived in, and this made her lose her sense of reality, feeling confused as if she was ying house.
Until now.
It was like the sun breaking through theyers of hazy mist, and everything suddenly became real.
She was getting married. In this dynasty, she would marry the man she cared about.
Qin Jiu walked steadily, holding the end of the red silk in one hand.
Under therge red cover, the corners of the red-colored lips curled slightly.
Stepping over the brazier, entering the wedding hall, worshiping heaven and earth, and then being sent to a new house.
Following the deliberately slow pace, she walked forward steadily until she sat down with the groom on the wedding bed.
After the quanfu* people spoke auspicious words, they stepped back and closed the door of the wedding room.
(*fully blessed people, or people with good fortune)
¡°Brother¡¡±
Qin Jiu called out, she felt her neck being pressed down by the phoenix crown so much that she could not lift her head up but before the rest of her words had a chance toe out, she saw a bright light in front of her eyes.
The fiery red veil was lifted, and Gu Zezhi¡¯s handsome face caught Qin Jiu¡¯s attention.
Gu Zezhi was wearing arge red auspicious garment, and this groom¡¯s robe looked especially good on him.
This was the first time Qin Jiu had seen Gu Zezhi wearing such bright colors, which made him look more radiant and handsome. His eyes, brighter than those of the scorching sun, were staring at her with a burning gaze.
Joy, adoration, and scorching gaze caused her cheeks to burn.
¡°It¡¯s so heavy.¡± Qin Jiu felt her neck could not take it anymore and raised her hand to point at the phoenix crown on her head as she mumbled, saying it quietly.
Gu Zezhi let out a lowugh, and his Adam¡¯s apple rolled gently, breaking the tense tension in the air.
¡°I¡¯ll help you.¡± He helped Qin Jiu remove the precious Phoenix crown.
This was not an ordinary Phoenix crown, but a pearl-emerald crowned jade arranged by the Ministry of Rites for the County Princess.
However, for Qin Jiu, this was the most terrible thing since it was heavier than the ordinary bridal Phoenix crown!
After removing the phoenix crown, she felt like she had returned to life as a sweet smile bloomed on her lips.
She was about to get up when she felt him leaning slightly towards her, and his long shadow covering her.
Qin Jiu blinked when Gu Zezhi lifted her small chin with one finger.
Gu Zehzhi looked at Qin Jiu¡¯s bright little face, the young girl was in her prime with ck hair on her temple that was as ck as ink, contrast to the bright and dazzling red wedding dress reflected on her neck and face that was as white as mutton-fat white jade. Her big, almond-shaped eyes were slightly upturned at the end, flowing with light, her nose was delicate and straight, and her cherry lips, painted in red, were as delicate as red peony, exuding charm, dazzling, and eye-catching.
***
Chapter 490
Chapter 490
Gu Zezhi¡¯s thumb lightly caressed her lips, and his gaze shifted inch by inch from her lips to once again meeting her almond-shaped eyes.
Qin Jiu felt her earlobes burning hot, looking at him looking more and more radiant.
He stared at her autumn water-like pupils, his voice low and soft, like a gentle spring breeze, and asked, ¡°Qin Jiu, are you willing to marry me?¡±
He said this word for word, with his Phoenix eyes under the backlight looking brighter.
Qin Jiu: ¡°¡¡±
Qin Jiu was stunned, never expecting that he would ask her this question on the night of their wedding in their bridal chamber.
Sheughed, it was a bright and clearugh.
This smile was like the half-awaited buds on the branches that slowly bloomed during the spring breeze in bright spring scenery.
She whispered, ¡°Cunning fox!¡±
These words carry a hint of coquettishness, tenderness, and affection.
This shady cunning fox chose to ask her this question when theypleted the rituals and all. Did he even give her the chance to refuse?
Gu Zezhi was always the same Gu Zezhi.
Looking gentle, but strong.
Looking reserved but bold.
Looking observant but rebellious.
The events that urred over the year since she met him shed past her like antern.
From Brother Zezhi to Gu Zezhi and now her groom.
From being vignt to probing each other, to now, she trusts him wholeheartedly.
Looking back, when she needed him she could always see him right there, like an abyss, like a high mountain stream.
With him, she could be fearless.
Qin Jiu¡¯s heart felt warm as if ripples were ripplingyer byyer in her heart¡
She suddenly stood up from the edge of the bed, and under his astonished eyes, kissed his thin lips gently, like a butterfly ying on the petals of a flower.
She then stepped back again, sat back, looked up at the unmistakable joy reflected in his eyes as if a mischievous child had seeded, and said with a smile.
¡°I do!¡±
These words were her truest thoughts.
How fortunate did she meet him in this world?
Gu Zezhi¡¯s eyes deepened as if the thick night swallowed her up.
His head bent lower, the scorching breath exhaled from his mouth, and his nose brushed against her cheeks. At this moment, Qin Jiu felt her skin was unusually sensitive and a tingling sensation rushed through her body, eventually gathering in her heart.
Thump thump thump! Her heartbeat was faster, simr to a drum.
His face pressed closer and he murmured slowly, ¡°I do too.¡±
How fortunate that he met her.
Gu Zezhi captured her slightly open cherry lips with his, while his hands steadily held the back of her head, and his slender fingers brushed against her ink-like silk hair. His thin lips gently caressed her delicate and soft lips, at first it was gentle and soft until gradually it became strong, sucking, entangling, rolling, and grinding¡
It was as if a leopard who was waiting for his time to strike had finally captured the prey it had coveted for a long time.
His other arm firmly mped down on her slender waist, leaving her all but immobilized, and only able to mingle her lips and teeth with his.
Just then, a respectful voice from a woman suddenly came from the outside. ¡°Wangye*, the decree has arrived.¡±
(*so from county king I will now use its romanization (of the king) to Wangye.)
Qin Jiu, whose mind was already in a mess, took a moment to realize what the decree meant. She pushed his strong and hot chest with her hand, unconsciously leading to a low moan between their lips and teeth.
He nibbled lightly on her delicate lips before retreating, and his breathing was rapid and messy, with a twinkle in those beautiful brows that were not there normally.
Meanwhile, Qin Jiu¡¯s breathing was far more rapid, panting, and her cherry lips were slightly red and swollen from the kisses, making them look delicate.
***
Chapter 491
Chapter 491
Chapter 491
He bent down and kissed her lips again before tidying her cor and helping her put on the heavy emerald Qizhai crown, then held her hands up and said. Lets go.
Wait! Qin Jiu hastily pulled him back.
Facing her puzzled eyes, she took out a water-red-colored handkerchief, stood tiptoe, and gently wiped off the bright lipstick on his lips for him, carefully destroying the evidence and removing the traces.
Despite this, his thin lips still appeared slightly redder than usual, exuding a demonic and seductive aura.
A bewitching and confusing vixen.
These words inexplicably appeared in Qin Jius mind when Gu Zezhi pulled her out.
As she walked, she suddenly recalled something.
Thats not right!
She remembers the two maids who came from the pce, repeatedly telling her about the wedding ceremony. Although the Daqi Dynasty did not have the custom of disturbing the privacy of the bridal chamber, when picking up the veil, the Quanfu people should not go out of the outer room. Also should they not drink Hejin wer, and then the groom quickly go out to toast?
Was this not in line with etiquette?
Qin Jiu could not help but feel a little confused with the arrangements, she raised her gaze to look at Gu Zezhi, who was walking side by side with her. A young man with picturesque features had a calm demeanor and was as gentle as the jade.
Qin Jiu knew that his gentleness was just a mask, like a floating cloud.
Forget it. She did not know anything.
As she was lost her thoughts, her mind became empty.
The two of them arrived at the open space in front of the wedding hall. Great Eunuch Zhou Xin was waiting for them, and there was also a group of small eunuchs apanying him, one of whom held the scroll of the imperial edict. Madam Xiao was also there, talking to Zhou Xin when she saw the newlyweds approaching, her smile deepened, and looked at them with a kind and teasing gaze.
Congrattions, wangye, wangfei. Zhou Xin cupped his hands towards the newlyweds, showing a friendly smile on his beardless face.
Gu Zezhi curtsied back, and following that, he, Qin Jiu, and Madam Xiao knelt for Zhou Xin to deliver the imperial edict. By heavens decree, the emperor proimed
The beginning of the imperial edict was about the rewards for his officials.
Overall, the edict was about Qin Jiu, who was officially conferred the title of County Princess.
On the day of marriage, the emperor bestowed this imperial decree, which was a sign of the emperors respect for the two. This decree also allowed guests who attended the banquet today to know that the County Kings wife was in the heart of the emperor.
Not only did the imperial edicte, but various rewards from Empress Wei and Empress Dowager Liu, like various gold, silver, jade ornaments, silk, and brocades, all of which were given to Qin Jiu, which thetter immediately thanked.
The County Kings mansion sent off wave after wave of pce servants who came with rewards for the newly married couple, and all the guests saw this.
After finally sending the third wave of pce servants, the sky had already darkened, and the festive rednterns were all lit up in the courtyard, swaying in the wind-like fireflies.
Qin Jiu breathed a sigh of relief and observed a moment of silence for her poor knees. Today, starting from bidding farewell to her grandmother at the Qin family, to the wedding hall, and then to the reception and finally receiving the edict, she has never knelt so many times a day in her entire life.
***
Chapter 492
Chapter 492
Chapter 492
Xiao Jiu Gu Zezhi naturally held her hand.
Pressed against his warm palm, Qin Jiu felt embarrassed for no reason, and she felt her head feverish, making her suddenly blurt out. Its time for you to propose a toast!
Gu Zezhi swallowed back his unfinished words and looked at her with a slight smile. He nodded seriously and said, I understand!
He uttered these words with a care-free demeanor.
Madam Xiao, on the other hand, could not help but pursed her lips into a smile.
The somewhat simr eyes of the mother and son made Qin Jius cheeks suddenly turn red, as delicate as a cloud in the sky.
She almost fled back to her new house, followed closely by her maidservant, Du Rou, and others.
Today was a big day, and the guests filled the whole ce and buzzed with joyous sounds until the second watch, before they went home one after another. Only then did the County Kings mansion be quiet and fallpletely silent.
The night was as cold as frost, and the pink plum outside the window trembled in the cold wind, sending out a faint fragrance.
The stamens of the flowers bloomed, forming a beautiful pink color on the branches that looked delicate and beautiful.
That night, the candle of the dragon and the phoenix courtyard of the wedding room kept burning until dawn.
Qin Jiu woke up to a loud crowing of roosters, she suddenly opened her eyes and looked at the unfamiliarrge red gauze curtain above. She sat up holding onto the nket, her body sore, and was painful, as if it had been rolled over by someone. She could not help but frown and groan, and then realized that her voice was a little hoarse and soft.
Thinking about the previous nights activity, she felt like her ears were burning, and could not simply face everything in the room. For example, the almost half of hexin wine that was fed into her mouth by him
At this time, the door curtain was opened from the outside, and Gu Zezhi, who was wearing a bright red robe, walked in from the outside. He had taken a bath and washed himself, he looked refreshed, his brows rxed, and he was full of energy and was glowing.
He woke up early while she was sleeping soundly, he did not want to disturb her nor could he bear to wake her, that was why he quietly got up and went out to wash up first
Youre awake. Gu Zezhi walked quickly towards her, his brows, as warm as usual, a far cry from his appearancest night.
As soon as Qin Jiu saw him, her mind shed back to the previous nights lingering, loving, and wildness they shared. She simply could not look at him in the eyes, so she softly called out. Du Ruo!
Gu Zezhi raised his sword-like eyebrows, with a smile in his eyes.
Was she shy?
Immediately Du Ruo and two other maidservants came in after Qin Jiu called out, thus, Gu Zezhis appearance seemed a little unnecessary right now, he could only silently leave as he mouthed to Qin Jiu. There is ample time.
Qin Jiu pretended she did not see anything.
It has been proven that she was right to kick Guzezhi. Under Du Ruos service, in less than half an hour, she came out of the inner roompletely refreshed, wearing a bright red dress that was the same as Gu Zezhi, and tied a crescent bun.
The two of them left the wedding room together and went to offer tea to Madam Xiao as a greeting.
Madam Xiao was now also living in the Chen County Kings mansion. She originally thought that since she and Duan Wangye were no longer connected, she should live in her mansion; however, she was persuaded by Gu Zezhi to move into the County Kings mansion that day before yesterday.
***
Chapter 493
Chapter 493
Chapter 493
There was no way Madam Xiao would not drink this cup of tea offered to her by her daughter-inw, especially after she watched the young couple who were a perfect match, walking towards her hand in hand. She could not hide the smile reflected in the corners of her eyes, bending into a crescent as she smiled.
For a moment, she felt that she could die in peace with a smile on her face.
Qin Jiu kowtowed three times to Madam Xiao in a polite manner and served her tea with a smile. Mother, drink tea.
Madam Xiao smiled even more cheerfully and changed her mind, thinking she must still help her son and daughter-inw with her grandchildren!
She hurriedly asked Qin Jiu to get up and take out a box of jewelry that she had prepared long ago. This was a gift from her mother-inw to her daughter-inw.
The three of them did not have time to chat for long, as Madam Xiao quickly had someone serve breakfast, since after breakfast, Qin Jiu and Gu Zezhi had to go to the pce. This time, they went to the pce not only to show gratitude, but also to acknowledge their rtives. After all, they could not keep Empress Dowager Liu and those royal rtives waiting for too long.
Qin Jiu originally expected for them to leave early so they could return early but when she arrived at Shouning Pce, she realized that there were so many royal rtives waiting for them and the usually deserted Shouning pce was now bustling.
Thus, the process of acknowledging rtives took longer. Qin Jiu had always had a little problem recognizing faces, and now with so many of them, her mind hadpletely turned into mush. Anyway, whenever Prince Li and his consort, Princess Li, apanied her in acknowledging the other royal rtives, and curtsied to them she would receive a bunch of greeting gifts from them.
Because Gu Zezhis seniority was so high, Qin Jiu was called royal aunt or grand aunt countless times. She often had the illusion that she had already developed white hair early, without knowing what it was.
When she came out of the pce, it was already time for lunch.
Seeing that Qin Jiu was starving, Madam Xiao quickly had someone serve the meal while the three of them sat together. Afterward, the servants of the Chen mansion came to kowtow to their mistress, but since Qin Jiu was not good at memorizing peoples faces, she only remembered a few stewards.
Madam Xiao did not keep them long and was immediately dismissed. Zezhi, take Xiao Jiu for a stroll around the mansion.
You have to go to your wifes home early in the morning and greet the Qin family, so rest early today.
Gu Zezhi responded with a smile, pulling Qin Jiu out of Madam Xiaos courtyard. The two of them strolled around the mansion casually.
Qin Jiu was quite familiar with this mansion, she had already seen every version of the blueprint and how it was repaired, Gu Zezhi also brought her to visit several times before.
However, she has not been here for three or four months, and there have been some new changes in the mansion.
For example, the newly transnted camellia flowers bloomed, looking colorful and bright like spring.
Or, at the end of a cobblestone path, there was an octagonal pavilion.
The small flower hall of theke has been rearranged, and a winding water corridor has been added to connect it to a water pavilion not far away.
Qin Jiu had not slept well for two nights in a row, so as they were walking, she could not help but cover her mouth and yawn.
Tired?
His voice full of concern came to her ears; he stopped, lowered his head slightly, and spoke, his breath brushing into her ear as if whispering.
***
Chapter 494
Chapter 494
Chapter 494
Im tired. Qin Jiu nodded, thinking about asking someone to have a sedan chaire over. Anyway, they do not need to visit the pce today.
However, before she could say these words, she saw Gu Zezhi take a step forward walking in front of her, slightly bowing and saying to her in a gentle voice. Ill carry you on my back.
Carry her on his back?! Qin Jiu almost doubted that she was hearing things, in the broad daylight, was he not afraid that the servants of the mansion could see them?
As if he had noticed her hesitation, he slightly turned his face and looked at her, his sword-like eyebrows raised, and said with a smile. Are you being shy again?
What rubbish, what does he mean by being shy again!!! Qin Jius mind immediately became hot as shey on his broad back, put her arms around his neck, and positioned herself.
Anyway, if he was not afraid of others saying he was afraid of his wife, then what should she be afraid of!
Gu Zezhi held her leg and steadily carried her forward.
His warm body was like a big furnace, exuding his usual incense scent, which smelt like faint green bamboo, fresh, and light.
Qin Jiu was a little embarrassed at first, but after being carried by him for a while and seeing no one at all along the way, she thought that maybe the servants had good intuition!
She did not care if anyone was peeking at the corner that she could not see; anyway, out of sight was out of mind.
Shey peacefully on Gu Zezhis back and her body rxed.
The silk ribbon on his bun hung down and happened to touch her face. She felt itchy and withdrew one hand that was originally wrapped around his neck, trying to push away the ribbon in front of her. However, when the ribbon reached between her fingers, her hand stiffened, and she realized that the ribbon he used to tie his hair was hers.
The silk ribbon that was tied to her hair yesterday has now fallen on his head.
Qin Jiu felt as if her head was filled with honey, it was so sweet that she could not help but think of the words, hair tie.
She rolled the long silk ribbon with her long, slender fingers while feeling as if something was tangled around her heart.
She softly called out, Zezhi.
This was the first time she called him by his name.
Hmm. He responded with a smile.
After returning home tomorrow, can you apany me to pick out a few books from Shuhaizhai?
Okay.
Good! She leaned over and kissed his jade-white earlobe and found that he trembled slightly, causing a crispugh to escape from her mouth, showing little self-satisfaction and a little coquettishness.
Gu Zezhi only paused briefly before continuing forward, with the corner of his lips curled up, his eyebrows and eyes glowing on his handsome face.
Does this girl think he cannot do anything to her now?
Thinking about going back, Gu Zezhi did not do anything to her. That night, Qin Jiu slept for the first time in three days, and when she got in the next day, feeling refreshed.
***
Chapter 495
Chapter 495
Chapter 495
Early in the morning, Qin Zeyu came to pick them up at the Qin Mansion. As soon as they arrived, he called Gu Zezhis brother-inw, which was even more affectionate than calling Qin Jiu, sister.
As a county princess, Qin Jiu was assigned a zhulun carriage by the Ministry of the Rites. Therefore, when she returned home to her maternal house, she rode this zhulun carriage. Qin Zening was also there personally weing her outside Marquiss mansion.
Before he could say anything, Qin Zeyu had already called out loudly, Big brother, what are you doing here? I told you that I would pick up my sister and brother-inw on time.
Qin Zeyu felt that his brother did not have much trust in him.
If you dont speak, no one will take you for a mute. The corner of Qin Zenings eye twitched, wanting to p this naughty child in the face.
At this time, Qin Jiu could not help but smile, as she got off the carriage with Gu Zezhis assistance.
Her bright face was filled with a brilliant smile, a rosyplexion and lively expression.
Seeing that her smile came from the bottom of her heart, it was clear that these past few days had gone well, Qin Zenings heart was finallypletely put down, and a smile appeared on his face as well, saying, Xiao Jiu, quickly go inside, Grandmother and everyone are waiting for you.
Today was the day she returned home to her maternal house or what they called the three dynasties of returning home, and to let the new husband meet the womans family and recognize them as rtives.
Therefore, today, the n leader, elders, and other rtives of the Qin n arrived at Marquiss Mansion early in the morning and were currently gathering in the main hall.
Qin Jiu and Gu Zezhi first went to offer tea to Old Madam Qin, and then Qin Zening personally led Gu Zezhi to recognize the rtives one by one.
After acknowledging the rtives, Qin Zening took his brother-inw, Gu Zezhi, to the front while Qin Jiu stayed behind to apany Old Madam Qin and all the female rtives of the Qin family.
The room was shrouded by people wearing fragrant clothing.
After all the men left, the air immediately became more active, and the women chattered non-stop.
A n elders wife smiled as she sized Qin Jiu up and praised her. Our Jiuer is truly a beautiful bride.
Old Madam Qin always liked hearing these kinds of words, as if she was the one being praised by others. Her smile deepened until a deep wrinkle appeared in the corner of her eyes. Ive watched after her, and she looks good. This child is destined to have good fortune, seeing how she got a decree on her wedding day.
Just like how the request for the crown princes title requires approval from the emperor, Gu Zezhi has personally applied for the title of county princess for his wife. And thus, Qin Jiu became a dignified county princess as soon as she passed the door. How many women could have such honor!
The other female rtives also echoed in agreement and rushed to look obedient and curry favor.
Originally, the Marquis of Zhongyi was the most noble lineage of the Qin family, and since Qin Jiu married well, they naturally wanted to establish a good rtionship with Qin Jiu. After all, it would always be good to have more help in the future!
On the other hand, Qin Jiu pursed her lips and smiled.
***
Chapter 496
Chapter 496
Chapter 496
The room became increasingly lively, and everyones faces were also beaming with joy.
Old Madam Qin looked around at these rtives and inwardly sighed. Today, the rest of the Qin familyes, including the third family. Only Qin Sheng and others did note; it seemed that they wanted topletely break their ties with the eldest family.
Truth be told, she originally held a glimmer of hope. Hoping to use todays happy asion to reconcile Qin Sheng and others with Qin Jiu and her siblingsnow, this glimmer of hope has burst like bubbles.
This was also good, she said to herself.
She was getting older, and since she fell ill due to Madam Sus work, her health has deteriorated significantly and she may not have had a few more years to live. So, she naturally hoped that her family would be harmonious, but since they could not even pretend to be harmonious, she could only give up.
After experiencing the events that had urred with Madam Su, Qin Zhun, and Qin Xin, she finally understood that nothing could be forced.
Old Madam Qin did not show anything on her face, as she talked affectionately to Qin Jiu and other female rtives.
The scene was joyous from start to finish.
After having lunch with the Qin family, Qin Jiu and Gu Zezhi bid farewell. However, halfway through their journey, Qin Jiu realized that they had left the town instead of returning to their residence or going to Shuhaizhai.
Where are we going? Qin Jiu asked curiously.
Gu Zezhi said, Offer incense.
At this time, people believed in Taoism and Buddhism. After Qin Jiu came to ancient times, she had long been ustomed to it and thought of it as apanying Gu Zezhi to offer incense.
When they arrived at the Guanyin Temple, the carriage stopped.
The unique aroma of incense candles from the temple came with the wind, piercing into Qin Jius nose. In front of them was an ancient temple, with clusters of lush tree crowns protruding from the bright yellow walls and swaying against the cold wind.
The two walked into the temple, and some people walked out of it. As they walked, there were two girls talking.
Sister Wang, I aming all the way here today hoping to beg the goddess of mercy that she will hear my hearts plea.
Sister, dont worry, Guanyin Bodhisattva here is the most effective in seeking marriage. Look, my second uncles cousin Lis marriage has been extremelyplicated but aftering herest month to apply for a marriage, the marriage was finally settled in a few days.
Ill take your word for it then.
As they spoke, the two of them walked past Qin Jiu and Gu Zezhi. Seeing that the two wore the same green lotus-colored clothes, Qin Jiu had her hair styled like a married woman, looking pretty and charming. At first nce, she could already tell that they were newlyweds, so she could not help but take another look at them. Feeling that they came out from a painting, one was handsome, and the other was pretty. The couple walked hand in hand, like stars and moon,plementing each other with elegance and radiance, looking perfectly matched.
The two girls could not help but whisper at each other, and words could be vaguely heard such as newlywed, and fulfilled drifting in the wind.
***
Chapter 497
Chapter 497
Chapter 497
Just like what the two girls mentioned earlier, this Guanyin Temple was very effective but its effectiveness was famous for its marriage fortune sign just like the Three Lives Stone of Lingyin Temple. Lingyin Temple was also known as the Marriage Temple with the same reputation as the Guanyin Temple but most women came to this Guanyin Temple to seek marriage and peach blossom from the Guanyin deity.
Last time, Qin Jiu came with Yun Jiaoniang, but at that time, she had already had an arranged marriage and just came along to join the fun.
Could it be that Gu Zezhi also came here to seek marriage, so he came here to fulfill his wish? Just imagining that scene made Qin Jiuugh foolishly alone.
Although it was the twelfth lunar month of the winter month, it did not affect the incense at Guanyin Temple in the slightest. However, one could see that there were only a small number of pilgrims and more women. The younger ones came to seek marriage, while the older ones apanied the younger generations, such as daughters or granddaughters to seek marriage.
Gu Zezhis arrival inevitably made him stand out from the crowd, and the eyes of those women and girls were all directed towards him, shining brightly.
Some still suppressed their voices, while others simply could not control their volume, especially a middle-aged womans slightly shrill voice prating Qin Jius ears. Little darling, look, that little madam must have brought her husband here to fulfill her promise.
Qin Jiu:
The middle-aged woman continued, Little darling,ter on, you have to be more sincere to the Guanyin Goddess and also ask for a beautiful husband like him, who will make you feel good just by looking at him.
Qin Jiu could not help but look at Gu Zezhi. Well, hes really good looking!
The corners of her lips curled up again, revealing a pair of light-pearl dimples.
She followed Gu Zezhi with light footsteps and arrived at the foot of a vigorous, century-old Osmanthus tree. The lush branches were covered with red ropes for making wishes.
Underneath the tree, dozens of girls gathered around the thick trunk of the osmanthus tree, all struggling to throw the red rope with a wooden que tied to one end of the branches.
The legend has it that, as long as the red rope was hung on a tree branch, one could find a beautiful and good rtionship. The higher the tree branch hung, the greater the blessings and the better the marriage.
Standing here at this moment, Qin Jiu suddenly knew why Gu Zezhi hade.
Last time, when she and Yun Jiaoniang came here, they did not ask for a good marriage because they were already engaged, but they still threw a red string to make a wish on the tree.
Yun Jiaoniang has been practicing martial arts since childhood, with greater strength and better uracy. She naturally throws much higher than her.
She casually mentioned this matter to Qin Zeyu and had not told anyone else about it, so it was obvious from whom Gu Zezhi had heard.
Qin Zeyu really could tell Gu Zezhi anything.
With these thoughts in mind, Qin Jiu watched Gu Zezhi add incense money and then brought a red rope with a wooden sign hanging over it.
He chose a spot under the tree and weighed a red rope with wooden ques hanging at both ends. Qin Jiu saw with her sharp eyes that the wooden ques at both ends of the rope had their names written on them, with strong and vigorous handwriting, with a hint of sophistication, indicating that they were written by Gu Zezhi.
***
Chapter 498
Chapter 498
Chapter 498
The other girls knew what Gu Zezhi was going to do when they saw his posture. They all stopped their movements and were stunned.
Never before did these women see a man throwing red ropes under the osmanthus tree, so this was the first time they witnessed such a scene.
Amidst the scorching gaze of the crowd, Gu Zezhis red rope was gently and skillfully thrown up, flying higher and higher, urately hanging onto the highest branch of the Osmanthus tree.
When the wind blew, all the red ropes hanging from those branches swayed in mid-air along with the branches and leaves, and these wooden ques collided together in twos and threes, producing a crisp sound.
Qin Jiu looked up and looked at the two wooden ques with their names written on them at the highest ce bumping against each other and snuggling up with the pull of the red rope, she could not help but curl her lips and smile.
She reached out and hooked her index finger, shook it, sped her hands together, lowered her eyelids, and made a prayer gesture towards the osmanthus tree.
Gu Zezhi also sped his palms and silently prayed in his heart,pletely unaware that Qin Jiu quietly opened one eye. In her dark-jade-like pupils, there seemed to be a little golden light shining on the clearke surface, and her smile rippled with the ripples ofke water.
After the two had prayed, they left together hand in hand, and those girls looked at the pair with envious gazes, someone even muttered softly, When I get married, Ill bring my husband along to return the favor!
Other people nodded with deep agreement; only in this way could they be sincere and find a good husband like that beautifuldy!
When Qin Jiu and Gu Zezhi came out of the Guanyin Temple, the sun had already set up in the west.
Gu Zezhi apanied Qin Jiu onto the carriage, taking her slender shoulders and letting her lean into his arms.
After tossing from side to side for almost a day, Qin Jiu feels a little tired. She leanedzily on him, rubbing her head lovingly into his arms and putting her cold hands into his sleeves to draw warmth from his body temperature.
Gu Zezhi kissed the top of her hair and suddenly said, After New Years Eve, well have to make a trip back to the Western Frontier.
Qin Jiu responded absentmindedly, greedily crawling her cold fingers a little further into his sleeve and letting out a sigh of contented tenderness.
In this cold winter, Gu Zezhi was a humanoid heater that did not require charcoal fire, which was awesome.
Gu Zezhi felt a little itchy from her restless fingers, so he simply let her rest on hisp and covered her cold hands with both hands.
The imperial physician said that because she had a difficult life in those years, with a weak foundation and weak qi and blood, her hands and feet would be colder in winter than normal.
In the past year, although Empress Wei and the Qin family had given her some good nourishment, the task of recuperating her body was not something that could be done overnight. She needs to slowly recover for two to three years
***
Chapter 499
Chapter 499
Chapter 499
In the past year, although Empress Wei and the Qin family had given her good nourishment, the task of recuperating her body was not something that could be done overnight. She needs to slowly recover for two to three years
Gu Zezhis eyes shed slightly as he added, Were going to the Western Border this time for Wang Yu.
Qin Jiu, whose eyes were originally half-closed and half-squinted while on hisp, opened wide of a sudden.
Gu Zezhi continued, After the year, there will be a battle between the court and Wang Yu.
Qin Jius sleepinesspletely disappeared, her almond-shaped eyes looking clear as she looked at him with all seriousness.
From this perspective, her eyes were evenrger, and her eyshes were so thick that they looked like little fans.
Gu Zezhi continued calmly, The court will have a war against Wang Yu, and Yuzhou cannot continue to dominate.
A few years ago, due to the bandits from Northern Yan, Western Xinjiang, Minzhou, and Jinzhou, the court had no spare power to move, but different could be said now
They only require some additional strength.
Although a lot of money was taken from pirates in Minzhou in the first half of the year, and a sum was also obtained from Beiyan, he and the emperor knew that relying on this silver to maintain the war against Wang was far from enough.
However, this kind of opportunity does note again, so it should not be overlooked. Now was the best time; they could no longer wait. If they missed this opportunity, they would have to make an even greater effort to clean up Yuzhou the next time.
If the court wants to take Yuzhou, it must use a strategy.
Taking down Yuzhou at a minimum cost, whether Imperial Consort Fang or Gu Xi, was a setup for this inevitable battle.
Gu Zezhi was still smiling, but his eyes became sharp.
Qin Jiu casually picked up, So, were going to make a trip to the Western Frontier?
Qin Jius sentence waspletely following Gu Zezhis previous words, but in fact, she did not understand at all. What was the connection between taking Yuzhou and going to the Western Frontier?
Gu Zezhi blinked at her and said, As a son, its only natural for you to take your new wife back to pay respects to your father, wangye.
Qin Jiu: .
What she could be certain of was that the golden thigh had conspiracy brewing; there must be!
One fact after another proves that people who were targeted by the gGolden thigh often had no good ending. Qin Jiu silently broke into a cold sweat for the person he was targeting.
Gu Zezhi bent his head and kissed the corner of her lips, warmly soothing, Dont worry. He would not let her get caught in a trap; it was this long journey that he was afraid of tiring her.
His gentle voice exuded a slightly hoarse charm into a small carriage.
Qin Jiu let out a hmm and casually yed with the sheepskin jade pendant he had tied around his waist, without any worries.
With Gu Zezhi around, what did she have to worry about!
Anyway, he must have thought of everything that she could not.
***
Chapter 500
Chapter 500
Chapter 500
Qin Jiu moved into a morefortable position on hisp and added, Will we depart after the New Year?
Seeing the clear look on her face, Gu Zezhis eyes swirled withughter, her face reflected in his pupils, Theres one more thing that needs to be settled first, and then well depart.
Then Ill ask Du Ruo to start packing the luggage early, so as not to be in a hurry. Qin Jiu did not hesitate at all and happily agreed, By the way.
She said, propping her upper body up slightly with her elbow, How many days do you have off during the Chinese New Year?
Gu Zezhi said, Seven days.
Qin Jiu stroked his palm and said, Thats just right. I have a hot spring property, how about we go there and stay for a while?
This hot-spring vi was bought by her at a low price from Qin Zhun and finally used as a dowry for her. Now that the weather was cold, it was a good time to visit and perfect for soaking in a hot spring.
Listen to you. Gu Zezhi looked carefree again, and the smile on his lips became charming.
Qin Jius ear felt inexplicably hot as if she had thought of something she should not have thought of.
She was trying to say something, but felt that everything she would say was like trying to cover up the truth.
Forget it, she does not know anything.
As she closed her eyes, she felt there was something amiss when she suddenly heard someones low chuckle in her ear. Then she felt a soft and burning sensationing from her lips, and someones tongue pried open her mouth
The sound of the hooves and wheels outweighed the subtle moans and rustling of clothes.
As dusk approaches, the sky gradually darkens.
The emperor only gave Gu Zezhi three days of wedding leave, and the following day, on the 14th of the twelfth lunar month, Gu Zezhi returned to work.
Qin Jiu was not idle either. She was pitifully holding the corner of Madam Xiaos clothes, who was nning to return to the Xiao Mansion, saying that she had to manage such arge mansion by herself without anyone to support her looking.
Her pitiful appearance caused Madame Xiao to feel heartbroken, and when she thought about her background, she felt that it was not easy for this child.
Madam Xiao stayed behind and taught her how to manage the household, check the ounts and she also taught her how to manage all the properties of the County Kings mansion.
Gu Zezhi had just been granted a title but had not been separated from Duan Wangye so his properties were still not that much. After careful calction, Qin Jiu found that the wealth of the county king was not as high as that of her dowry.
The golden thigh was so poor! Qin Jiu hugged the ount book and nestled on the couch, snickering happily.
When Gu Zezhi returned, he saw the little girl with a flower-like smile on her face.
As soon as he entered the small study room, Du Ruo and a few maids tactfully retreated to avoid being fed with eye stye.
Gu Zezhi at this time, had already sat down next to the couch and took the ount book in her hand before casually tossing it to the side. Its dark, be careful of damaging your eyes.
Qin Jiu threw herself to him andy on his broad back with her small chin resting on her shoulder, she then said with a smile. I wasnt reading that long, am I such a hard-working person? She said this with confidence.
She was not like Golden Thigh, and had to work hard for her life.
***
Chapter 501
Chapter 501
Chapter 501
Thinking about his life of getting up before even the rooster crow every day and sleeping less than three hours every night, Qin Jiu looked at him with sympathy and pity in her eyes. She generously patted his shoulders and smiled. Youre the one. Dont work too hard, Ill take care of you in the future!
Gu Zezhi:
Heughed softly and his chest and shoulders shook slightly.
Qin Jiu felt the world was spinning for a while and was caught off guard when she was suddenly pressed on the couch by him. She almost let out a low cry, but thinking that Du Rou and others were still outside, she gritted her teeth and did not dare to make a sound.
Gu Zezhi buried his head between her neck, smelling the faint fragrance on her body. Although it had the same smell as his, it seemed to have a slight sweetness on her body.
It was a while before she heard him whisper, Okay.
Okay, let us get you raise!
However, Qin Jiu soon regretted this.
She should not have said such a big thing. This person has such a big appetite, how could she have the ability to support him!
Qin Jiu slept until dawn in the morning every day. Normally, she had no idea when Gu Zezhi got up, but asionally when she was half asleep and half awake, she noticed movements around her, so she would open her eyes before turning over and continue sleeping.
The same was true on the 25th day of the lunar month; while she was sleeping peacefully, the court was not peaceful at all.
In the early morning, the Imperial Court received a report from Yuzhou. Wang Yu solemnly used Gu Xi and Princess Duan Rou of not returning to Yuzhou and that it was the emperor who had deceived and detained them. In addition, Wang Yu stated that he did not send anyone to set fire to the Taian Pce, as traitors were framing him to provoke a rtionship between the imperial court and Yuzhou.
In the morning court, the emperor thunderously pped and rebuked the case. Telling lies with his eyes wide open! Wang Yu wants to protect Gu Xi and remove him clean.
In the past, opinions were divided in court regarding the issue between Yuzhou and Wang Yu. However, this time, courtiers were surprisingly united and agreed that Wang Yu was truly shameless. Gu Xi had already returned to Yuzhou with the Empress Dowager Fang, and yet Wang Yu wanted to me the emperor.
Before sealing the edict, the emperor issued another edict announcing to the world and reprimanding Wang Yu for his dishonesty, concealment, evil intentions, and so on.
Under the deliberate indulgence of the court, this matter spread widely in the capital, with all the me pointing directly to the father and son, Wang Yu.
From themon people to the literati, everyone was filled with righteous indignation, as they discussed in the streets, alleys, tea houses, and restaurants.
Wang Yu is nting evidence to frame himself!
Thats right, Wang Yu let his sone to the capital to stir up trouble like this, I think he must have some sinister intentions!
Hmph, I think its just ambition and ulterior motives.
Various discussions and spections have not subsided for several days, and have be increasingly intense.
***
The author has something to say: the wedding is really hard to write, so lets continue to abuse the scum~ (cover your face)
Chapter 502
Chapter 502
Chapter 502
In this atmosphere, the new year has arrived. The first day of the year was lively and bustling, with the sound of firecrackers echoing everywhere.
This was the second New Year that Qin Jiu spent here in the Qi Dynasty, but it was the first time that she had to wear a princesss dress as the county princess to pay a visit to the pce.
Because of Gu Zezhi, Qin Jiu who was a generation younger than him had already struck a lot of gold and silver in advance to use them as New Years money. However, when the second princess and the sixth prince all called her aunt and reached out for money, she almost could not hold back herughter.
After handing out a couple of New Years money in session, Qin Jiu became thick-skinned, so when Fang Hanjun came over to call her aunt, she stuffed her with a purse without hesitation, Here, your New Years money.
Fang Hanjun: .
Second Princess Xinan came over andughed. Cousin, we are just children before we have our hairpin day so we have to collect New Years money.
Qin Jiu smiled, and deliberately put on an elders posture as she said. Even if youve reached your hairpin day, youre still a child!
As soon as she said this, some girls from the royal n also came up asking for the new years money, making the scene lively and joyful.
On the second day of Lunar New Year, she returned to her maternal home, and on the third day of Lunar New Year, she visited her rtives.
On the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, Qin Jiu and Gu Zezhi stayed in the Hot Spring Vi for two days.
After returning from the Hot Spring, Qin Jiu slowly began packing up her luggage and on the sixth day of the Lunar New Year when she returned to the Qin family, she told Old Madam Qin that she was leaving the capital.
Grandmother, in a few days Im going to make a trip back to the Western Frontier with Zezhi to meet Duan Wangye.
Qin Jiu understood Gu Zezhis meaning, so she seamlessly intended to reveal that they were going back to the western frontier to pay respect.
Old Madam Qins first reaction to hearing this was that the journey was far and too arduous.
However, no matter how heartbroken and distressed she could not say anything about it. Her granddaughter was already married and she was now a member of the Duan Wang family, so it was reasonable to go and pay her respect to her father-inw.
Moreover, since Duan Wangye was ordered by the emperor to guard the western frontier, he would not have been able toe to the capital. As the son and daughter-inw, they should have made this trip; if Qin Jiu would not go, she would have been criticized instead.
Old Madam Qin calmed herself and asked a series of questions with concern. Have you packed your things? Have you set a time to leave? Does the Emperor know?
Qin Jiu smiled and answered, Well set off again when Zezhis errand is done. Im slowly putting things away.
Old Madam Qin nodded, thinking that this was right and she could not dy her errand, but the truth was that since the western frontier was so far away, there was no fear of being dyed for a day or two.
***
Chapter 503
Chapter 503
Chapter 503
Old Madam Qin felt uneasy thinking that her granddaughter was going to travel far away, especially since this girl had never been to such a distant ce before. She took Qin Jius hand and said, Jiuer, its only proper for you, the junior, to pay respect to your elders, but dont wrong yourself too much either.
If you cant get along with that side dont force yourself. Whatever they say, you dont have to care about it, anyway, you and your husband wont stay for more than a few days before you return to the capital.
As for Concubine Feng, she is not your proper mother-inw, so you do not need to give her face, if she wants to set rules for you like giving you people or something, just refuse. You have to remember that you are the legitimate daughter-inw so you dont need to give the concubine a face, if anything happens, the Marquis house will support you.
Old Madam Qins words were said in a heartfelt manner, and Qin Jiu was a person who knew what was good and what was bad, so she responded obediently to each of her words.
Fearing that the old madam might not be at ease, she took Old Madam Qins right arm and affectionately said, Grandmother, dont worry, I wont suffer a loss. Besides, theres Zezhi!
Qin Jiu smiled sweetly like a glutinous rice causing Old Madam Qins heart to melt andpletely disregarded her granddaughters first half of the sentence. Her granddaughter was just sharp-tongued but in fact, she was soft-hearted. Back then she was coaxed by her second uncle to pay him a lot of money, as for the second half of her granddaughters sentence.
Thinking that Gu Zezhi had earned himself the title of county prince at a young age, Old Madam Qin felt that her husband was a sessful man and that with the help of Empress Weis maidservant, Du Ruo, her granddaughter should not be able to afford to lose.
As the grandparent and grandchild were talking, the voice of a maidservant greetings came from the outside. Marquis.
Immediately thereafter, the door curtain was rudely lifted by someone, and Qin Zening himself threw the curtain in, walking hastily.
Qin Jiu and Old Madam Qin instinctively looked at him, Qin Jiu raised her eyebrows slightly, noticing something strange from her elder brothers slightly subtle expression.
Grandmother. Qin Zening bowed to Old Madam Qin.
Old Madam Qin thought that Qin Zening knew about Qin Jius n to go to Western Xinjiang, and smiled, Anning, do you also know about your sisters n to go to Western Xinjiang?
Qin Zening did indeed know, but he did note back for this matter. He deliberately said, Grandmother, my sister, is going a thousand miles to western Xinjiang this time. I have something to tell her.
Old Madam Qin revealed a smile of understanding and dismissed siblings with a wave of her hands.
Until the siblings went out of the Ronghe Hall, Qin Zening looked at no one in the four corners of the room before he said to Qin Jiu, As soon as the morning court was opened today, the emperor formally decree to enthrone the Sixth Prince as the Crown Prince, but
Qin Zenings eyes were deep and he paused for a moment before continuing, However, Lord Chengen knelt in front of the Imperial Library after the early court, saying that his grandfather colluded with Wang Yu and had ulterior motives.
He also said that the Empress should take off her hairpin and ask for a pardon, and also ask for a decree to abolish the Empress.
***
Chapter 504
Chapter 504
Chapter 504
The surrounding air was slightly condensed, and the sun was covered by clouds, making the sky slightly darker.
Qin Jiu furrowed her brows lightly, her expression icy cold.
To put it bluntly, Lord Chengen came for Gu Zhen. Once there was a deposed empress as her biological mother, Gu Zhen would not be able to be the Crown Prince.
The siblings exchanged a silent look, and Qin Zening hurriedly added, Xiao Jiu, Im going to make a trip to the Wei Mansion to see Grandmother and Great Uncle and the rest of them, so you should go into the pce first to see Auntie.
Wait! Qin Jiu grabbed Qin Zenings sleeve and said sternly, Big brother, dont go to the Wei Mansion. You go find Zezhi. Ill go to the Wei family to see my grandmother.
Qin Zening believed in Gu Zezhis ability and nodded decisively, Okay, Ill go find Gu Zezhi.
Thus, the siblings split up and left the Marquiss mansion. Qin Zening went east, while Qin Jiu went west, to the Wei Mansion first.
She only stayed for a moment in the Wei Mansion, and with just one cup of tea, she came out from the mansion and rode with Old Madam Wei in her red-wheel carriage to the pce.
One was the princess of Chen County and the other was the empresss biological mother, with their sign que. Even without Empress Weis summons, they entered the pce smoothly and arrived at Fengluan Pce.
In the Fengluan Pce, there was a calm and tranquil atmosphere, yet it vaguely exuded a sense of solemn undercurrent.
Without waiting for Old Madam Wei to speak, Empress Wei jumped ahead and said, Mother, I also know about fathers matter.
Old Madam Wei: .
Mother, dont worry, Empress Wei insteadforted the worried Old Madam Wei, Fathers character is known to me and the Emperor, the Emperor will not wrong Father.
A faint smile appeared on the corner of Empress Weis lips as she added. The emperor is with us.
Her eyes were broad and bright, her expression was gentle and calm, and she had a serene temperament.
Qin Jiu knew that the emperor and empress had always had a deep affection for each other and seeing that Empress Wei trusted the emperor so much in such a situation, without being anxious or impatient, Qin Jius slightly uneasy heart calmed down, and she even felt like she had been fed with a mouthful of dog food.
The corners of her lips curved up slightly as she smiled and chimed in, Auntie is right, theres the emperor!
Old Madam Wei was also slightly rxed, but her heart remained suspended.
At this time, Xiao Kuozi came in and reported, Empress, Eunuch Zhou is here.
Zhou Xin was the eunuch next to the emperor, and Old Madam Wei was also aware of it. She could not help but clench her handkerchief tightly.
Empress Wei had someone bring Zhou Xin in.
Zhou Xin walked up to the empress without looking askance, bowed respectfully, and reported, The emperor asked this servant toe over and tell the empress not to worry.
The matter of Old Madam Wei and Qin Jiu entering the pce naturally could not be hidden from the emperor, the emperor purposely allowed Zhou Xin to make this trip, not only to let Empress Wei be relieved but also for the same purpose of speaking to Old Madam Wei.
Zhou Xin continued, Duke Chengen said that Lord Wei colluded with Wang Yu and presented some letters as evidence. These letters were secretly exchanged between Lord Wei and Wang Yu over the past few years, with Lord Weis seal on them. By examining Lord Weis calligraphy, it can be seen that these letters were indeed written by Lord Wei
Old Madam Weis face changed in a sh and she said offhandedly, Impossible. My Wei family has never had any dealings with Wang Yu. Her voice was slightly high-pitched.
***
Chapter 505
Chapter 505
Chapter 505
The Wei familys daughter was the empress. The emperor, and Wang Yu had been at war for a long time, this was known to the whole world, so how could the Wei family possibly go to serve Wang Yu!
Zhou Xin smiled andforted Old Madam Wei, saying, Old Madam Wei, rest assured. The emperor has a clear understanding in his heart.
After he finished speaking, he bowed to Empress Wei and returned, swinging his whisks.
Old Madam Wei nkly stared at Zhou Xins back. How could she rest assured of such a big matter!
The more she thought about it, the more she panicked, her face became white, and cold sweats seeped from her forehead.
If there was any carelessness in this matter, not only would her daughters position bepromised, but it may also harm the entire Wei family.
Although the emperor and empress had a good rtionship, the emperor was not only the husband of her daughter, but also the emperor of the Great Qi Dynasty. The emperor is noble and controls the world but cannot act recklessly.
If the evidence was conclusive, the emperor could not suppress this matter simply by saying that it had nothing to do with the Wei family. Only a cowardly tyrant could do whatever he was pleased with.
The more Old Madam Wei thought, the heavier her mood was; however, the old lord was not in the capital and could not go directly to the emperor to plead his case.
In contrast, Empress Wei remained calm.
She trusted the emperor, so naturally, she was in no hurry, and calmly said, Mother, do not be anxious. This matter is still being investigated by the emperor, so well just wait here for news.
She felt that Old Madam Wei didnt look too good and instructed Xiao Kouzi, You go to the Imperial Hospital and call the Imperial Physician to give Old Madam Wei a look.
Xiao Kouzi immediately epts themand.
Mother, I heard from my sister-inw that youve been suffering from hyperactive liver yang for the past few years and that you mustnt be too agitated, in case you fall ill, then its father and I and my brother and sister-inw who are worried about you. Empress Wei took Old Madam Weis hand and stroked her back gently.
Qin Jiu knows that hyperactive liver yang seems to be high blood pressure, and high blood pressure could be a big or small problem. She turned around and asked You Bai to go and make a cup of cassia tea andforted Old Madam Wei. Grandmother, big brother went to look for Zezhi, its going to be fine.
Old Madam Wei looked at Empress Wei and then at Qin Jiu, seeing that both her younger generations were so calm that she gradually calmed down and felt that she was really old. She had seen manyrge storms before, and at the time of thete emperor, things were even worse. After only ten years of peace, they were unable to withstand wind and waves.
Old Madam Wei regained herposure and began to ponder calmly.
Handwriting could be imitated, and the seal could also be forged.
In a moment, she then added, Empress, your fathers seal has not been lost, so the seal stamp on this letter must be a fake. They may have been able to start checking there.
Empress Wei saw that her mother had calmed down, and echoed with a smile, Fake cant be real, as long as this letter is fake, there are bound to be ws
***
Chapter 506
Chapter 506
Chapter 506
She was about to call Yu Ping to go to the emperors side when an eunuch who had just gone out to see Zhou Xin came back and said. Empress, Eunuch Wang is here, passing the message to Empress Wei, that your majesty must go over to Shouning Pce.
Old Madam Wei:
Her finally calming mind became tense again, as she squeezed the right armrest tightly, and veins appeared on the back of her hand.
She had to think more. After all, Lord Chengen was the elder brother of Empress Dowager Liu, so he framed her husband like this, would this also be Empress Dowager Lius intentions?
At this time, Qin Jiu stood up and said, Auntie, its also been a long time since Ive greeted the Empress Dowager, so Ill apany you to Shouning Pce.
Empress Wei nodded in agreement and reassured Old Madam Wei again before leaving the old madam to wait at Fengluan Pce while she went to Shouning Pce with Qin Jiu.
The weather in the first month was still very cold, and the thick cloak could not block the cold wind. Fortunately, the pce servants of Fengluan Pce thoughtfully prepared a hand stove for Qin Jiu.
Eunuch Wang walked at Empress Weis side,gging half a step behind, and reminded in one sentence, Empress, the noble consort and his highness the second prince are also in the Shouning Pce.
At this time, the atmosphere in the Shouning Pce was quite lively.
Noble Consort Liu smiled and said to Empress Dowager Liu, Empress Mother, yesterday I even purposely had Imperial Physician Wang diagnose Qins Xin pulse, and in all likelihood, the one shes carrying is a male fetus.
Imperial Physician Wang specializes in gynecology. Empress Dowager Liu smiled so much that her eyes squinted when she heard this, and earnestly advised Gu Jing. Second Prince, youre about to be a father, and its time for you to grow up so that you can do your job well.
Although Empress Dowager Liu looked down upon Qin Xin, the child in her stomach was royal blood and her great-grandson. For this reason, she temporarily tolerated the slight displeasure in her heart and was still looking forward to the arrival of this great-grandson.
A sinister light shed through Gu Jings eyes that disappeared in a sh. With a gentle smile on his face, he said, Grandmother, dont worry, your grandson will strive for sess in the future.
Empress Dowager Liu was relieved to see Gu Jing look sincere and respectful, and look more stable again. She also pondered whether to wait until the child was born and took advantage of the emperors good mood to persuade him to at least appoint Gu Jing as a county prince. He had already left the pce to build himself, and after all, he was the emperors flesh and blood, so he should be given the dignity he deserves to not keep outsiders guessing.
Noble Consort Liu was also observing Empress Dowager Lius expressions and seeing her smile kindly, she said casually. Imperial Mother, the child will be born in a few months, so I already have prepared a lot of toys for that child, and since in another two or three months, the sixth prince should be seven years old, I also prepared a set for the sixth prince, so the uncle and nephew can have one each once the child is born, by then the two can y together.
Noble Consort Liu said this casually, but in fact, there was anotheryer of meaning in her words, implying that Gu Zhen was just a baby, young enough to be the second princes son, so how could he be the crown prince?!
***
Chapter 507
Chapter 507
Chapter 507
Empress Dowager Liu said calmly, You reminded me, it is indeed the sixth princes birthday in the third month, so this grandmother needs to prepare a gift for him as well.
Noble Consort Liu stroked her sleeves and exchanged a nce at Gu Jing without saying a word.
She said a few more words about Gu Zhens birthday, and then changed the subject as if she had done it unintentionally. Imperial Mother, I just heard that Old Madam Wei has entered the pce.
The smile at the corners of Empress Dowager Lius lips had faded slightly.
The atmosphere inside the hall also solidified ordingly.
Noble Consort Lius heart was secretly happy, but on her face, she sighed quietly and added, Ai, originally I thought that Lord Wei is a pure and loyal person, but I did not think that he would secretlymunicate with Wang Yu.
In my opinion, this Wang Yu simply has no good intentions. He not only harmed Yongle but also treated Han Jun unfairly like this, I heard that Wang Yu also built a pce for Empress Dowager Fang in Yuzhou, in support of his imperial mother.
Every word and every sentence of Noble Consort Lius poked at Empress Dowager Lius pain points.
Noble Consort Liu sighed again and said. Ai, how can the Wei family be like this? And Han Jun this child Noble Consort Liu pinched a side of her handkerchief to wipe the corners of the eyes of the unwarranted tears, Every time I think of this child I cannot sleep at night, she is still so young, how will she live her life from now on ah!
Empress Dowager Liu slowly picked up a tea cup with a floating stem on a white background and sipped the tea with her eyes downcast.
Seeing that Empress Dowager Liu did not say anything, Noble Consort Liu nodded and gave a wink to Gu Jing, who then added him. Imperial Grandmother, your grandson recently found a painting of the former dynastys painting saint, Wang Dao Daos painting of the Willow Goddess of Mercy, and is having it sent to the capital, so I think that it will be ready to arrive in a couple of days, and I would like to ask my Imperial Grandmother to take a look at it for your grandson at that time.
He said it was as if he was asking an expert with good eyesight to appraise the painting, but in fact, he just wanted to win the favor of Empress Dowager Liu with this painting.
Empress Dowager Liu believes in Taoism, and naturally also believes in the painting saint, especially when she heard that this precious painting was Willow Goddess of Mercy, she was immediately moved.
At this moment, a pce maid came to report that Empress Wei and Qin Jiu arrived.
Eunuch Wang led the two into the east side hall, after Empress Dowager Liu gave them seats, Noble Consort Liu said to Qin Jiu with a smile, I havent seen Princess Chen for a long time, why did you suddenly enter the pce, but didnt youe with your grandmother? I dont know if Old Madam Wei is in good health.
Noble Consort Lius look and tone were warm and soft, but the meaning that came out of these words was that Qin Jiu apanied Old Madam Wei to the pce to plead for her grandfather, and since Qin Jiu was now the Chen County Princess, her attitude naturally represents Gu Zezhis attitude as well.
***
Chapter 508
Chapter 508
Chapter 508
Noble Consort Lius look and tone were warm and soft, but the meaning that came out of these words was that Qin Jiu apanied Old Madam Wei to the pce to plead for her grandfather, and since Qin Jiu was now the Chen County Princess, her attitude naturally represents Gu Zezhis attitude as well.
Empress Dowager Liu put down the teacup expressionlessly and said it bluntly. Xiao Jiu was here just the day before yesterday.
Noble Consort Lius face was stiffened.
Qin Jiu smiled and said, I havent seen Empress Dowager Liu for quite some time. Every time Ie to Shouning Pce to pay respects to Empress Dowager, Empress Dowager Liu is not avable. Qin Jius words were not empty. Even on the day after her wedding, when she came to Shouning Pce to recognize her, Empress Dowager Liu did not show up, saying that she was feeling unwell.
Empress Dowager Liu no longer paid attention to Noble Consort Liu and asked Empress Wei, Your mother is here?
Empress Wei nodded and answered, Answering to imperial mother, she just arrived in my pce before a cup of tea time. She said this and nced at the Noble Consort Liu. Old Madam Wei just entered the pce, and yet Noble Consort Liu already knew about this.
Noble Consort Liu still held her head high, smiling as she met Empress Wei.
She has been living under Empress Wei for many years, but things have changed. This time, the evidence was conclusive, and it would not be easy for Empress Wei to escape unscathed.
Empress Dowager Liu greeted Empress Wei with a few words before saying. Empress before your mother leaves the pce, please ask her toe over to visit this empress dowager. She and I havent seen each other for several years, its a rare trip for her toe to the capital and just in time to catch up with this empress dowager.
Empress Wei bowed and responded with a smile.
Empress Dowager Liu let out a sigh and said meaningfully, The affairs of the front court belong to the court, and the affairs of the harem belong to the harem.
Empress Dowager Liu specially called Empress Wei to ease her heart. Regardless of whether Lord Wei was guilty or not, it would not have affected the Empress.
Empress Weis eyes widened slightly with some surprise, and after being stunned for a moment, she got up and bowed to Empress Dowager Liu, Thank you for imperial mothers care. She frankly epted Empress Dowager Lius kindness.
Previously, Empress Dowager Liu hoped that her grandson, the second prince Gu Jing, could inherit the throne. After all, he had the blood of the Liu family in his body. However, the various behaviors exhibited by Gu Jing in the past two years have truly disappointed Empress Dowager Liu and made her unable to see him as the crown prince of the country.
Empress Dowager Liu has long abandoned this idea.
After all, for her, Gu Jing was her grandson, and Gu Zhen was also her grandson, so it would be the same if he seeded the throne.
Besides, in the past, Empress Dowager Liu was eager to establish a crown prince because the emperors dragon body was poor. She was somewhat afraid that if the emperor had an ident and if the country did not establish a crown prince, Gu Jing would be more suitable than Gu Zhen. However, now that the emperors dragon body was gradually improving, Empress Dowager Liu was at ease and no longer wanted to interfere in court affairs. It was not until just now, when Noble Consort Liu and Gu Jing, the mother and son came and talked in a roundabout way, that she learned that Lord Chengen wanted to impeach the empresss father, Lord Wei, today.
Noble Consort Liu: !
Gu Jing: !
***
Chapter 509
Chapter 509
Chapter 509
Noble Consort Liu: !
Gu Jing: !
Neither the mother nor son looked too good, and their bodies were tense.
They came to Shouning Pce today to check on things, hoping that Empress Dowager Liu would exert pressure on the Emperor. Naturally, the purpose was to depose the empress. As long as she was deposed, Gu Zhen would be the son of a deposed empress and his only advantage as the legitimate son of the emperor would be lost.
Unexpectedly, Empress Dowager Liu did not y cards ording tomon sense.
Noble Consort Lius heart sank and did not understand what was wrong with Empress Dowager Liu. She had always been on their side before.
Noble Consort Liu clutched the handkerchief in her hand more tightly, crumpling it into a ball and sighing. If Lord Wei is guilty, how should Empress Wei deal with herself She had a worried look.
Qin Jiu smiled with a sincere expression and said, Your Highness is so nice to still have to worry for Empress Wei.
Your Highness, you are truly gentle and kind, as pure and wless as the white lotus in that pool.
Empress Wei smiled faintly, Thank you, Noble Consort sister, for taking the trouble for this empress.
Empress Dowager Liu frowned slightly and felt a sense of unease in her heart. What she hated the most was lotus flowers.
Back then, thete emperor doted on Fang Qinlian, a despicable person, so he added the word lotus to her name. He not only dug ponds and nted lotus in Fang Qinlians pce courtyard but also extensively nted lotus in other parts of the pce.
Additionally, a despicable person always has two faces. She was arrogant behind thete emperors back but gentle and warm when facing the emperor. She even pretends to speak for her, and this made thete emperor praise that bitch Fang Qinlian foring out of the mire but not being stained and behaving like a pure person without being a demon while scolding her for not having the heart of a mother that has the world in mind.
After ascending to the throne, Empress Dowager Liu dug up all lotus flowers in the pce.
Empress Dowager Lius face became increasingly gloomy, as she looked straight at Noble Consort Liu, and in this instance, she ovepped Noble Consort Lius face with that of Dowager Consort Fang.
Why was her niece simr to Consort Fang, from her demeanor to her tone?
Back then, Consort Fang was always like this in front of thete emperor, looking soft and gentle, but in reality, what she said was adding fuel to the fireevery word with a thorn on the side.
Empress Dowager Liu suddenly felt that Noble Consort Liu was a little strange, her former niece who intimately called her aunt had long changed
It was her fault, it was because she had indulged her niece so much over the years that she had grown her heart, not only did she be as domineering as Consort Fang back.
She wanted the empress to fall, so could she take her ce right? Consort Fang was the same back then; she asked thete emperor to humiliate her again and again, hoping that thete emperor would abolish her empress and the crown prince.
Empress Dowager Lius heart cooled, and she felt chilled. Who does Noble Consort Liu rely on? To put it bluntly, wasnt it her?! Shes using her as a weapon!!
The more Empress Dowager Liu thought about it, the more annoyed she was. She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, her gaze became sharper, as she said.
The Harem shall not interfere in politics, Noble Consort, you go out and kneel outside for an hour.
***
Chapter 510
Chapter 510
Chapter 510
In this deep winter, the ground outside was as cold as ice, and kneeling for an hour might freeze her knees!
After marrying the emperor, Noble Consort Liu was supported by her aunt, Empress Dowager Liu, and had never been punished so this was the first time Empress Dowager Liu had punished her, immediately paling her face.
Grandmother!
Gu Jing wanted to plead for Noble Consort Liu, but Empress Dowager Liu was annoyed by the mother and son. She waved her hand and sent them away, Noble Consort Liu, Gu Jing, you two go out.
The emperor has the final say on what happens in the court.
Empress Dowager Lius tone was very firm and Gu Jing could not say anything more. He was also afraid of making Empress Dowager even more unhappy, and instead pushed herpletely towards Empress Wei and Gu Zhen.
Yes, Grandmother. Gu Jing stood up and bowed, giving Consort Liu aforting look, meaning that she had been wronged this time.
Consort Liu felt a chill in her heart. She hoped that her son could intercede for her. She closed her eyes and could only bend her knees and step back.
The moment when Gu Jing turned around, his expression suddenly changed. He was no longer the gentle and kind prince, and turned into a gloomy expression. A pce maid next to him caught a glimpse and was startled. She quickly lowered her head and dared not look at Gu Jing again.
Noble Consort Liu knelt for an hour outside the Shouning Pce and was finally carried back by the pce attendants with a sedan chair after.
Noble Consort Liu and Empress Wei came to Shouning Pce one after another, but in the end, Consort Liu was punished by Empress Dowager to kneel. Although the people in the pce did not know what had happened in Shouning Pce, at least it could be seen that Empress Dowager Liu was on Empress Weis side.
In the next few days, so many pairs of eyes in the pce were looking at Fengluan Pce, they saw the emperor staying in Fengluan Pce as usual every day, and with this, they knew where the emperors will was. Only then did the ripple that appeared in the back pce calm down; on the contrary, the court was filled with a storm.
Lord Chengen once again voiced out to impeach Empress Wei in the morning court with righteous words and asked the emperor to report it to the court for handling. And that he should not be partial just because Lord Wei was the empresss biological father; such injustice would make the courtiers and themon people disappointed.
However, the emperor once again suppressed the impeachment.
In addition to Lord Chengen, several courtiers followed suit and used Lord Wei of colluding with Wang Yu. However, most courtiers held neutral attitudes and watched them withoutmenting. The morning court had a lot ofmotion surrounding this incident for several days, dying the affairs that needed to be discussed first.
After three days of chaos, the early court on the tenth day of the Lunar New Year ended, with the emperor brushing his sleeves and leaving.
The emperor left, and this morning, the court naturally dispersed. The courtiers bowed and bid farewell to the emperor. Afterward, their eyes all turned to Lord Chengen with different expressions, including examination, spection, contemtion, and wandering.
Regarding this, Lord Chengen remained calm andposed as he walked out of the Golden Luan Hall, his eyes deep andplex.
He strode forward with a clear goal towards the pce gate, but his heart did not show such calmness.
***
Chapter 511
Chapter 511
Chapter 511
Initially, when Gu Xi, the third son of Wang Yu came to see him, Lord Chengen was hesitant. Although the second prince married Tang Fengchun as his consort, a rtive of Wang Yus family, Lord Chengen still felt that Wang Yu was out of the question. The emperor hated Wang Yu so much that the hatred between the two parties could not be reconciled at all, once they joined Wang Yu, the emperor wouldpletely hate them. It was like the second prince had almost given up the possibility of seeding in the throne from the emperor.
This was unwise.
Therefore, Lord Chengen had no intention of cooperating with Wang Yu at first and even wanted to persuade Gu Jing not to get too close to Tang Fengchun, after all, Tang Fengchuns heart must be towards Wang Yus.
It was not until the fire at Taian Pce spread throughout the capital that Gu Xi quietly brought Consort Fang back to Yuzhou. When he heard the news, Lord Chengen felt that the situation was not good.
Wang Yu has always been ambitious, especially after seeing he tried his best to cause this incident. In other words, he chose this time to send Gu Xi to the capital to pick up Imperial Consort Fang, and the reason for this was, Wang Yu thinks this was the best time for his northern expedition. After thinking about it, this was the only reason this was usible.
Now that Wang Yu has an excuse for the northern expedition and there was no hostage in the capital, and with this, it could be said that Wang Yus northern expedition was unstoppable.
Over the years, Wang Yu has hoarded troops and food in Yuzhou. He has both money and soldiers, it could be said that he has the right time, ce, and people.
Wang Yu and Yuzhou were at their peak, but what about the imperial court?
After more than ten years of foreign wars, internal strife, and natural and man-made disasters, the imperial court was somewhatcking in military strength; there was a shortage of soldiers and generals. The most troublesome aspect was that the court was short of money.
War was the most expensive thing; if this war broke out, hundreds of thousands of taels would be just a small amount, and could even easily exhaust a million taels. The two sides may even fight for several years, could the national treasury pay enough to support this war?!
Just thinking about this, Lord Chengens heart felt heavy.
He knew it best; during the bandit suppression in Jinzhou, the emperor had topromise and use the second prince to collect money.
The treasury was empty to such an extent that if they fought with Wang Yu, he was afraid that the courts chance of victory would not be high.
This forced Lord Chengen to seriously consider Gu Xis proposal and secretly discuss it with Gu Jing several times.
Gu Jing persuaded him eloquently. Grandfather, once father establishes a crown prince, I will have no hope at all. It is difficult to establish a crown prince in this dynasty and it is difficult to depose him, even though the emperors father was so partial to Wang Yu at the beginning, in the end, he could not withstand the opposition to abolish the crown prince and establish Wang Yu.
Are you still unclear about this matter?
Indeed, Lord Chengen was unclear about this matter.
There was such arge turmoil over theter emperors dethronement of the crown prince, and for over the years, he thought that he might not have been able to keep the crown princes position. However, in the end, thete emperor stillpromises under the kneeling admonitions of Lord Qin and his ministers and could only vent his anger by exiling Lord Qin to Minzhou.
***
Chapter 512
Chapter 512
Chapter 512
Lord Chengen thought about it over several days, causing him not to sleep well for several nights and keeping his eyes open until dawn.
He had to admit that Gu Jings words were not unreasonable, once the emperor appointed Gu Zhen as the crown prince, Gu Jing wouldpletely miss the throne.
It was precisely because of this that Lord Chengen made up his mind to impeach Empress Wei even though he did not have much confidence in his heart.
While he was lost in his thoughts, the carriage he was riding in stopped, and the coachmans respectful voice came from outside. Lord, were here.
Lord Chengen came to his senses, pushed the door open, and got off the carriage. He entered the restaurant on a familiar route and arrived in a private dining room at the end of the corridor on the second floor.
Gu Jing was already waiting in the elegant seat, with a scorching gaze as he looked at Lord Chengen.
Grandfather, sit down and lets talk. Gu Jing personally stood up and weed Lord Chengen in, leaving an attendant dressed as a servant to guard the door outside the private room.
Lord Chengen sat down with a solemn expression on his face.
Gu Jing personally poured wine for Lord Chengen and eagerly asked after him, Grandfather, how was the morning court today?
Lord Chengen was not in the mood to drink, so he roughly described the situation of the early court and finally said, The emperor still ignored
Caressing the white porcin wine ss with his fingers, Lord Chengen hesitantly said. Second Prince, I dont know if Wang Yu can be trusted.
Lord Chengen has always been a little uncertain about his cooperation with Wang Yu. Thetter had evil intentions, and to put it bluntly, he was a rebellious minister and a traitor, so was Wang Yu reliable? If Gu Jing chose to cooperate with Wang Yu, it would not be scheming with a tiger.
Gu Jing, on the other hand, did not have as many entanglements as Lord Chengen. Since he decided to marry Tang Fengchun as his consort, he had decided to cooperate with Wang Yu.
As the saying goes, wealth and prosperity were sought through insurance.
His father was partial. If follows the trend like the three younger brothers, he would only be able to live a mediocre life and refuse to ept this. He was better than his sixth brother; therefore, he wanted to fight for this, and if he won, he would have the world.
This n was set by them before Gu Xi left; only Lord Chengen had been hesitant until a few days ago, when the emperor decided to establish the Crown Prince, and only then did he give Lord Chengen a push.
As they had originally nned, everything went smoothly. There was only one stepone more step left to drag Empress Wei from the throne.
Grandfather, I dont want to wait any longer. Gu Jing looked at Lord Chengen, who was sitting across from him and said with a straight face.
Originally, he thought that as long as he worked hard, his father would see him, but his father would always turn a blind eye on him, even if he made great contributions in Jinzhou.
Originally, he thought at least he still had Qin Xin, but he realized that he knew people but did know their hearts. Qin Xin was not who he thought she was, this woman was despicable and greedy for power, the person she adored was never him, but the identity of the second prince;
Originally, he thought he still had time to prove himself to his father, to the courtiers
However, his father refused to give him an opportunity!
If that were the case, then he would just go all out.
***
Chapter 513
Chapter 513
Chapter 513
Gu Jings whole body tensed up as he tightly squeezed the wine cup in his hand and the pupils in his eyes were like a bottomless abyss, and even the air within this elegant private room was grim.
Anyway, he now has nothing; his only request was the throne.
Once he became one, he would reign over the world.
By then, what does he want that he could not have!?
At that time, those who had once wronged him would all kneel humbly at his feet and beg for mercy!
Grandfather, you will help me, wont you? Gu Jings eyes lit up with a brilliant expression, and his whole body exuded a pressing determination as if seeing the day he ascended to the throne.
Lord Chengens eyes darkened, and of course, he was also anxious. He also wanted to help Gu Jing ascend to the throne.
After all, the emperor was about to decree the Sixth Prince as the Crown Prince, and if he missed this time, Gu Jing would have had no chance at the throne, and then all the effort he had invested in Gu Jing over the years would have been in vain!
Lord Chengen rubbed his brow and said, in a deep voice, Second Prince, you also know the emperors temperament. He cannot depose the empress and punish the Wei family just because of these few letters.
Not to mention
Lord Chengen tilted his head, drank the contents of his cup in a single gulp, and concealed the unspoken words.
Thinking that if they forced the emperor to abolish the empress, it was not enough for them to have just a few courtiers. However, because of Gu Jings sessive defeats before, many courtiers resembled wallflowers and began to wait and see. Now there were not many people that Lord Chengen could use.
Lord Chengen sighed and helplessly said. Now, we can only take one step at a time. Do their best and follow their fate. At this point, Lord Chengen felt that the possibility of this matter being possible was less than 30%.
Gu Jings eyes flickered, and he took a redcquer wooden carved flower box from beside him. He opened the box and said, Grandfather, if there arent enough letters, how about adding an ount book?
Lord Chengen widened his eyes slightly and looked at the blue ledger in the box, his heart racing, as he said. The ledger? Second Prince, where did you get the ledger?
Gu Jing curled her lips and pushed the box containing the ount book to Lord Chengen, calmly saying, This was brought by Tang Fengchun yesterday, so I specially arranged for Grandfather to meet here today.
As long as Wei Xiushis usation of colluding with Wang Yu is confirmed, even the emperor can no longer shield the empress.
Isnt Minister Feng a member of grandfather? Why not let him take this evidence and hit a pir in the Jinluan Pce?
Grandfather, since we are already whitewashing, then we can just push harder.
Gu Jings gaze was fixed on Lord Chengen like that of a wild beast, staring at its prey. His words not only urged Lord Chengen to pressure the emperor but also forced Lord Chengen.
Lord Chengen was still looking at the ount book. Under his seemingly calm eyes, many emotions shed, including hesitation, struggle, weighing pros and cons, and contemtion.
***
Chapter 514
Chapter 514
Chapter 514
He also knows that by implicating Lord Wei this time, he would havepletely offended the Wei family and empressone of his feet had already stepped into this situation.
Gu Jing took Lord Chengens entanglement seriously and no longer urged him. The corner of his mouth was curved into a mocking smile that the other party could not see.
Most people in this world were just outsiders, not only courtiers who once imed to be loyal to him but also his grandfather.
He was well aware that his grandfather wanted topete for credit from the dragon, but he always hesitated and refused to do his best to help him. Since his grandfather still hesitated, he would push his grandfather again.
As the old saying goes, once he gives it a go, it will eventually decline and eventually run out.
If he wants to seed, he must continue to move forward!
Gu Jing looked up and drank the wine from the cup in one gulp.
After a while, Lord Chengen finally picked up the blue ledger from the box and slowly flipped through it page by page.
He reads very slowly and carefully as if he wants to memorize every word in his mind.
This ount book focused on firearms.
The court set up a firearms manufacturing factory in Jiankang City in Jiangnan, specializing in the production of a variety of firearms, such as rockets, thistle fireballs, thunderbolt fireballs, spikes, poison smoke balls, and so on.
The ount book records how many firearms Wei Xiushi secretly transferred from the firearms manufacturing factory to Wang Yu in the past few years under the pretext of wear and tear. Each note was clear and reasonable.
This ount book was beautifully made, and Lord Chengen could not make any mistakes at all.
Even if he knew it was fake, he still felt that the ount book looked like a real thing. He could imagine how Wang Yu had put a lot of thought into it.
With this ount book
Lord Chengen narrowed his eyes as the color of his eyes grew deeper, his heartbeat quickened, and even the blood in his veins boiled slightly.
Gu Jing could tell that Lord Chengen was moved, and the corner of his lips curled up. While adding drinks to Lord Chengen and himself, he continued. Grandfather, this is the sincerity given to us by Wang Yu.
Gu Jings eyes were even brighter as if two mes were burning.
He believed in Wang Yus sincerity, as long as Wang Yu could help him win the crown princes throne, he would naturally repay Wang Yu and both of them would get what they deserve.
As for the future
Grandfather, Gu Jing looked at Lord Chengen with burning eyes and added, I know that Grandfather is worried that once Wang Yu seeds in raising an army, Ill be working for nothing.
But dont forget, Imperial Father is the rightful monarch of Daqi, if Wang Yu doesnt want to be infamy for thousands of years, he must support someone to seed him for the sake of his reputation.
Since Wang Yu let Dowager Concubine Fangs double die in Taian Pce, his Northern Expedition will be under the guise of clearing the rulers side, in which case, he wont ascend to the throne himself.
Once Wang Yu ascends to power himself, it would be a rebellion; it would not be helping the rulers side anymore.
***
Chapter 515
Chapter 515
Chapter 515
Gu Jings words seemed reasonable and well-founded, but Lord Chengen felt very ufortable listening to him.
He put down the ount book in his hand, his eyes dim, and he said in a difficult voice, Second Prince, youve put in so much effort just to be a puppet for Wang Yu?
If Wang Yu was allowed to take control of the court, then why did he spend so much effort on the second prince?!
Grandfather, do you think I would be so foolish? Gu Jing asked indifferently.
Lord Chengen:
Gu Jing took another sip of the wine and yed with the ss in his hand, calmly saying, You dont even think about it, even if I am willing to be his puppet, do you think Wang Yu will tolerate me as a puppet?
Lord Chengens eyes widened, and he figured it out, too.
Yes, if Wang Yu could ckmail the emperor tomand the ministers in the future, his next step is likely to silently kill Gu Jing and let his son ascend to the throne. Wang Yu could then appoint himself as a regent, truly controlling the government in his hands, and no one in the world could pick out his faults.
Gu Jing put down his ss and said solemnly, Grandfather, without destruction there could be no construction!
At that time, the overall situation of the court will be determined, and Wang Yu will inevitably be seriously injured, and when that timees, I will fight Wang Yu for this country. It is better than letting Gu Zhen take control of this country now!
Its better than having no hope now!
Grandfather, this is ourst chance!
This opportunity must not be missed. The time will nevere again. When Gu Jing said thesest words, he almost paused at every word.
Actually, Gu Jing had previously said these words to Lord Chengen before and advised him, however, Lord Chengen always felt a little uneasy and seemed to have overlooked something. Thus, he had always acted cautiously and reserved, after all, cooperating with Wang Yu would get the whole family involved if he was not careful enough.
Lord Chengen stared at Gu Jing quietly. The private room was surrounded by so much silence that they could hear a pin drop. Only the noise from pedestrians on the street outside the window could be heard.
After a long time, Lord Chengens eyes looked toward the ount book on the table again, and finally, he moved, and after drinking a mouthful of wine, he pped the book.
He then ced the wine ss on the table.
Okay!
Lord Chengen nodded in agreement, silently reciting Gu Jings words just nowwithout destruction, there could be no construction.
Gu Jing felt relieved in his heart and bowed solemnly to Lord Chengen, saying, Thank you for your hard work, grandfather, and I must bother grandfather for everything. He then earnestly poured wine for Lord Chengen himself, and the grandfather and grandson at this time looked harmonious.
Your Highness, rest assured, Lord Chengen replied, calmly epting Gu Jings gift.
He got something on Minister Feng, which was enough to send the Feng family into exile for three thousand miles and banned them from serving as officials for three generations. Minister Feng would not refuse to die for the sake of his family.
With this decision, Lord Chengen no longer hesitated, his eyebrows rxed, and he continued to look through this ount book.
After his mindset changed, the more he looked at it, the more he felt that the ount book was done well.
This time, the Empress and the Wei family were doomed!
***
Chapter 516
Chapter 516
Chapter 516
The path of seizing the throne was naturally full of blood, and since the Wei family wanted to be granted the title of marquis based on the fact that they were the sixth princes maternal family, this was also a risk that they had to bear.
Looking at the ount book while drinking wine, Lord Chengen said casually. Second Prince, you still have to be more careful with Empress Dowagers side.
The empress dowager likes children, this is your biggest help, when the emperor abolished the empress if you want to seed, you still have to rely on the empress dowager to speak favorably of you in front of the emperor.
ording to Lord Chengen, Qin Xins status was a little inferior after all, but now she was the only one pregnant with the emperors grandson while Tang Fengchun had connections with Wang Yu, and it was not appropriate to get too close with her.
The word child pierced Gu Jings heart like a knife. The expression on his face did not look good, and his eyes were even more sinister, like a yak from hell. However, he eventually agreed to do so. Grandfather, I understand.
And Tang Fengchun Lord Chengen wanted to remind Gu Jing, but Gu Jing did not want to listen.
Grandfather can rest assured that I have a sense of propriety in Tang Fengchuns affairs. However, grandmother has had a bad temper recently, and even mother has been angered. Speaking of Noble Consort Lius kneeling punishment a few days ago, Gu Jing also felt sorry for her, after which he asked Tang Fengchun to visit Noble Consort Liu several times in the pce and bring nourishing medicine.
Lord Chengen let out a long sigh and said in a deep voice, Its only natural for Empress Dowager to have a bad tempertely. Dont even think about it, after all, Empress Dowager Fang has fled back to Yuzhou, and now that she is far away
Hold on!
Lord Chengens eyes suddenly widened; at this moment, he suddenly realized what he had been neglecting.
Something was wrong, it was Empress Dowager Lius reaction that was not quite right.
The person that Empress Dowager Liu hated the most was the Imperial Consort Fang. If Imperial Consort Fang escaped and went to Yuzhou, with Empress Dowager Lius hatred for Imperial Consort Fang, how could she let Imperial Consort Fang go to Yu Zhou to enjoy her happiness without feeling any grudge? She should be furious and even extremely angry and sick.
But
During the months from the Taian Pce fire to the Chinese New Year, rumors about Empress Dowager Fang circted in the capital. However, Empress Dowager Lius mood did not seem to have been greatly affected. Not only did she not seek medical attention due to illness, but she also enthusiastically invited the troupe of the Bell and Drum Masters to perform, which was unusual.
The more Lord Chengen thought about it, the more he felt it was wrong, and asked with a serious expression, Second Prince, when you and your mother consort went to see the Empress Dowager at Shouning Pce, what did you think of the Empress Dowagers mood?
Although Gu Jing did not know why Lord Chengen suddenly asked this question, he still answered truthfully, I saw that Imperial Grandmother was in a good mood at first, but then, for some reason, she suddenly took offense to Mother Consort and chastised her and punished her by kneeling outside the temple for an hour.
Lord Chengen:
***
Chapter 517
Chapter 517
Chapter 517
Although Gu Jing did not know why Lord Chengen suddenly asked this question, he still answered truthfully, I saw that Imperial Grandmother was in a good mood at first, but then, for some reason, she suddenly took offense to Mother Consort and chastised her and punished her by kneeling outside the temple for an hour.
Lord Chengen:
Lord Chengens expressions became increasingly grave, and a possibility surfaced in his mind: Could it be that the one who died in Taian Pce was the real Imperial Consort Fang?
If this was the case, Lord Chengen suddenly felt that the ount book in his hand was a bit hot.
Grandfather Gu Jing felt that Lord Chengens face was a bit off and wanted to ask a question, but right at this moment, messy and hurried footsteps suddenly came from the corridor outside, and it seemed that a group of people were running this way.
The chambein guarding the door let out a nervous whisper, Your Highness
The sound ended abruptly, followed by a bang sound, and the door of the elegant private room was rudely kicked open from the outside.
Outside the door of the private room, Commander Yuan Minggang, the Head Royal Guard, appeared outside the room with a few royal guards, each with a dignified and imposing face.
Gu Jing and Lord Chengens faces changed equally, almost standing up at the same time. Lord Chengens bulging belly identally hit the table, causing wine ss to roll off the table and shatter on the floor.
The liquor and broken porcin sttered everywhere, creating a mess.
However, Lord Chengen no longer cared about these details and was uncertain. How could the Royal Guardse here?!
Yuan Minggang walked in with a smile on his face, casually arched his hand at Lord Chengen, and said in a cold voice, Lord Chengen, the emperor has summoned Lord Chengen into the pce for a visit.
Lord Chengen immediately felt that the ount book in his hand seemed to be wrapped in a hot charcoal.
Commander Yuan, this lord was drinking wine and is not well groomed, it is not appropriate to enter the pce to meet the emperor. Lord Chengen tried to find an excuse to shrug it off. Why dont you let me go back to my home to finish my sobering-up soup and change my clothes before entering the pce.
How could Yuan Minggang be fooled by Lord Chengens few words, he doesnt even bother to talk nonsense with the other party, casually lifting his hand and making a gesture, Take him away!
Lord Chengen, I have offended you! The two royal guards immediately approached the person and were not polite at all. They not only took the person but also took the ount book from Lord Chengens hands and presented it to Yuan Minggang.
***
Chapter 518
Chapter 518
Chapter 518
Facing Yuan Minggangs sharp knife-like eyes, Lord Chengen pretended to be calm as he asked him. Commander Yuan, you have so much courage for you to dare and make these people attack me!
This is new evidence that I have obtained and yet you are forcefully seizing it! Lord Chengen held his neck high and met Yuan Minggangs eyes, looking imposing on the outside but already quivering on the inside.
If there is such evidence, it is better for Lord Chengen to go to the emperor and talk about it. Yuan Minggang shook the ount book in his hand with a half-smile. I am also acting ording to the order.
Hisst sentence appears to be profound.
Lord Chengen: .
Lord Chengens eyes were constantly changing from bright to dark, as his heart skipped a beat, knowing that something was not right.
Yuan Minggang made another gesture and ordered, Take the Second Prince with you!
Thus, two more royal guards approached Gu Jing with a sneer and said, Your Highness, the Second Prince, do not let us harm Your Highness. Please let us escort you!
Gu Jing held himself and did not retreat but his mind was in chaos.
Lord Chengens face turned pale, at this point, he also figured it out and silently said three words to Gu Jing. Weve been tricked!
Gu Jing: !!!
Okay, Ill go with you to meet the Imperial Father. Gu Jing shook his sleeves and walked out of the elegant seat first, his heart far from showing the calmness he showed.
There was a lot ofmotion outside the private room; the tea patrons either hurriedly paid their bills and left, or looked around curiously. Even outside the restaurant, many passersby gather to watch.
Gu Jing and Lord Chengen were escorted onto the carriage.
The carriage, escorted by a group of royal guards, drove towards the pce. Along the way, everyone avoided it for fear of hindering an official business. So, the usual journey, which required two sticks of incense, took only one stick of incense to arrive.
Gu Jing and Lord Chengen were escorted by Yuan Minggang and several imperial guards to the Imperial Library, where not only the emperor was present, but also several cab ministers, Gu Zezhi, and several important officials. They had been waiting for them for a long time.
Everyones gaze fell on Gu Jing and Lord Chengen, with different expressions, most of them carrying a condescending pity.
Gu Zezhi stood leisurely as he nced at the two of them lightly. In his warm and gentle expressions, as usual, no one could even tell what he was thinking.
Your Majesty, Lord Chengen and His Highness the Second Prince have arrived. The first person to speak out was Yuan Minggang.
At the same time, Gu Jing and Lord Chengen bowed to the emperor awkwardly.
However, the emperor behind the table did not let two of them raise their heads, as his sharp gaze was directed at Lord Chengen, his eyes as deep as the boundless sea.
Lord Chengen had long felt something was wrong, the way everyone was looking at them including the emperor, confirmed his guess, and this made his heart gradually sink.
He preemptively said, Your Majesty, I have found new evidence about Lord Weis collusion with Wang Yu. I was about to present it to the Emperor, but it was just taken away by Commander Yuan. He did not give up and tried to fight death.
Gu Zezhis lips slightly curled up as he looked out the window.
***
Chapter 519
Chapter 519
Chapter 519
Through the window, a spider could be seen between the branches and leaves, and an insect stuck to the spider web as it struggled to break free.
Yuan Minggang presented the ledger to the emperor, who casually turned over a few pages and then asked indifferently. Where did this ledgere from?
Without waiting for Lord Chengen to answer, the emperor continued. Did Tang Fengchun bring it from Huahong Tea House?
The emperors words were still addressed to Lord Chengen and did not even bother to nce at Gu Jing.
Everyone knows that Tang Fengchun was the second princes consort, so several courtiers in the imperial study instinctively looked at Gu Jing.
Even Lord Chengen was no exception.
Gu Jing still maintained a bowing posture, his face visibly turning a third whiter, his eyes widened, and his body stiffened.
The change in Gu Jings expression was tantamount to answering Lord Chengens doubts and immediately knew in his heart. The emperor was right, and this ledger was indeed brought by Tang Fengchun from the Huahong Tea House.
In other words, all their ns had already been under the emperors watchful eyes.
In other words, the emperor had long been aware of their cooperation with Wang Yu.
At this moment, thest glimmer of hope in Lord Chengens heart was extinguished as his limbs went cold, as if his whole body had been soaked in a bone-chillingke in winter.
They have been tricked!
In the past few days, the emperor allowed them to cause trouble in the court and chose to remain silent, not just to protect Empress Wei and the Wei family, but to dig out this line, and to force Wang Yu to take action
Thus, from the very beginning, they have already lost and just acted like a clown in front of them, and now they have lost everything.
The other people present who heard and saw everything mostly experienced the two dynasties. They had seen the ups and downs of the court that others could not, and so, no one sympathized with Lord Chengen at all and just let out a sigh.
The emperor nced calmly at Gu Zezhi, but thetter seemed unaware and was still looking at the spider web outside through the window.
The struggle of the insect caused the cobweb to tremble, and a spider that size of a fingernail came out from the shadows and nimbly crawled towards the trapped inset along the thin cobweb, getting closer to its prey
This stance and pace were determined to win!
The emperor leaned back, resting his back on the back of the chair, and made a gesture to Yuan Minggang again, Yuan Minggang, you continue.
Yuan Minggang then continued to report, The Imperial Guards have already raided the Huahong Teahouse, and have also just copied a secret letter sent by Wang Yu from Yuzhou, confirming that this restaurant is Wang Yus stronghold in the capital, specializing in transmitting news for Yuzhou.
A total of more than fifty people were captured this time following the trail, and are currently being interrogated in the Imperial Prison.
The fact that Wang Yu hadid out intelligence points in the capital was something they had also guessed long ago. However, Wang Yus intelligence hideout was not only secretly set up, but they also always changed ces and were very cautious.
Imperial guards have been trying to catch their tails for a long time but have not been able to find it; rather, there was no starting point at all.
***
Chapter 520
Chapter 520
Chapter 520
Thanks to the second prince, they finally had a clue and knew where to start.
Next, following the existing clues, they would surely be able to dig out more of Wang Yus strongholds!
Just thinking about it made Yuan Minggang eager, so much so that his eyes were sparkling. Over the years, imperial guards have only dealt with trivial matters, and they have been idle for a long time; they have long wanted to do something big!
It was clear that Gu Jing was also involved in the case, but the emperor still ignored him, pointing his finger directly at Lord Chengen.
Lord Chengen, what do you say?
Why did the ount book you brought to impeach Wei Xiushie from Wang Yus stronghold?
Almost at the same time, the spider outside the window had crawled to the prey circling it with its legs
The emperors gaze was like a sword piercing Lord Chengen, as he said sternly. Whaton earth is your rtionship with Wang Yu!
The emperor was usually gentle, but at this moment, his face looked so strict and his whole body naturally released a thunderous aura of a majestic emperor, like waves on a stormy night overwhelmingly pressing down on Lord Chengen.
The emperor had never spoken to Lord Chengen in such a tone, and this made Lord Chengens heart suddenly shrink, his face turned paler and his feet became weak, he knelt on the cold brick floor with a thud.
He could not help but look at Gu Jing with a trace of hope in his eyes, hoping that Gu Jing would help him say a few words in front of the emperor.
However, Gu Jing silently moved his gaze away, half-hanging his eyes, and still maintaining a bowing posture.
The imperial study room was burning with silver coal, making the room warm as spring; however, at this moment, Lord Chengens heart suddenly became cold.
He clearly could not count on Gu Jing.
Of course, Lord Chengen would not just ept his fate. Taking a deep breath, he calmed his chaotic mind and continued to defend himself, Your Majesty, this ount book was identally obtained by me. It was handed to me anonymously, but I failed to investigate. I thought Lord Wei was guilty, but I didnt expect to fall into the instigation of Wang Yu.
He sighed self-reproaching, as if he were really confused.
Oh? The emperor looked at Lord Chengen with a smile on his face, as if listening to a y.
Yuan Minggang pulled the corner of his mouth in disbelief, thinking that Lord Chengen was determined to see the Yellow River, and had no trace of a lordships temperament in him.
In addition, if he had some vision and foresight, he would not have to look at the second prince who was unable to achieve sess or see the world due to poor ability.
Lord Chengen could only bite the bullet and say, I me my selfishness! Because the emperor wants to establish a crown prince, I want to use this to bring the empress down on her horse.
This minister is guilty.
Lord Chengen kowtowed his head heavily to the ground and raised his head. The turbid eyes on his old face were covered with bloodshot eyes, like spider webs. He said in a firm voice. Your Majesty, I did not collude with Wang Yu.
When things got to this point, to minimize charges, Lord Chengen could only admit that he had ulterior motives in pulling down Empress Wei. In any case, this was much lighter than the charge of colluding with Wang Yu.
The Liu family still has the empress dowager; perhaps he could still maintain his title.
***
The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and
continue reading tomorrow, everyone!